I ASKED a rhetorical question earlier this week.

What has happened to the Warrington Wolves team that has scored points for fun during the past two seasons?

After all, Tony Smith’s men failed to score in the second half at Hull Kingston Rovers a fortnight ago and played 39 minutes of each half against St Helens before Chris Bridge found a way over the line.

With all the opportunities wasted against Saints when good position had been hard earned, it was frustrating to watch Wolves try to click into the higher gears they have not yet reached this season.

However, it is easy to forget that it has not always been plain sailing in past seasons under Tony Smith. But Wolves have eventually worked it out to win one piece of silverware in each year of his rein.

Take 2011 for example, the year Wolves broke their Super League point-scoring records and clinched the League Leaders’ Shield.

Their average points ‘for’ and ‘against’ were very similar to the start of this season until the spectacular 82-6 defeat of Harlequins in round six skewed the figures somewhat.

And last year, when you compare the results of the corresponding six games played so far, Wolves are only scoring an average four points less per game and conceding an average two points more.

They are not figures that make you believe the wheels have fallen off the wagon.

And when put into context, Wolves have had a more difficult start to the season in terms of fixtures, as well as having problems with injuries that have not been as severe at this stage in the most recent seasons.

Let’s not forget what happened last season, too.

There was a run of fixtures where Wolves struggled to put a flow of play together, where players’ timing seemed to be out of sync, offloads were wildly hitting the ground and energy was being sapped up from the amount of defending the team was having to do. Sound familiar?

They put it right by going back to basics for the Challenge Cup fourth round tie at Keighley Cougars. Five drives and a kick, a good chase and forcing the opposition into errors deep in their own half became Wolves’ trade again, and they added more flambuoyant play as confidence grew and pitches became firmer.

Wolves need to do the same again and I’m sure the rewards as well as the entertainment factor will follow.