IN many ways, Sunday’s game epitomised the beauty of rugby league.

Despite being in almost complete control from the third minute onwards, The Wire came desperately close to losing.

Indeed, if Wakefield would have had the benefit of another minute or so on the clock, they probably would have overhauled their visitors such was the extent of their late wobble.

Still, Steve Price can reflect on a good afternoon’s work in which his side showed plenty of different sides to themselves.

First, we saw the team that is capable of cutting any Super League defence to ribbons when they hit their straps.

For the first 25 minutes at Belle Vue, Wolves were devastating and arguably could have been more than 20 points ahead.

Trinity coach Chris Chester says that period was the best he has seen this Wire side play in 2018. It is difficult to argue with him, certainly in terms of Super League performances.

We then saw the resilience Price prides this team on at times as they repelled spells of Wakefield pressure.

Wakefield were unable to get their attacking structures moving as the Wire defence suffocated their last-tackle plays, with only a close-range Tinirau Arona try to show for their efforts.

At two points in the second half – within the first 10 minutes and the final stages – we saw that this Warrington team is still capable of pressing the self-destruct button in small spells.

As well as their late lapses, Kyle Wood’s double came within barely a minute of each other as they saw their lead in severe danger of being eroded.

Between those two periods, though, we saw The Wire remain calm in an increasingly hostile atmosphere to keep the hosts at arm’s length.

There are still areas of concern – the defence has leaked too many points of late and the 14 penalties conceded was way too high – but the character they showed to win that game cannot go unnoticed.

Both of the sides above them in the Super League table – St Helens and Wigan – have returned from the Mobile Rocket Stadium empty-handed this year. Winning at Trinity’s ancient home is no mean feat.

With a two-week break to nurse their bruised bones, hopefully this win is the start of a last push for points as we move towards the split.

INTERESTING NOTES:

. Chris Hill makes his 400th career appearance.

. Wakefield become the second team – after Widnes – that The Wire have completed a league ‘double’ over in 2018.

MATCH FACTS:

Super League, Round 18.

Sunday, June 17, 2018.

Wakefield Trinity…30 Warrington Wolves…32

Trinity: Max Jowitt; Ben Jones-Bishop, Reece Lyne, Bill Tupou, Tom Johnstone; Jacob Miller, Ryan Hampsire; David Fifita, Tyler Randell, Anthony England, Pauli Pauli, Matty Ashurst, Justin Horo. Subs: Kyle Wood, Danny Kirmond, Tinirau Arona, Keegan Hirst.

Wolves: Stefan Ratchford; Josh Charnley, Ryan Atkins, Bryson Goodwin, Tom Lineham; Kevin Brown, Tyrone Roberts; Chris Hill, Daryl Clark, Mike Cooper; Jack Hughes, Harvey Livett, Ben Westwood. Subs: Ben Murdoch-Masila, Declan Patton, Sitaleki Akauola, Dom Crosby.

Scoring: Ratchford try, 4mins, Livett goal, 0-6; Ratchford try, 11mins, Livett goal, 0-12; Livett penalty, 21mins, 0-14; Lineham try, 23mins, Livett goal, 0-20; Arona try, 28mins, Hampshire goal, 6-20; Livett penalty, 32mins, 6-22; Goodwin penalty, 42mins, 6-24; Wood try, 46mins, Hampshire goal, 12-24; Wood try, 48mins, Hampshire goal, 18-24; Goodwin penalty, 55mins, 18-26; Brown try, 65mins, Goodwin goal, 18-32; Johnstone try, 76mins, Hampshire goal, 24-32; Pauli try, 79mins, Hampshire goal, 30-32.

Penalties: Trinity 14 Wolves 9

Sin bin: Akauola (high tackle), 76mins

Referee: Chris Kendall

Attendance: 5,034