WARRINGTON Wolves’ 12th win in 13 games was not pretty but sending the champions home fruitless has put smiles on primrose and blue faces tonight.

It took the 73rd drop goal of Lee Briers' Wolves career in the final minute to settle a battle that lacked nothing in passion but much in composure.

Wolves trailed by two points at half time and had struggled to hold on to the ball long enough to trouble the champions’ fast-encroaching defence.

Referee Ben Thaler’s loose jurisdiction over the offside rule at play-the-balls did not help.

The scoring swung back-and-to in a tidier second period and at 18-18 with 16 minutes to go thanks to a Brett Hodgson converted try the game was finely balanced.

With four minutes to go Briers fluffed a left-footed drop-goal attempt under pressure and a second attempt two minutes later drifted wide after Leeds had given up possession in some kind of suicide mission.

There was time for one more effort and with 51 seconds on the clock, the club’s record drop-goal king let rip and saluted to signal his effort was on target to send the primrose and blue faithful into raptures.

Ironically, Briers had done exactly the same in the 18-17 play-offs win at Headingley in 2006 when his boss Tony Smith was in charge of Leeds.

Wolves could not have left it later and it keeps them in the hunt for top spot, although Wigan remain two points ahead after a narrow home comeback victory over Bradford Bulls.

Wolves had opened the scoring in the fifth minute when Micky Higham followed up his own short grubber kick on the last tackle to find nobody at home for a simple touchdown.

It came on the back of successive penalties for offside and interference and, with Brett Hodgson’s conversion, it was a perfect start for Wolves.

Leeds were quick to respond though, with Joel Moon absorbing Lee Briers’ dart off the line and then slipping a pass that allowed Ryan Hall to cross on the outside of Joel Monaghan in the ninth minute.

Teenager stand off Liam Sutcliffe then celebrated his new Leeds contract with a 70-metre dash to the try line after Stefan Ratchford’s offload failed to find a teammate’s hand, but with Zak Hardaker missing his second conversion the Rhinos led 8-6 after 13 minutes.

Ryan Atkins, later on the sidelines with crutches, limped out of the action in the 17th minute to be replaced by Chris Bridge, which resulted in Simon Grix switching to left centre, while Leeds lost the services of big Australian substitute Mitch Achurch a few minutes later.

It was the start of a scrappy 25-minute period in which both sides were guilty of over-exuberance and a succession of handling errors, the match deteriorating as a spectacle.

Garreth Carvell did get over the line for Wolves in the 37th minute but was held up and the attack broke down on the next tackle when a Briers inside pass went to ground.

The second half started badly for Wolves, conceding a second long-range try from a threatening position.

England winger Hall intercepted Bridge’s pass with a juggle and then hared 90 metres in front of the South Stand to score, holding off the cover tackle from opposite winger Chris Riley in the process.

Again there was no conversion success, but Leeds led 12-6 after 42 minutes.

Wolves needed some spark and some powerful drives from Adrian Morley and Garreth Carvell helped, as did a penalty for a high tackle on Westwood that put them in position to strike.

Ratchford took the chance to go it alone from dummy half and ducked the challenges of Jimmy Keinhorst and Watkins to cross. Hodgson’s conversion levelled matters with 54 minutes gone.

Leeds were six points in front again after achieving an overlap on the right which allowed Keinhorst to put Zak Hardaker over and the full back improved his own try for 18-12 after 63 minutes.

Wolves responded immediately, Joel Monaghan superbly beating Hall in the air to Briers’ high kick with a knock-back that fell perfectly for Hodgson to catch and plant. The full back’s extras tied it up again at 18-18 after 66 minutes to set up the final act of drama.

Wolves: Brett Hodgson; Joel Monaghan, Simon Grix, Ryan Atkins, Chris Riley; Lee Briers, Stefan Ratchford; Chris Hill, Micky Higham, Paul Wood, Ben Westwood, Trent Waterhouse, Mike Cooper. Subs: Adrian Morley, Garreth Carvell, Chris Bridge, Ben Currie.

Rhinos: Zak Hardaker; Ben Jones-ishop, Kallum Watkins, Joel Moon, Ryan Hall; Liam Sutcliffe, Rob Burrow; Richard Moore, Paul McShane, Jamie Peacock, Carl Ablett, Chris Clarkson, Brad Singleton. Subs: Ian Kirke, Mitch Achurch, Jimmy Keinhorst, Alex Foster.