TONY Smith said the reaction was over the top and Denis Betts said it was health and safety gone mad.

But the flare thrown onto the pitch close to the Widnes try line from the Warrington supporters' end of the ground just after Ben Westwood scored the opening try for Wolves certainly disrupted proceedings.

Referee Robert Hicks ordered the players off the field in a moment of high drama while stewards patiently waited for the flare to die out.

After a five-minute delay, play resumed with Gareth O'Brien's conversion but Widnes took a grip of the game after that and never looked back.

Wolves boss Smith said: "Some of the health and safety issues were a bit OTT (over the top) I think.

“I would have liked a bucket of water and maybe a glove and gone and picked it up myself just to get on with the game.”

Wolves chairman Steven Broomhead said he apologised to his Widnes Vikings counterpart on behalf of the club and its supporters for the flare incident.

A red flare had been set off by Vikings supporters ahead of the game but it did not enter the playing arena.