THIS was a game that Warrington Wolves badly needed.

Arguably no team has had a tougher opening six rounds than Wolves and therefore facing a team clearly struggling with the demands of Super League, after a disrupted pre-season, provided the opportunity to ‘regroup’.

In a match of low intensity, Tony Smith’s men set about putting right some things they had been getting wrong and although it was far from perfect they produced a performance that should inspire confidence for future weeks.

Their biggest win of the season so far was built on doing the basics right in damp and cold weather conditions, albeit against the weakest opposition they have met this year so far.

While the boss was happiest most with the team’s defence, with the only try conceded coming from an interception off a Michael Monaghan pass, there was an obvious change of tactic that should be treated as a learning exercise.

Rather than trying to dazzle the opposition to death with risky flair that has cost them too much possession in past matches, in the first half Wolves kept a tight grip and gained huge metres down the middle.

They controlled the ruck area and with Richie Myler, Stefan Ratchford and Michael Monaghan providing variety in some decent kicks with strong chases it meant Salford were on the back foot staring down a tunnel with diminishing light.

Each time Wolves patiently moved into the Salford danger zone they scored.

A 22-0 match-winning lead was built before half time, with Chris Riley’s double a highlight.

It is fair to say Wolves had earned the right to be a little more liberal in the second half but as a result the error rate crept up and the points avalanche was a scruffy dribble rather than a thrilling deluge.

At the heart of all the best creative work was two-try Myler on a night he took his career tally to 100.

Switching to tighter game tactics last year gave Wolves the ammunition for a mid-season spurt and their glorious Challenge Cup run.

Hopefully, a quarter way into the 2013 campaign, they have laid a similar path.

 

 

INTERESTING NOTES

Richie Myler took his career tally of tries to 100 with the brace against Salford. His total is made up of 53 for Warrington, 38 for Salford, eight for England and one for England Knights.

One more try is needed for Ben Westwood to clock up his 100th in primrose and blue.

Wolves have not conceded fewer points in a game since the 47-0 mauling of Huddersfield Giants in the play offs at The Halliwell Jones Stadium on September 16, 2011.

Widest margin of victory since the 68-4 success against Widnes Vikings at the Magic event on May 26, 2012.

The last time three Wolves players scored at least two tries each in one game was in the 42-12 victory at Wakefield Trinity Wildcats on May 20, 2012.

 

 

Super League Round 7
Friday, March 15, 2013
Salford City Reds...4
Warrington Wolves...46

City Reds: Marc Sneyd; Jack Murphy, Martin Gleeson, Ashley Gibson, Jodie Broughton; Theo Fages, Liam Foran; Darrell Griffin, Wayne Godwin, Ryan Boyle, Matty Ashurst, Andrew Dixon, Lee Jewitt. Subs: Gareth Owen, Jordan James, Vic Mauro, Adam Neal.

Wolves: Brett Hodgson; Joel Monaghan, Chris Bridge, Ryan Atkins, Chris Riley; Stefan Ratchford, Richie Myler; Chris Hill, Michael Monaghan, Paul Wood, Simon Grix, Ben Westwood, Mike Cooper. Subs: Ben Currie, Garreth Carvell, Micky Higham, Gareth O’Brien.

Scoring: Atkins try, 4mins, Hodgson conversion, 0-6; Riley try, 9mins, 0-10; Riley try, 26mins, Hodgson conversion, 0-16; Myler try, 40+mins, Hodgson conversion, 0-22; Joel Monaghan try, 42mins, Hodgson conversion, 0-28; Owen try, 53mins, 4-28; Hodgson try, 58mins, Hodgson conversion, 4-34; Atkins try, 72mins, Ratchford conversion, 4-40; Myler try, O’Brien conversion, 4-46.

Pens: City Reds 3 Wolves 5

Referee: Steve Ganson

Attendance: 3,932

Top man: Richie Myler