HULL did a Grand Final job on Warrington.

Just like against Leeds Rhinos at Old Trafford last October, Hull capitalised on Wolves’ lack of composure to get in front and then kicked Warrington to death while also tackling their hearts out.

The raking long-range clearance kicks from Daniel Holdsworth and Danny Houghton in the final 10 minutes of Friday’s breathless encounter at The Halliwell Jones Stadium spent up Wolves’ last remaining drops of fuel to the point that Tony Smith’s men had nothing left in the tank to muster up a fightback of their own.

With Michael Monaghan having left the field with a niggly knee, Lee Briers playing on one leg due to an ankle injury and Stefan Ratchford carrying a shoulder and neck problem, Wolves were also missing some of their most creative weaponry in trying to turn round what had been spectacularly lost.

It all looked so different when Ryan Atkins’ converted try – Wolves’ third from a kick - put his side 16-6 in front and potentially on the way to a sixth successive win.

Momentum swung after Ratchford was judged to have knocked on at the play-the-ball.

Fortune was starting to favour the Airlie Birds too, as Andy Lynch got away with an obstruction on Trent Waterhouse in the build-up to Tom Lineham’s try, cutting the deficit to six points. Slow-motion replays confirm that Waterhouse was onside when the ball was played.

When Myler over-struck a grubber kick and Chris Hill was penalised for interference, Hull sniffed another opportunity and took it, albeit with a forward pass from Houghton before Ben Crooks’ break from Richard Horne’s delicate pass put Richard Whiting over for the levelling points.

Hull, resolute on their try line, were let off the hook when Ben Currie was pulled up for a second effort in tackling Tom Briscoe.

And then, when Atkins coughed up the ball 20 metres from his own line, Hull needed no second invitation and it was another pass from Horne that allowed Whiting to crash through Atkins and Myler on the line.

Wolves were already beaten before Briscoe’s effort, leaving them in no doubt that mistakes can be costly in tight Super League games.

 

 

INTERESTING NOTES

Only Wolves’ third defeat at home in two seasons, the other two losses both coming against St Helens.

First time Hull have defeated Wolves in six attempts.

Wolves’ first defeat since 28-22 loss at Leeds on April 6, ending five-match winning sequence.

Ben Westwood needs one try to reach 100 for Warrington, touching down 99 times in 296 games since 2002.

Lee Briers needs one try to reach 150 for Wolves, his 149 so far coming in 410 appearances since his debut in 1997.

Chris Riley is three tries away from his Super League 100, having scored 95 for Warrington and two for Harlequins.

 

 

Super League Round 15
Friday, May 16, 2013

Warrington Wolves...16
Hull FC..26

Wolves: Stefan Ratchford; Joel Monaghan, Simon Grix, Ryan Atkins, Chris Riley; Lee Briers, Richie Myler; Paul Wood, Micky Higham, Chris Hill, Ben Westwood, Trent Waterhouse, Mike Cooper. Subs: Michael Monaghan, Garreth Carvell, Ben Currie, Glenn Riley.

Hull FC: Shannon McDonnell; Tom Lineham, Ben Crooks, Kirk Yeaman, Tom Briscoe; Daniel Holdsworth, Richard Horne; Mark O’Meley, Danny Houghton, Chris Green, Gareth Ellis, Richard Whiting, Jay Pitts. Subs: Paul Johnson, Aaron Heremaia, Andy Lynch, Josh Bowden.

Scoring: Grix try, 30mins, Briers goal, 6-0; Joel Monaghan try, 34mins, 10-0; Briscoe try, 39mins, Holdsworth goal, 10-6; Atkins try, 47mins, Briers goal, 16-6; Lineham try, 52mins, 16-10; Whiting try, 59mins, Holdsworth goal, 16-16; Whiting try, 72mins, Holdsworth goal, 16-22; Briscoe try, 80+mins, 16-26.

Pens: Wolves 7 Hull 7

Referee: Richard Silverwood

Attendence: 9,387

Top Man: Trent Waterhouse