THERE are times when even the opposition must just want to sit back and watch Warrington Wolves go to work.

That certainly seemed to be the case with Salford on Sunday, particularly in the second half when Wolves crossed at will for five tries in 10 minutes to bring up their first 60-point haul of the season.

Many Wolves fans could be forgiven for thinking this type of performance was never going to materialise after the hot and (mainly) cold start to the campaign, but being proved wrong has rarely ever been so enjoyable.

Wolves were outstanding throughout, from the moment Ben Westwood crashed over for his 100th Warrington Wolves try in the fourth minute, to Micky Higham’s bursting run in the 80th.

One of the criticisms leveled at the players during that on-and-off start to the season was their execution and skill levels, with Tony Smith promising that they would come as the weather improved. Well, as usual, he has been proved to be spot on.

The speed of Wolves’ execution, the precision passing, the pace of play around the play-the-balls and the support of breaks simply blew the visitors away, with Brian Noble admitting that even a Salford at the top of their game would have struggled.

Their poor kicking allowed Wolves to pile the pressure on in the first half and once the hosts had opened a 28-4 half time lead, Salford’s heads were down and the result had become a formality.

In a team of top performances it was the ex-Salford boys who ran the show, with Richie Myler mercurial at scrum half and Stefan Ratchford masterful at full back.

They combined with Chris Riley for the game’s showcase try, a 60-metre effort started by the winger’s classy off-load and ended by Myler’s weaving dart to the line after Ratchford carved his old side open.

It was a day for milestones, too, with Westwood’s century and Simon Grix making his 150th appearance since his debut in 2006, but while it was a game for them to remember, Salford will be trying their hardest to forget.

INTERESTING NOTES

Ben Westwood’s first hat-trick since his three in 48-14 home defeat of Salford on June 19, 2005

Ben Westwood’s first of three tries took his Wolves total to 100, coming in 297 games since signing in 2002

Simon Grix’s 150th first-team appearance for Warrington

Chris Riley crossed for his 100th Super League try, having scored 98 for Warrington and two for Harlequins.

Wolves’ biggest win since the 68-4 defeat of Widnes at the Etihad Stadium on May 26, 2012

Stefan Ratchford became the fifth Wolves player to reach double figures for conversions in one game since the start of the 2011 season. He follows in the boots of Brett Hodgson, Lee Briers, Chris Bridge and Gareth O'Brien

MATCH FACTS

Super League Round 17

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Warrington Wolves...68 Salford City Reds...10

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

City Reds: Marc Sneyd; Ashley Gibson, Martin Gleeson, Lee Gaskell, Jodie Broughton; Ryan McGoldrick, Theo Fages; Jake Emmitt, Liam Foran, Adam Walne, Matty Ashurst, Andrew Dixon, Stephen Wild. Subs: Wayne Godwin, Jordan James, Adam Neal, Vic Mauro.

Scoring: Westwood try, 4mins, 4-0; Westwood try, 7mins, Ratchford goal, 10-0; Joel Monaghan try, 15mins, Ratchford goal, 16-0; Currie try, 20mins, Ratchford goal, 22-0; Broughton try, 25mins, 22-4; Currie try, 32mins, Ratchford goal, 28-4; Ratchford try, 45mins, Ratchford goal, 34-4; Joel Monaghan try, 50mins, Ratchford goal, 40-4; Myler try, 53mins, Ratchford goal, 46-4; Westwood try, 57mins, 50-4; Riley try, 58mins, Ratchford goal, 56-4; Michael Monaghan try, 60mins, Ratchford goal, 62-4; Gaskell try, 70mins, Sneyd goal, 62-10; Higham try, 80mins, Ratchford goal, 68-10.

Pens: Wolves 5 Salford 3

Attendance: 9,560

Referee: Tim Roby

Top Man: Richie Myler