IT would have been unthinkable for Lee Briers not to sink one of three drop-goal attempts in the thrilling finish to Friday’s success against the champions.

As Wolves’ all-time record points scorer raised a clenched right fist to salute hitting the mark with his third effort in the 80th minute, the stadium erupted into a volcano of noise in keeping with maintaining hopes of catching Wigan for a top-spot finish.

Memories of the stand off’s most famous match-winning one pointers came hurtling back, the quarter-final golden-time winner that sparked the Challenge Cup success of 2009 and the one at Headingley in 2006 when Wolves knocked Tony Smith’s Leeds out of the play-offs.

This one was rewards for his own persistence and the approach work from workaholic Bennie Westwood and Stefan Ratchford to get Wolves from one end of the field to the other at such a late stage of an absorbing encounter.

Wolves had no problems making metres down the middle.

Skipper Adrian Morley, fellow departing prop Garreth Carvell and form hooker Micky Higham were strong in that regard but Wolves had difficulty coping with injury-hit Leeds’ defensive qualities when stretching their play.

Rhinos were so quick – helped by referee Ben Thaler’s leniency – in shutting down plays out wide that it forced Wolves into a glut of handling errors, especially in the final 25 minutes of the first half.

It perhaps did not help that there was reshuffling in the backs after losing Ryan Atkins to injury in the 16th minute.

The mistakes under pressure led to long-range counter attacks that brought tries for teenage stand off Liam Sutcliffe and England winger Ryan Hall as Leeds nudged 12-6 ahead two minutes after the break.

Ratchford, after running off a leg injury, levelled matters with an opportunist dart from dummy half but Zak Hardaker, whose three missed conversions proved decisive too, finished off an overlap move to edge the visitors in front again.

Briers’ crossfield kick and Joel Monaghan’s excellent leap to beat Hall in the air allowed a knock back for Brett Hodgson to score and magnificently kick the conversion to set up the grandstand finish.

 

 

 

INTERESTING NOTES

Lee Briers kicked his 73rd drop-goal for Wolves in the 19-18 victory, extending his own club record.

Victory extends Wolves’ winning run to six straight games, having won 12 of their last 13 matches.

Warrington have won their last eight Challenge Cup games against Huddersfield, having not lost in the competition against Sunday’s opposition since going down 21-17 in the 1933 Final at Wembley.

Lee Briers needs one appearance to reach 450 for his career (including international appearances), having played 416 for Wolves since 1997.

 

 

Super League Round 21
Friday, July 4, 2013

Warrington Wolves...19
Leeds Rhinos...18

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-Bishop, 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.

Scoring: Higham try, 5mins, Hodgson conversion, 6-0; Hall try, 9mins, 6-4; Sutcliffe try, 13mins, 6-8; Hall try, 42mins, 6-12; Ratchford try, 54mins, Hodgson conversion, 12-12; Hardaker try, 63mins, Hardaker conversion, 12-18; Hodgson try, 66mins, Hodgson conversion, 18-18; Briers drop goal, 79mins, 19-18.

Pens: Wolves 6 Rhinos 6
Referee: Ben Thaler
Attendance: 11,281
Top man: Ben Westwood