VICTORY against Hull KR signified the progress made by Wolves.

Not only did the team break new ground in the modern era, they did so with nine positional changes.

When Tony Smith made wholesale alterations ahead of trips to Salford and London last season, Wolves looked disorganised and were hammered.

But there no such familiarity issues on this occasion, the chosen 17 – featuring some surprise partnerships – steered Wolves to eight wins on the trot while ending Hull KR’s own five-match sequence of success.

Joel Monaghan, standing in for Ryan Atkins and Simon Grix at left centre, looked like he had been in exchanges with Chris Riley all his career, yet it was their first time in tandem.

And Michael Monaghan, starting alongside Lee Briers in the halves for the first time since the home play-off defeat to Huddersfield in 2010, appeared comfortable away from dummy half.

With Ben Harrison playing his first Wolves game since April, Brad Dwyer making his first appearance of the year and recalls being handed to Tyrone McCarthy and Rhys Williams, there was plenty of tinkering that could have disrupted the team’s rhythm.

Particularly impressive in the circumstances was the team’s patience, not becoming frustrated by referee Tim Roby’s leniency with slow play-the-balls.

And they had to soak up a lot of pressure as Rovers’ half backs Travis Burns and Michael Dobson ran the show for the final 30 minutes of the first half, with Smith highlighting the goal-line defence as being particularly pleasing.

It was in the second half, when Garreth Carvell and Chris Hill returned for their second spell, that Wolves put Rovers to bed, capitalising on the eventual penalties that did arrive for nonsense at the rucks.

Chris Bridge was at the heart of some of Wolves’ best attacking play, Mike Cooper worked his socks off as the third prop in the loose-forward position and Ben Currie added to his growing reputation with two tries.

Wolves’ reward for all the effort was clocking up eight wins on the bounce for the first time in the summer era and giving them a confidence boost going into Sunday’s Challenge Cup semi final.

 


 

INTERESTING NOTES

Wolves’ win over Hull KR was their eighth straight win, a club record in the Super League era.

Sunday's game against Hull FC is the first semi-final meeting between the sides in the Challenge Cup.

Warrington are appearing in their 32nd Challenge Cup semi-final, having won 16 and lost 15 - while Hull FC have won 14 and lost 9 of their previous 23 games at the last four stage.

The last time Wolves met Hull in the Challenge Cup was in the 10-4 defeat on March 13, 1983.

 


 

Super League Round 22

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Warrington Wolves...34 Hull KR...6

Wolves: Brett Hodgson; Rhys Williams, Chris Bridge, Joel Monaghan, Chris Riley; Lee Briers, Michael Monaghan; Garreth Carvell, Micky Higham, Chris Hill, Ben Currie, Trent Waterhouse, Mike Cooper. Subs: Brad Dwyer, Ben Harrison, Tyrone McCarthy, Glenn Riley.

Rovers: Greg Eden; Craig Hall, Sean Gleeson, Liam Salter, David Hodgson; Travis Burns, Michael Dobson; Micky Paea, Josh Hodgson, Adam Walker, Rhys Lovegrove, Jordan Cox, Constantine Mika. Subs: Lincoln Withers, Richard Beaumont, Tyla Hepi, Evarn Tuimavave.

Scoring: Brett Hodgson try, 6mins, Brett Hodgson goal, 6-0; Cooper try, 11mins, Brett Hodgson goal, 12-0; Cox try, 16mins, Dobson goal, 12-6; Currie try, 52mins, 16-6; Chris Riley try, 67mins, Brett Hodgson goal, 22-6; Michael Monaghan try, 70mins, Brett Hodgson goal, 28-6; Currie try, 77mins, Briers goal, 34-6.

Pens: Wolves 13 Rovers 6

Referee: Tim Roby

Attendance: 9,838

Top Man: Mike Cooper