PRESSURE can ruin teams, but Wolves overcame all that was thrown at them for the second week running to keep their unbeaten start to 2016 in check.

Losing impact prop Mitchell Dodds, who had been on the field for five minutes, to a double leg break just before half time and then conceding a try early in the second half could have been the catalyst for a crumbling effect on an intimidating ground miles and miles away from home.

But not with this Wire team.

Although they continued to gift Catalans Dragons opportunities in the second half by over-playing and coughing up possession in dangerous areas, their gutsy defending got them out of trouble in order to provide another thrilling finish to a physical battle-royal.

At 20-12 down midway through the second half, Matty Russell’s front-on try-saving tackle on man mountain Dave Taylor, dubbed the coal train, plus Kurt Gidley’s steal on another Australian powerhouse Willie Mason in the act of scoring were rewarded with a comeback as stunning as the one that defeated Salford on the hooter a week earlier.

Again, full back Russell was at the heart of it as his evasive skills paved the way for a second try from Rhys Evans to cut the gap to two points and then for George King to barge over with a twist for the winning score before Chris Sandow rubbed salt into Dragons’ wounds with the last try 12 seconds from time.

Russell will just not allow himself to be tackled without a fight. He bumped off defender after defender like a pinball to leave the Catalans defence disorganised for both of those key Wolves tries.

Wolves must learn though, and quickly, that a failure to control the ball – especially at the end of a set if turnover is completed with an error rather than a kick – that the energy burned up now could bite them on the backside later in the year.

After being under the cosh, trying to get around the outside of a team and throwing the ball into touch twice is kamikaze stuff when all that was needed was a decent kick to apply the pressure at the other end.

Gidley and Sandow should know better, but pressure and fatigue does all kinds of crazy things to the best of players.

INTERESTING NOTES

Five wins is Wolves' best start to a Super League season

Last time The Wire won five league games at the season's start was 1987/88. Next match was a 20-20 draw with Leeds

George King's try was his first in Super League, his second in the top flight having notched against Leigh in the Challenge Cup quarter-final tie of 2015

Wolves lead 16-10 in Super League, play-offs and Challenge Cup meetings with Catalans

MATCH FACTS

Super League Round Five, Saturday, March 12, 2016

Catalans Dragons...20 Warrington Wolves...30

Dragons: Tony Gigot; Jodie Broughton, Krisnan Inu, Vincent Duport, Pat Richards; Todd arney, Richie Myler; Dave Taylor, Eloi Pelissier, Willie Mason, Glenn Stewart, Justin Horo, Louis Anderson. Subs: Remi Casty, Jason Baitieri, Julian Bousquet, Thomas Bosc.

Wolves: Matty Russell; Tom Lineham, Rhys Evans, Ryan Atkins, Kevin Penny; Kurt Gidley, Chris Sandow; Chris Hill, Brad Dwyer, Ashton Sims, Ben Currie, Jack Hughes, Joe Westerman. Subs: Stefan Ratchford, Mitchell Dodds, George King, Jordan Cox.

Scoring: Carney try, 9mins, Richards goal, 9-0; Evans try, 11mins, Gidley goal, 6-6; Richards try, 23mins, Richards goal, 12-6; Richards penalty, 27mins, 14-6; Currie try, 30mins, Gidley goal, 14-12; Duport try, 44mins, Richards goal, 20-12; Evans try, 60mins, Gidley goal, 20-18; King try, 77mins, Gidley goal, 20-24; Sandow try, 80mins, Gidley goal, 20-30.

Penalties: Dragons 7 Wolves 11

Referee: James Child

Attendance: 8,859

Top Man: Chris Hill