WARRINGTON ended a hectic Easter schedule sitting among Super League’s bottom four.

Tony Smith, Richard Agar and co will be confident The Halliwell Jones outfit will not be playing for their top-flight future come the business end of the campaign, but the current stats make bleak reading for Wolves fans.

An error-strewn defeat to Castleford Tigers on Monday was a fourth on the bounce for Wolves, who have not endured such a run since the beginning of the 2009 season.

Smith was brought in by Simon Moran to save things then, with the Wolves owner having watched his club lose their opening three games after defeat in each of the final five the previous season.

They lost two more, to Leeds and then Harlequins, before the Smith revival gathered pace – and Warrington fans have grown accustomed to success ever since.

Three-time Challenge Cup winners since the former Great Britain coach’s arrival, Wolves have not become a ‘bad’ side over night.

But they are a side void of any confidence in attack and leaking points in defence; they are currently the competition’s lowest scorers.

For a spell in the first half they seemed to have found that confidence again, scoring quick-fire tries to take the lead after falling behind to a Jordan Tansey try.

Gareth O’Brien’s delicate grubber was pounced on by an onrushing Stefan Ratchford, before Kevin Penny broke from deep and handed on for Ryan Atkins to cross.

That should have encouraged a positive kicking game and increasingly expansive attack, but Wolves headed into the break level after Luke Dorn touched down.

Camped in the Castleford half after the interval, Wolves lacked the invention to break down a side happy to keep them at arm’s length.

Mistakes began to creep into their game – four or five knock ons, several stray passes – and it was the visitors who capitalised.

Adam Milner went between the posts and the hosts fell victim to their own charge downs when the ball rebounded over Ben Currie’s head to set up a Luke Gale break from which Ben Roberts scored.

Penny did reply and had another chalked off, but Wolves never looked like they believed the comeback was on nor had the confidence and creativity to fulfil it.

MATCH FACTS

Warrington Wolves...14 Castleford Tigers...22

Wolves: Stefan Ratchford; Joel Monaghan, Chris Bridge, Ryan Atkins, Kevin Penny; Gareth O’Brien, Richie Myler; Chris Hill, Micky Higham, Ashton Sims, Ben Currie, Ben Westwood, Ben Harrison. Subs: Daryl Clark, Roy Asotasi, Anthony England, James Laithwaite.

Tigers: Luke Dorn; Jordan Tansey, Michael Channing, Michael Shenton, Justin Carney; Ben Roberts, Luke Gale; Andy Lynch, Scott Moore, Scott Wheeldon, Frankie Mariano, Matt Cook, Nathan Massey. Subs: Adam Milner, Grant Millington, Ryan Boyle, Will Maher.

Scoring: Tansey try, 6mins, 0-4; Ratchford try, 16mins, O’Brien goal, 6-4; Atkins try, 19mins, 10-4; Dorn try, 37mins, Gale goal, 10-10; Milner try, 65mins, Gale goal, 10-16; Roberts try, 69mins, Gale goal, 10-22; Penny try, 72mins, 14-22.

Penalties: Wolves 3 Tigers 6

Referee: James Child

Attendance: 8,518

Top man: Chris Hill

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