HINDSIGHT tells us Wolves can be forgiven for not stuffing a cricket score past a woeful Saints side on Friday.

After taking a 26-0 lead in the 49th minute, the floodgates looked set to be opened.

That would have been poetic justice for being on the receiving end of some merciless tonkings at the hands of Saints in the not too distant past.

When head honcho Tony Smith revealed afterwards that it had been a victory to merely field 17 "fit" players after a training week hindered by walking wounded, it was clear the win resulting from "the gutsiest performance for a long time" was in itself more than enough to send the sizeable Wolves following home in jubilant mood.

The Wire struggled to keep hold of the ball at times and spent long periods defending deep inside their own half, especially in the opening 40 minutes.

But defensively Smith's men were magnificent, full of commitment and energy as Saints were kept to their lowest score against Warrington for 34 years.

The hosts were made to look very ordinary and their own fans turned on them.

In the circumstances of Warrington finding it difficult to apply attacking pressure, it was crucial that they made the most of chances they created.

And they did so in style.

Skilful vision was at play as The Wire assembled a 16-0 half-time lead.

Chris Sandow, whose long kicking game was also instrumental in keeping Saints at bay, spotted the hosts were shorthanded on their right and slipped Ben Currie past Theo Fages for the opener in the sixth minute.

And then Sandow's dancing feet made a fool of Atelea Vea as Wolves again capitalised on a raking penalty touch finder from the Australian number seven.

Down the same side of the field again, Currie spotted full back Jonny Lomax in the defensive line and kicked ahead perfectly for Ryan Atkins to catch, dive and touchdown in one movement.

Footwork was key again when Clark darted past Craig Richards and Alex Walmsley to break away and send Stefan Ratchford home for a killer score three minutes after the break.

Rhys Evans, one of the stars defensively, pounced on a Kurt Gidley grubber kick that evaded Adam Swift's "air swing".

In a scrappy final quarter, Wolves were disappointed to concede a try to Lomax but the contest was already won.

STATS SPOT:

Least points conceded against Saints since 16-0 Lancashire Cup Final win in 1982

Least points conceded since 80-0 romp versus Wakefield in April, 2015

Wolves have lost to Saints at Langtree Park only once

Chris Hill's 150th Wire game, his 65th in succession

Ryan Atkins' 300th career appearance (all clubs plus England)

Stefan Ratchford's try takes his Wolves total to 502 points

MATCH FACTS:

Super League Round 16, Friday, June 3, 2016

St Helens…4 Warrington Wolves…26

Saints: Jonny Lomax; Jack Owens, Matty Dawson, Jordan Turner, Adam Swift; Theo Fages, Jon Wilkin; Lama Tasi, James Roby, Kyle Amor, Atelea Vea, Morgan Knowles, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook. Subs: Alex Walmsley, Greg Richards, Luke Thompson, Joe Greenwood.

Wolves: Stefan Ratchford; Tom Lineham, Rhys Evans, Ryan Atkins, Gene Ormsby; Kurt Gidley, Chris Sandow; Chris Hill, Daryl Clark, Ryan Bailey, Benjamin Jullien, Ben Currie, Joe Westerman. Subs: Brad Dwyer, George King, Sam Wilde, Jordan Cox.

Scoring: Currie try, 6mins, 0-4; Sandow try, 19mins, Gidley goal, 0-10; Atkins try, 33mins, Gidley goal, 0-16; Ratchford try, 43mins, Gidley goal, 0-22; Evans, 49, 0-26; Lomax try, 75mins, 4-26.

Referee: James Child

Penalties: Saints 7 Wolves 6

Attendance: 11,353

Top man: Chris Sandow