THE hole that Wolves have been digging since beating Brisbane Broncos shows little sign of reducing.

In fact the deeper the players are shovelling, the harder it seems to be for them to find a way to stop the rot at the moment.

Thursday’s loss to Super League new boys Leigh Centurions - their fifth in a row - was the worst of a bad bunch, particularly with the way the team continues to repeat faults of previous weeks.

The amount of penalties given away, especially early in the tackle count after completing sets, and basic handling errors meant they put themselves under so much pressure against Leigh.

Everything they do, or do not do, and every decision that goes against them – as there were a few in this game – further compounded the predicament they currently find themselves in.

But perhaps of even more concern was that the team, by Tony Smith’s own admission, did not match Centurions for enthusiasm.

Not even the return of skipper Chris Hill for his first appearance of the season could lift a side void of form and confidence.

They were actually bullied down the middle by a Leigh pack full of aggression, which led to their former England prop Gareth Hock crashing over for two short-range tries.

Wolves looked disjointed and lacking in ideas on the rare occasions they got within sight of the Centurions try line, particularly in the spell just after half time when home back rower Glenn Stewart was lucky to only find himself in the sin bin for a high tackle that ended Kevin Brown’s game.

The Wire, whose Kurt Gidley penalty goal was their only points of a deflating first half, were unable to break the Leigh spirit even with the extra man.

Although Leigh had their own issues with handling mistakes and conceding penalties, they had more sense of purpose about them and when it was their time with a numerical advantage – while Tom Lineham was in the bin for lashing out – Adam Higson scored a killer try.

Lineham finally added a Warrington touchdown created by young guns Harvey Livett and Jack Johnson but it was too little, too late.

Perhaps the only positive was that Gidley’s return to the halves and Jack Hughes’ switch from left second row shored up the leaky right side targeted by opponents of late but there is so much more that needs fixing.

INTERESTING NOTES:

* Five straight Super League defeats matches the opening to the 2009 campaign, when Smith came to the rescue to replace James Lowes after three opening losses on top of the five defeats that ended 2008.

* The Wire have never lost their opening six league games to a season. A visit to St Helens is up next (Friday, March 24).

* Neither Leeds Rhinos or Huddersfield Giants, surprise teams to end up in the Middle 8s last season, went beyond four opening defeats to the 2016 season.

* The five games Wolves have lost this season equated to four wins and a draw last term, allowing for promoted Leigh Centurions as replacements for relegated Hull KR. Last year Wolves hammered Castleford and Wigan at home, succeeded at Catalans and Salford, while they drew at Hull KR.

* Wolves' current run of losses compares to winning their opening seven games last season, when they were crowned League Leaders' Shield winners and reached the Wembley and Old Trafford showpiece finals.

* The Wire did not lose more than two games on the bounce in 2016.

* Warrington's demise at the LSV on Thursday night was the club's first defeat to Leigh Centurions in 29 years.

* Chris Hill made his first appearance of the season which was also his 150th Super League game – 149 for The Wire and one for Leigh.

* Tom Lineham scored his fifth try in six appearances but collected a disciplinary charge for lashing out at Leigh full back Ryan Hampshire after being obstructed.

MATCH FACTS:

Super League Round Five, Thursday, March 16, 2017 Leigh

Centurions...22 Warrington Wolves...8

Centurions: Ryan Hampshire; Adam Higson, Ben Crooks, Mitch Brown, Matty Dawson; Ben Reynolds, Josh Drinkwater; Gareth Hock, Micky Higham, Jamie Acton, Atelea Vea, Glenn Stewart, Harrison Hansen. Subs: Eloi Pelissier, Danny Tickle, Sam Hopkins, Lachlan Burr.

Wolves: Jack Johnson; Matty Russell, Rhys Evans, Ryan Atkins, Tom Lineham; Kevin Brown, Kurt Gidley; Chris Hill, Daryl Clark, Mike Cooper, Jack Hughes, Ben Westwood, Joe Westerman. Subs: Ashton Sims, Brad Dwyer, Andre Savelio, Harvey Livett.

Scoring: Hock try, 7mins, Reynolds goal, 6-0; Crooks try, 16mins, 10-0; Reynolds penalty goal, 38mins, 12-0; Gidley penalty goal, 40mins, 12-2; Higson try, 63mins, 16-2; Hock try, 68mins, 20-2; Lineham try, 71mins, Livett goal, 20-8; Reynolds penalty goal, 74mins, 22-8.

Penalties: Centurions 11 Wolves 9

Sin bin: Stewart, high tackle, 49mins; Lineham, striking, 57mins

Referee: Ben Thaler Attendance: 7011

Man of the match (live blog fans' poll): Daryl Clark