WHERE has this Wire team been – thanks for waking up!

The side with the weakest attack in the competition, as per the league table, stepped out of the gloom to post 50 points past a poor Leigh side.

It was more like the Warrington of past years, dominating down the middle and cashing in out wide with a balanced team that clicked despite 11 changes in positions or personnel.

Chief tormentors were on the left edge where returning wingman Tommy Lineham caught the eye with a four-try haul.

And for the first time in months Wolves threatened down the right too, where new boys Peta Hiku and Ben Pomeroy asked questions.

There was more pizazz about The Wire performance, plenty of enterprising football played, and everybody seemed to know their role and fulfilled it both in attack and defence.

Mental strength, missing for much of the year, was evident early on too as they coped with conceding two penalties in the opening set and losing fit-again Ben Westwood to a sixth-minute yellow card.

At other times this year Tony Smith's men would have conceded during such tests but not on Friday.

Just as Westwood returned from the sin-bin Ashton Sims moved Wolves 14-0 ahead from a second try created by Dec Patton, pulling the strings on his return to the side.

Patton's lovely floated pass sent Ryan Atkins flying home for the opener and then it was a perfect kick palmed backwards by Lineham that handed Sims a score that already looked enough to see off Leigh's challenge.

Two exquisite dives into the corner by Lineham from passes by Ratchford, marking his return to full-back with three conversions and a penalty, left Wolves cruising at 24-0.

Ratchford's error of judgement on a skiddy surface allowed Ben Reynolds a lifeline try for Leigh on the half-time hooter but once The Wire staved off an early second-half onslaught from Leigh – and responded with a Pomeroy try from Hiku's sweet centre play – the result was in the bag.

Two more tries from Lineham in the final quarter, along with others from Jack Hughes and Patton, outlined Warrington's superiority.

But take some of the display with caution because this was a basement Leigh team handing key players game time they needed, at a cost, in preparation for the Middle 8s.

INTERSTING NOTES

Most points Wolves have scored against Leigh in any league or cup game. Previous highest was in 43-18 romp in the ITV competition on November 16, 1955. Previous highest score in a league game was 42-7 on June 12, 2005.

Equals The Wire's highest winning margin in a victory over Leigh, matching the feat of the 40-0 success in te Lancashire League on November 23, 1940.

Sims' first try of the season, his seventh in three seasons with the club.

Most points conceded by Leigh this season.

MATCH FACTS

Super League Round 21, Friday, July 7, 2017

Warrington Wolves...50 Leigh Centurions...10

Wolves: Stefan Ratchford; Peta Hiku, Ben Pomeroy, Ryan Atkins, Tom Lineham; Dec Patton, Kurt Gidley; Chris Hill, Daryl Clark, Ashton Sims, Jack Hughes, Benjamin Jullien, Ben Westwood. Subs: George King, Andre Savelio, Joe Philbin, Morgan Smith.

Centurions: Mitch Brown; Matty Dawson, Samisoni Langi, Cory Paterson, Adam Higson; Ben Reynolds, Daniel Mortimer; Sam Hopkins, Micky Higham, Danny Tickle, Atelea Vea, Harrison Hansen, Glenn Stewart. Subs: Liam Hood, Antoni Maria, Lachlan Burr, James Green.

Scoring: Atkins try, 5mins, Ratchford goal, 6-0; Ratchford penalty, 12mins, 8-0; Sims try, 19mins, Ratchford goal, 14-0; Lineham try, 26mins, Ratchford goal, 20-0; Lineham try, 33mins, 24-0; Reynolds try, 40mins, Reynolds goal, 24-6; Pomeroy try, 48mins, Ratchford goal, 30-6; Lineham try, 67mins, 34-6; Hughes try, 70mins, Ratchford goal, 40-6; Dawson try, 74mins, 40-10; Lineham try, 78mins, 44-10; Patton try, 80mins, Westwood goal, 50-10.

Penalties: Wolves 8 Centurions 7

Sin bin: Westwood (dangerous tackle) 6mins

Referee: Scott Mikalauskas

Attendance: 10,597

Guardian man of the match: Ratchford