THE Wire did what was expected of them here – but not without a few bumps in the road.

There were certainly times – particularly in the first half – in which what looked to be their strongest outfit was put firmly on the back foot by a largely inexperienced Widnes side.

However, it always seemed likely their class would tell and so it did once the ring rust was shaken off.

Choose your Wire man of the match

Post-match reaction from Wire boss Steve Price

Match action photo gallery

Fan reaction and match facts

A look back at the game as it happened

The scoreline may be a touch flattering to some but it was the kind of victory expected of Warrington given the side they chose to put out as they gave Ryan Atkins a fitting testimonial.

This was his day after all and he certainly showed he has not lost a step with some promising carries.

For a friendly game, there was plenty of spice to it as the Vikings were keen to make an impression, as were the new faces within the Wire side.

Plenty did – with Jake Mamo showing he knows his way to the try line while Blake Austin got 70 good minutes into his legs – and it was enough to fuel optimism for the new campaign.

Warrington Guardian:

Steve Price will be annoyed with the way the tries were conceded as Liam Hood was allowed to burrow over from dummy-half while the defence of a regulation grubber kick that led to Brad Walker’s try was pretty suspect.

Overall, though, it was a strong performance, particularly in attack.

Their new systems will take some time to full click into gear, but the way The Wire moved the ball around for some of their tries was excellent.

Mamo’s second try in particular came about as a result of some excellent handling on the right edge. It just goes to show there is plenty of potential to cause damage this season.

You could also tell plenty of work has been done on moving the ball around tight to the ruck to create more space on the edges.

That created the space for Austin and company to cause problems – and that is exactly what he did.

All eyes were on him and he delivered a display to whet the appetite ahead of the new season.

He threw some excellent passes, was key to some lovely shape in attack and his try showed how powerful he is as a running threat close to the line.

Warrington Guardian:

He was not the only new man to shine as Mamo stole the headlines by taking his trio of tries superbly.

The Wire’s back five may be cut and dried for many but the former Huddersfield man clearly has other ideas.

Warrington Guardian:

Danny Walker gave a lively cameo off the bench while Sitaleki Akauola produced some rumbustious carries late on.

If the battle for the second interchange prop spot alongside Joe Philbin is between him and Lama Tasi, this was certainly a victory for the big Tongan.

Warrington Guardian:

All in all, Wire fans will have left the ground feeling pretty encouraged. The new season cannot come quickly enough…