SOMETIMES in sport you wonder if the storylines have already been written.
A returning coach takes on his former team in only his second game in charge and an injury hit full-back plays for the first time in a season to score the winning try.
Sadly for Warrington Wolves on Saturday both came true as Tony Smith, coach for almost a decade before he left The Halliwell Jones Stadium in 2017, led his struggling Hull KR side to a win over the Wire.
That is was the game’s outstanding player Adam Quinlan who dove in at the corner to tie the scores at 14 and set Ryan Shaw, a Warrington player as a teen, to kick the winner from the touchline made the story all the more sweet for the Humbersiders.
It didn’t have to be that way though.
For all the late drama, Warrington were way below their best.
Six penalties inside 15 minutes at the start of the game had them on the back foot and the tale of indiscipline continued.
READ MORE > Price hits out at poor discipline
High shots, off side, hands in the ruck, dissent, kicking the ball out on the full, it was if Wire were trying to go through the whole referee handbook.
Despite that torturous start though, Warrington were only 2-0 down when Kiwi international Bryson Goodwin showed what Wire may miss if he decides to return to the NRL with a glorious in and out step to score by the posts.
Goodwin touches down
It gave Warrington an 8-4 half time lead, Shaw kicking both penalties for KR which would prove vital in the final reckoning.
A strong start was needed in the second half but it was more indiscipline with the ball this time which hit Warrington as Masoe powered through Jake Mamo to put KR in front.
MORE > Our favourite pictures from Hull KR v Wire
Josh Charnley restored the lead moments later on the hour mark but Quinlan finished the Robins only moment of quality in the dying seconds.
Celebrating Charnley's try
That Warrington got the ball back from a short kick-off only for Dec Patton to throw a forward pass and Sitaleki Akauola give away a penalty for dissent summed up the afternoon.
The result leaves Wire six points behind leaders St Helens again and they will know despite all the heroic goal line defence which kept them in the game, many more performances of such ill-discipline will really cost them in the coming weeks and months when the stakes are so much higher.
MORE > Smith thanks Wolves for Johnson deal
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel