IT should not take Warrington Wolves falling 20 points behind to spark into life.

But that was what Steve Price’s side served up at Wakefield Trinity on Sunday before losing 28-22.

After having a game taken away from them a week earlier due to Hull FC’s Covid situation, you would have thought there was burning desire throughout the team to be back on the field doing what they enjoy doing the most.

It was anything but – and against a side that had lost its last five matches and shown its head coach the door in midweek.

With having seven players unavailable through suspension, injuries and ‘Covid situations’, it would have been understandable for things to be not quite clicking together for The Wire but there is no excuse for what looked like a lack of hunger for the work.

Late in the game, when Warrington trailed 26-6, they suddenly burst into life scoring three tries in six minutes to cut the gap to just four points with plenty of time left on the clock to snatch a win they would not have deserved.

That added to the frustration of the fans as it showed what could be achieved when the power button was switched on.

Before that purplest of patches, there was a magic moment from new arrival George Williams.

His twinkle toes took him past several defenders to produce an opportunistic try that whets the appetite for more to come.

Sadly that effort was cancelled out when a pass under pressure from ‘second rower’ Stef Ratchford presented winger Lee Kershaw with Wakefield’s second 80-metre interception try of the game.

With the 20-point cushion restored and 17 minutes remaining, it looked a tall order for Warrington to get anywhere close especially with the fayre they had served up until that point.

They were enjoying more of the possession though.

Whether Wakefield took their foot off the gas thinking the first game under temporary head coach Willie Poching was won, or whether fatigue set in, or whether Warrington suddenly hit the heights they are capable of and Wakefield could not cope - that is all up for debate.

But the neat interchange of passing with Josh Charnley that led to replacement loose-forward Blake Austin diving over in the corner was pleasing on the eye.

Even more so was the way hooker Danny Walker teased the Wakefield defence in the restart set before punching through a hole and sending Jake Mamo flying home.

And it seemed mission impossible was becoming likely on the next set when the ball was shifted wide and Mamo blasted away before handing over to Charnley to finish off.

Desperate defence from Wakefield prevented Ratchford scoring in the next set and somehow from there they found a way to hang on.

INTERESTING NOTES:

George Williams' first try for Warrington

Danny Walker made 49 tackles

First Super League defeat on an opponents' home ground this season

MATCH FACTS:

Super League, Round 19, Sunday, August 15, 2021

Wakefield Trinity...28 Warrington Wolves...22

Trinity: Max Jowitt; Lee Kershaw, Joe Arundel, Innes Senior, Tom Johnstone; Jacob Miller, Mason Lino; Tinirau Arona, Brad Walker, Kelepi Tanginoa, Jay Pitts, Matty Ashurst, Joe Westerman. David Fifita, Liam Kay, Eddie Battye, Yusuf Aydin

Wolves: Stef Ratchford; Josh Charnley, Jake Mamo, Connor Wrench, Tom Lineham; Gareth Widdop, George Williams; Chris Hill, Danny Walker, Mike Cooper, Toby King, Ben Currie, Matt Davis. Subs: Blake Austin, Sitaleki Akauola, Matty Ashton. Sub not used: Morgan Burgess

Scoring: Johntone try, 11mins, Lino goal, 6-0; Fifita try, 22mins, 12-0; Lino try, 44mins, Lino goal, 18-0; Lino penalty, 51mins, 20-0; Williams try, 58mins, Ratchford goal, 20-6; Kershaw try, 63mins, Lino goal, 26-6; Austin try, 66mins, 26-10; Mamo try, 69mins, Ratchford goal, 26-16; Charnley try, 71mins, Ratchford goal, 26-22; Lino penalty, 80mins, 28-22.

Penalties: Wildcats 9 Wolves 4

Referee: Marcus Griffiths

Attendance: TBC

Top Man: Danny Walker