After a disappointing Wembley outing last weekend, the Warrington Wolves attention returned to Super League and a chance to get back to winning ways against a tricky and unpredictable Salford Red Devils as the Halliwell-Jones played host to a top half of the table clash.
A win for the Wolves would keep them in contention at the top end of the table, but a loss would see them slip away from the top contenders and level on points with their visitors.
Warrington were big favourites with the bookies for a bounce back win as Salford were given a ten-point start on the coupon, despite their week off to regroup and recover from any niggles.
It was a fast pace early on from both sides and pace led to the opening try on five minutes when the Red Devils moved the length of the field with Nene Macdonald taking a Sam Stone offload to outstrip the Warrington full back and go over under the sticks. Sneyd added the conversion and the visitors had a 6-0 lead.
Tim Lafai went close on twelve for Salford who then earned a penalty for a ball steal. Sneyd pointed at the posts and the lead became eight points.
On fifteen the Red Devils were over again, Deon Cross taking a pass on his own forty and throwing an outrageous dummy to flummox Matt Dufty and cross ten metres in from the left corner flag. Sneyd hit the post with the conversion attempt, the Red Devils 12-0 ahead and starting to take control.
A third try from deep inside their own half again exposed the Wolves defensive weaknesses. This time it was Marc Sneyd in support of Ethan Ryan who took a great pass from Kallum Watkins after he’d made the initial break. Sneyd went over under the sticks to make his own conversion a formality for 18-0.
With five seconds on the clock, the Red Devils engineered the opportunity for Sneyd to kick a drop goal for a 19-0 half time lead.
Salford had a Chris Hankinson try ruled out early in the second half for an obstruction in the build-up. On forty-eight the Salford chasers of a Sneyd bomb were obstructed by Toby King but with a set of six on the Warrington line they were unable to add to their points haul.
Warrington finally registered their opening points on fifty-four after a good period of pressure when Rodrick Tai took a Stefan Ratchford kick to the corner to run the angle and force the ball onto the ground under the tackle. Ratchford was wide with the conversion, Warrington still well adrift.
Within three minutes Matty Ashton scored from fifty metres after poor handling from Salford spilled possession. Josh Drinkwater took over the kicking duties but was just wide and waved away by both touch judges; despite thinking he’d landed the goal.
The Warrington fightback was short lived when two minutes later Cross dived to take a Sneyd chip over the top to ground his second of the evening. Sneyd banged his kick between the uprights for 25-8 with fifteen minutes remaining.
A Sneyd attempted drop goal on seventy-eight sailed wide of the uprights but it would have made no difference had he landed it as Salford cruised to victory, the work done in the first half.
Tai grounded a Matt Dufty grubber to the corner inside the last minute for some respectability in the scoreline. Drinkwater added the conversion for a final scoreline of 14-25, belying the first half Salford dominance.
Salford got the points which lift them level with Warrington in the league table while the Wolves will have another week of naval gazing and feeling sorry for themselves that they couldn’t shake off the Wembley hangover. The side with the smallest budget again played above their station and deserve their spot, cemented inside the top six.
Warrington Wolves: Dufty, Tai (2T), King, Wrench, Ashton (T), Ratchford (0/1 G), Drinkwater (1/2 G), Musgrove, Walker, Vaughan, Nicholson, Holroyd, Currie. Subs: Harrison, Bullock, Wood, Powell. 18th Man: Whitehead.
Saford Red Devils: Hankinson, Ryan, Macdonald (T), Lafai, Cross (2T), Atkin, Sneyd (T, 4/5 G, DG), Singleton, Mellor, Wright, Stone, Watkins, Partington. Subs: Shorrocks, Wilson, Lewis, Dudson. 18th Man: Connell.
Half-Time: 0-19.
Full-Time: 14-25.
Score Progression: 0-4, 0-6, 0-8, 0-12, 0-16, 0-18, 0-19 : HT: 4-19, 8-19, 8-23, 8-25, 12-25, 14-25 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Salford.
Referee: Aaron Moore.
