WARRINGTON bounced back from last week’s home defeat by Leeds and cemented second spot in the league with a 10-30 victory over Crusaders at Wrexham.
Chris Riley (pictured above) became the first Warrington player to score 20 tries in a Super League season since Henry Fa’afili in 2007 as he scored twice taking his tally to 21 for the season, with seven games left.
He was matched by two for Chris Hicks, who now has 17 for the campaign from the other wing.
Subs David Solomana and Mickey Higham added the other two tries for Warrington, who again only landed half their kicks with Briers landing two and Westwood one.
Crusaders’ two tries came from Nick Youngquest and Rhys Hanbury.
Warrington made three starting changes from last week, Richie Myler coming in at scrum-half, with Paul Wood at prop and Vinnie Anderson at loose forward.
It took just under two minutes for the Wolves to register the opening score when the ball was spun wide for Richie Mathers to supply Hicks.
But Brian Noble’s men were back on level terms 11 minutes later when Youngquest picked up the ball on his own 10-yard line, pinned back his ears and raced 60 yards for a spectacular touch down.
Shortly after the loss of Crusaders Welsh Rugby Union convert Garteh Thomas with a groin injury, Warrington were back in front when Hicks latched onto a Lee Briers grubber kick to just touch down just before the ball went dead.
Prop Garreth Carvell then offloaded to David Solomona to score, with Briers adding his first successful conversion to send the Wolves in 14-4 ahead at the break.
Then two tries inside seven second-half minutes from Mickey Higham and Riley all but sealed the win.
The Crusaders did hit back when half-back Hanbury twisted and turned to sneak in by the posts, giving full-back Clinton Schifcofske a simple conversion.
But Riley went over for Warrington’s sixth touchdown on the hooter to finish things off – his 21st try of the season briefly taking him above Wigan’s Pat Richards as the league’s leading scorer.
After the game Warrington boss Tony Smith said:”We’re not over the moon. I don’t want to take anything away from the Crusaders because they played well but I’m pleased that we got better as the game went on.
“There were signs of our defence getting back to its aggressive self.” He singled out Michael Monaghan saying he was “outstanding defensively and in attack as well.”
Crusaders: Schifcofske, Dyer, Thomas, Martin, Youngquest, Lupton, Hanbury, O’Hara, Withers, Bryant, Hauraki, Winternstein, Trimarchi.
Replacements: Thackray, Peek, Flower, Sammut.
Warrington: Mathers, Hicks, King, Atkins, Riley, Briers, Myler, Wood, Monaghan, Harrison, L Anderson, Westwood, V Anderson.
Replacements: Higham, Grix, Carvell, Solomona.
Referee: Steve Ganson
Attendance: 5,197.
For more action pictures from the game CLICK HERE
