Wolves tame Wildcats

A hat-trick of tries from Aussie Matt King saw Warrington Wolves regain second spot in the Super League table
with a 36-18 victory over Wakefield Wildcats.
The Wolves ran in seven tries as Wakefield crashed to their 16th defeat of the season.
It took just six minutes for winer Chris Hicks to open the scoring, with other tries coming from Chris Riley, Matty Blythe as Warrington leapfrogged St Helens into second place courtesy of a better points difference.
The Wolves were in a different class to their hosts and claimed the first of their seven scores in the sixth minute with a well-worked try.
Briers flighted a high kick into the right corner where the unmarked Hicks touched down with ease.
Wakefield’s initial response was impressive as Demetriou and fellow second-rower Glenn Morrison punched some sizeable holes in the Wolves’ defence. Yet the Wildcats were hit on the counter in the 16th minute when Prop Adrian Morley produced a delightful offload out of a tackle to spark a brilliant move which ripped Wakefield apart and culminated in Riley sending King clear down the left channel.
Former Wakefield forward Ben Westwood could not convert either score and was wid eof the mark again after his side claimed their third try in the 23rd minute.
Warrington’s passing was too much for the hosts as the ball was worked through several players before former Wildcats centre Ryan Atkins sent King over in the left corner.
Warrington’s fourth score arrived in the 32nd minute when more slick handling ended with Briers’ clever short pass sending Riley over from close range.Westwood finally converted his first goal at the fourth attempt.
On the stroke of half-time Wakefield were handed a lifeline when scrum-half Ben Jeffries showed impressive pace to escape a clutch of Warrington players and cross in the right corner.
Jeffries converted to cut the visitors’ lead to 10 points but Warrington claimed their fifth try within a minute of the restart as Blythe’s pace took him clear inside the right channel.
Seven minutes later, King showed brute strength to burrow over from close range for his hat-trick try and Westwood added his third conversion.
Wakefield hit back when Morrison went over but Jeffries could not convert and three minutes later Warrington had their seventh try when Briers intercepted Sam Obst’s wayward pass to sprint clear from inside his own half.
Briers converted the try himself and although Wakefield responded in the 70th minute when Leo-Latu collected a pass from Jeffries to touch down, they had long since surrendered the points.