WARRINGTON Wolves returned to action with a 40-0 thumping of local rivals Widnes Vikings in the traditional Festive Derby.
Tony Smith handed debuts to Kurt Gidley, Tom Lineham, Jack Hughes and Jordan Cox from the start and they were far too good for the Vikings, running in seven unanswered tries.
Kurt Gildey – Pictures Eddie Whitham
Gidley ran the show in the first half from stand-off, supported ably by young half-back Declan Patton, who tormented Widnes with an almost flawless kicking game.
It was from a Patton kick that the Wolves opened the scoring on six minutes, Toby King plucking the ball out of the air to touch down.
Widnes rarely troubled, though they were gifted some field position when Matty Russell, playing at full-back, failed with an attempt to trap a Joe Mellor kick with his foot, prompting Kevin Penny to concede a penalty for offside.
After seeing off that threat, Warrington went up the other end and added their second try, Brad Dwyer looking left before going himself from dummy half.
The hooker looked in good nick and he added his second try on 27 minutes in virtually identical circumstances, this time down the right hand side.
Two tries in the final four minutes of the half ended the game as a contest. First, the unflappable Gidley put in a banana kick with the outside of his right foot for Lineham to mark his debut with a try, and then Patton touched down his own kick after the ball had come back off the post.
Gidley completed a 100% success rate with the boot on the hooter, as Warrington went in 30-0 at the break.
Widnes toughened up in the second half as both coaches rung the changes and it took 20 minutes to see any more scores.
Another Patton kick went up to the right, initially fumbled by Gene Ormsby and then gathered by Rhys Evans, who took it to the line and then passed inside for Jack Johnson to walk in unopposed.
And as much of the crowd fell in to the annual post-Christmas slumber, Harvey Livett sparkled late on to add the final try, gathering his own kick to score under the posts, Patton adding the conversion to round off a dominant victory for the Wolves.
Warrington are next in action against Leigh Centurions on January 24.
Back in action Rhys Evans
Back in action Matty Russell
Flying winger Kevin Penny attempts to touch down in the corner PICTURE EDDIE WHITHAM
Brad Dwyer scored a brace of tries – Picture Eddie Whitham
Widnes Vikings: Thompson, Flynn, Marsh, Dean, Ince, Mellor, Gilmore, Manuokafoa, White, T Chapelhow, Whitley, Cahill, Gerrard. Interchanges: Heremaia, Walsh, Johnstone, Ashall, Houghton, Norman, Walker, J Chapelhow.
Warrington Wolves: Russell, Penny, R Evans, King, Lineham, Gidley, Patton, Cox, Dwyer, Sims, Hughes, Currie, Philbin. Interchanges: Johnson, King, Murray, Ormsby, Smith, Ryan, Livett, Wilde, Peet, Julien, Harris, Kenny.
Tries: T King, Dwyer 2, Lineham, Patton, Johnson, Livett. Conversions: Gidley 5/5, Patton 1/2
Attendance: 5177
