Photos by Eddie Whitham
A YOUTHFUL Warrington Wolves side was held to a 20-all draw by North Wales Crusaders at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
Thewlis brothers Josh and Jake combined for 18 points, scoring two tries apiece, as Warrington led 20-4 early in the second half.
The visitors rallied late on and scored three tries, including a brace for Wesley Bruines, to nab a draw.
Full-back Josh Thewlis was one of only three recognised first-teamers in the Wolves line up, together with forward Joe Bullock and Greg Minikin.
And he sent a message to the coaching staff with a confident performance, ahead of Warrington’s Super League opener against Leeds on Thursday.
The brothers linked up for the first try with barely seconds on the clock, Josh running around off the back of a scrum play to create space for Jake in the corner.
Crusaders hit back through Kieran Taylor’s score before Warrington opened up a seemingly winning lead.
Josh burst through the line from full back to touch down on the left and then opened up Crusaders through the middle off on offload on the half way line and stepped past the full-back for his second.
Leon Hayes put Jake over for another try in the right corner early in the second half, but that was to be the last time the hosts troubled the scorers.
Bruines scored a double, either side of Pat Rainford’s score, with Dave Gibbons missing the late conversion that would have won it for the third tier side.
After the game, Wolves coach Daryl Powell hinted that the two clubs are set to forge a dual-registration partnership that would see some of the club’s youngsters turn out for the League 1 side this season.
The North Wales team that faced Warrington included four youngsters from St Helens, including new signing winger Bruines.
Warrington: Josh Thewlis, Lynch, Darbyshire, Minikin, Jake Thewlis, Tyrer, Hayes, Bullock, Doolan, Shingler, Tupaea, Holroyd, Whitehead. Subs: Reddecliff, Hartill, Raughter, Green, Booth, Bajer, High, Marshall.
North Wales: Abel, Holmes, Hulme, Taylor, Massam, Gibbons, Billsborough, Hazzard, Jinks, Andrade, Ellis, Buckley, Fletcher. Subs: Brennan, Barrett, Costello, Rainford, Morley-Samuels, Moss, Pemberton, Bruines.
