Wolves hammer Broncos in final regular season game

WARRINGTON Wolves will host St Helens in the Super League play-offs next week after rounding off the regular season with a comfortable 54-0 win over London Broncos.

A first half hat-trick for Matty Ashton had the home fans wondering if sneaking in to second spot in the table was possible, with Hull KR trailing at times to Leeds.

As it was, the Robins won, to ensure Warrington had to settle for third, but they enter the play-offs off the back of two clean sheets and 120 points scored in the process.

Ashton opened the scoring on 10 minutes, taking George Williams’ long pass to the corner, and he added a second five minutes later, searing up the blindside after Toby King’s initial break.

The third try came down the left too, this time Matty Nicholson finishing strong, before Ashton claimed his hat-trick before half-time, scooping up a loose ball and finishing strongly under the attention of three defenders.

There was still time for a fifth first half try as Warrington went back-to-back. Although an initial chip kick over bounced unkindly for Josh Thewlis in his own half, a step and run by Williams set Lindop free to score the first of his two tries, which Thewlis goaled for 26-0 at the break.

The game followed the same pattern in the second half, Lindop scoring after good work by Thewlis on the right and then James Harrison barged over from close range.

Thewlis, who finished with 22 points on the evening, finished well in the right corner on 54 minutes and Nicholson added his second.

The final try was one of the picks, Ben Currie breaking down the left and sending Ashton haring away up the touchline, to return the ball back to Currie around the full-back.

Warrington will now welcome St Helens to the Halliwell Jones Stadium next Saturday for a place in the semi-finals.

Warrington Wolves: Dufty, Thewlis, Lindop, King, Ashton, Williams, Drinkwater, Yates, Walker, Musgrove, Bateman, Nicholson, Currie. Subs: Harrison, Crowther, Powell, Wood.

London: Rourke, Kershaw, Natoli, Bassett, Miloudi, Leyland, Campagnolo, Butler, Jones, Kennedy, Lovell, Adebiyi, Stock. Subs: Tison, Bienek, Meadows, Waine.