WARRINGTON Wolves kept themselves in the hunt for a top two spot in Super League with a 66-0 thumping of Huddersfield.
With lowly London Broncos visiting the Halliwell Jones Stadium next Friday, this sizeable victory now means the Wolves can realistically recoup the points difference superiority Hull KR currently hold over them.
That would mean if Hull KR lose to Leeds next Friday and Warrington beat London, the Wolves would leapfrog them in to second spot in Super League and earn a home semi-final in the play-offs.
As it is, Sam Burgess will be relatively pleased to know he is guaranteed at least third place in his first season in charge, which does mean there will definitely be at least one home play-off match regardless.
They dismantled Huddersfield from start to finish, Matty Ashton’s early brace putting them 12-0 up inside the first 15 minutes.
Ashton came close to a hat-trick, tackled in to touch by Tui Lolohea, before James Harrison got Warrington’s third try of the afternoon.
Lolohea held up George Williams following a Joe Philbin break on the half hour mark, but Williams would soon be the next try scorer to make it 24-0 after 34 minutes.
By half-time the lead was 36-0, Matty Nicholson and young full-back Cai Taylor-Wray adding tries, and Josh Thewlis maintained perfection with the boot.
Huddersfield’s woes were increased when Jack Billington was sinbinned five minutes in to the second half, and during his absence, Thewlis added a converted try of his own.
The Giants then kept Warrington quiet for 15 minutes, only to then see them run in five tries in the final quarter of an hour.
First Ashton finally claimed his hat-trick, with Thewlis missing the extras for the first time, and then Taylor-Wray added his second.
Centres Toby King and Rodrick Tai joined the party with tries of their own, either side of Nicholson’s second try.
Warrington Wolves now need to beat London and Hull KR lose to Leeds and there be a 16-point change in points difference to leapfrog them in to second place.
Huddersfield: Lolohea, McGowan, Marsters, Carter, Wallis, Clune, Russell, Salabio, Deakin, Greenwood, Livett, Bibby, Savelio. Subs: Rush, Ikahihifo, Billington, Bibby.
Warrington Wolves: Taylor-Wray, Thewlis, Tai, King, Ashton, Ashton, Williams, Drinkwater, Yates, Walker, Musgrove, Bateman, Nicholson, Currie. Subs: Powell, Philbin, Crowther, Harrison.
