Round 6
Warrington Wolves 30 d. Hull KR 12

2007 engage English Super League Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: United Kingdom > National > First Grade Competition: engage English Super League

Wolves pop Hull KR's bubble
Mon March 19, 2007
Source: www.superleague.co.uk

Warrington Wolves overcame the absence of their specialist half-backs and another facial injury to Great Britain forward Adrian Morley to inflict a second defeat on engage Super League new boys Hull KR.

Morley, returning ahead of schedule from a fractured eye socket sustained in the opening game of the season, lasted just 17 minutes of his Warrington home debut.

He appeared to clash heads with team-mate Paul Johnson as the pair tried to tackle Rovers full-back Ben Cockayne and played no further part in the game.

Rovers were also dealt a major injury blow with the loss of inspirational captain James Webster on the stroke of half-time - but the truth is they were never in contention.

The Wolves ran in six tries to gain a measure of revenge for last year's shock Challenge Cup defeat by Rovers and strike a psychological blow ahead of their fourth-round clash later this month.

Jon Clarke and Vinnie Anderson provided a useful stop-gap half-back partnership in the absence of Lee Briers and Chris Bridge, while Clarke, Michael Sullivan and Ben Westwood shared the goalkicking duties, landing a conversion apiece.

Clarke also scored two of his side's tries while winger Henry Fa'afili came up with an eye-catching performance after switching to the second row.

The home side led from the seventh minute when a classic break by Great Britain centre Martin Gleeson created an early try for Fa'afili and Johnson came up with some deadly finishing to add a second nine minutes later.

When second rower Westwood jinked his way over following a superb break by Mark Gleeson and converted his own try, the Wolves were comfortably placed at 16-0.

The visitors gradually clawed their way back into the game and, after centre Gareth Morton had been magnificently turned on his back by full-back Stuart Reardon, second rower Jason Netherton finished off a sustained spell of pressure with their first try two minutes before the break.

Morton's conversion cut Warrington's lead to 10 points but the sight of Webster being helped from the field with an ankle injury at half-time clearly had a demoralising effect on the Robins.

Clarke got Johnson over for his second try within two minutes of the restart and then finished off a break by Michael Wainwright to score himself.

Johnson looked to have completed his hat-trick on 57 minutes after finishing off the best move of the match but lost control in the act of scoring before producing another break six minutes later to set up the position for Clarke to grab a second try.

Rovers, who also lost loose forward Tommy Gallagher with an arm injury early in the second half, never stopped working but lacked ideas without Webster and did not seriously threaten the Wolves' line until winger Byron Ford grabbed a last-minute consolation try, goaled by Morton.

Warrington Wolves (16) 30
Tries: Fa'afili, Johnson 2, Westwood, Clarke 2
Goals: Sullivan, Westwood, Clarke

Hull KR (6) 12
Tries: J. Netherton, Ford
Goals: Morton 2

Warrington Wolves: Reardon, Fa'afili, Martin Gleeson, Johnson, Grose, Anderson, Clarke, Rauhihi, Sullivan, Leikvoll, Westwood, Morley, Wainwright.
Replacements: Barnett, Mark Gleeson, Parker, Wood.

Hull KR: Cockayne, Dyer, Morton, Goddard, Ford, Murrell, Webster, Aizue, Fisher, Vella, J. Netherton, Chester, Gallagher.
Replacements: Gannon, Tangata-Toa, Morrison, Gene.

Att: 10,030
Referee: I Smith

Report source: www.superleague.co.uk

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