The super eights got underway with the meeting of Warrington Wolves and St. Helens at the Halliwell-Jones Stadium, as second entertained fourth in the quest of a top four finish.
Honours have been shared so far this season, with both sides winning away from home, the latest encounter being the 26-4 win to the Wolves at Langtree Park in early June. Saints had won their last five going into this one whereas Warrington are unbeaten in their last seven.
Prior to tonight the Wolves had only beaten Saints once at the HJ but they were flying high after securing their Challenge Cup final place in last weekends win over Wakefield.
It was a scrappy opening twenty with the closest action to a try being a third minute video referee decision ruling out a double movement by Warrington's Chris Hill.
It was Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook who broke the deadlock when he hit a Jordan Turner pass at speed to crash through the Wolves line and stretch to score one-handed. Mark Percival added the extras to quiet the home support.
On the half hour Daryl Clark opened the Wolves account when he went from acting half-back after a high tackle on Stefan Ratchford had gifted the Wolves field position. Kurt Gidley kicked a simple conversion to level the scores at 6-6.
Parity lasted for just over five minutes before a brilliant sixty metre try through breaks from Jordan Turner and Adam Swift put Jonny Lomax free to score by the left upright. Percival kicked the conversion and six points separated the two sides at the interval.
Tempers frayed in the opening minutes of the second half and when Alex Walmsley was pushed over as he stood to play the ball on fifty-eight, Percival slotted the penalty between the uprights.
After falling eight points behind, Warrington went on the offensive and on sixty-two Jack Hughes found a gap off a Gidley pass to dive over, and when Gidley added the extras the gap was back down to two points. It was turning into a blood and thunder second half.
A determined effort from Jordan Turner, with eleven minutes left on the clock, saw him drag two tacklers for ten metres to stretch and ground over the line. Percival added the extras and the margin was back to eight points at 20-12 to the visitors.
Three minutes later and Warrington's 'never say die' attitude saw them cross again when Ryan Atkins picked up the ball from acting half-back and went forty metres, evading the Saints tacklers, to ground under the sticks and give Gidley a simple conversion.
Ninety seconds from time and it looked like Rhys Evans had gone in at the corner for the winning Warrington try but the video referee overruled the referee on the field and the game was Saints.
Saints maintained their hoodoo over Warrington with another win in their neighbours back yard. Warrington missed out of the chance to go top and instead it was Saints who bolstered their chances of a top four finish by pulling four points ahead of fifth placed Catalans Dragons.
Wolves: Ratchford, Russell, King T, Atkins (T), Evans, Gidley (4G), Sandow, Hill, Clark (T), Sims, Currie, Hughes (T), Westerman. Subs: Dwyer, Westwood, King G, Wilde.
Saints: Lomax (T), Owens, Peyroux, Percival (3G), Swift, Turner (T), Walsh, Richards, Roby, Walmsley, McCarthy-Scarsbrook (T), Greenwood, Wilkin. Subs: Amor, Vea, Thompson, Knowles.
Referee: Phil Bentham.
Attendance:
|