WARRINGTON WOLVES 26 BRADFORD BULLS 12
JAMES GORDON, Halliwell Jones Stadium, Sunday

WARRINGTON moved level on points with Leeds and St Helens at the top of Super League with a hard-fought win over Bradford.

Bradford burned their captain’s challenge inside the first two minutes on a sweaty Sunday afternoon in a tale of woe that saw winger Jayden Okunbor sinbinned a few minutes later for a high tackle on Josh Thewlis.

Barely seconds later, Thewlis eased through the line from close range to open the scoring before Bradford had a spell with eleven men on the field when Chris Atkin was shown a green card, having stopped play to have what appeared to be a dislocated finger treated.

Only an excellent tackle by Caleb Aekins prevented Thewlis from adding a second but the Wolves made the most of their numerical advantage as Luke Thomas found his way over from close range.

Aekins was the saviour again on the half-hour as Bradford clung on at 10-0 down, this time stopping Kelepi Tanginoa short, and then on the next tackle, Eribe Doro somehow managed to get underneath Toff Sipley as he crashed over, correctly spotted by video-referee Liam Rush after a try had been given on the field.

Unfortunately, both Aekins and Doro’s heroics counted for little when, off the very next tackle, Warrington moved the ball right and Albert Hopoate flew in with a now trademark finish in the right corner.

But despite being on the back foot for virtually all of the first half, Bradford gave themselves hope before the break when Jamie Gill went under the posts for his first Super League try, and on the hooter, Connor Wynne had a try ruled out with Waqa Blake judged to have fouled Josh Smith in gathering Jayden Nikorima’s kick before offloading for the winger.

Visibly energised by getting a foothold in the game at 14-6, Bradford were given a further opening when James Bentley was sinbinned two minutes in to the second half for a chicken-wing tackle on Blake.

They had chances but couldn’t find a way through, and a crucial Smith run on the counter attack relieved the pressure on Warrington and it would be them who scored the game’s next try.

Ewan Irwin, playing in a youthful, homegrown halfback partnership alongside Leon Hayes, dummied close to the line and shrugged off a couple of tacklers to score on 50 minutes, with the simple conversion from under the posts making it a three-score game.

That was always going to be a tall order for Bradford, who had a half chance when Wynne scampered down the left touchline and was tackled into touch at the corner.

It would be Warrington’s left winger that scored the next try, Matty Ashton skinning Aekins to go in from 40 metres down their left touchline after Hayes and Toby King had put him away to make it 26-6.

Aekins saved another try, proving to be enough of a speed bump to stop Hopoate from getting in, and the only other score would come at the other end, and a bit of magic from Nikorima, dancing through to go under the posts for a solo score.

GAMESTAR: Hard-working centre Josh Smith was solid in defence and attack.

GAMEBREAKER: Ewan Irwin’s try while the Wolves were down to 12 men removed any doubt over where the points would be going.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: Albert Hopoate is starting to grow a reputation for his acrobatic finishes in the right corner.

ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Josh Smith (Warrington)
2 pts Josh Thewlis (Warrington)
1 pt Caleb Aekins (Bradford)

MATCHFACTS

WOLVES
2 Josh Thewlis
4 Albert Hopoate
26 Josh Smith
3 Toby King
5 Matty Ashton
18 Ewan Irwin
19 Leon Hayes
16 Liam Byrne
14 Sam Powell
21 Luke Thomas
22 Joe Philbin
20 James Bentley
13 Ben Currie
Subs (all used)
9 Danny Walker
15 Toafofoa Sipley
17 Jordan Crowther
34 Kelepi Tanginoa
18th man (not used)
7 Marc Sneyd
Also in 21-man squad
12 Sam Stone
32 Ewan Smith
35 Lachlan Webster

Tries: Josh Thewlis (5), Thomas (11), Hopoate (30), Irwin (50), Ashton (60)
Goals: Irwin 3/5
Sin bin: Bentley (42) – chicken wing tackle

BULLS
1 Caleb Aekins
2 Jayden Okunbor
17 Ed Chamberlain
4 Waqa Blake
23 Connor Wynne
6 Jayden Nikorima
32 Chris Atkin
15 Eribe Doro
14 Mitch Souter
25 Eliot Peposhi
12 Zac Fulton
11 Dan Russell
19 Will Gardiner
Subs (all used)
21 Sam Hallas
28 Jamie Gill
30 Leon Ruan
22 Luke Hooley
18th man (not used)
37 Riley Dean
Also in 20-man squad
9 Andy Ackers
33 Greg Eden

Tries: Gill (36), Nikorima (68)
Goals: Atkin 1/1, Hooley 1/1
Sin bin: Okunbor (5) – high tackle

SCORING SEQUENCE: 4-0, 10-0, 14-0, 14-6; 20-6, 26-6, 26-12

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Wolves: Josh Smith; Bulls: Caleb Aekins

Penalty count: 4-7
Half-time: 14-6
Referee: Chris Kendall
Attendance: 9,306