Player ratings as Warrington Wolves beat St Helens in ill-tempered affair

WARRINGTON WOLVES kept hopes of a top-two finish alive by winning an attritional and ill-tempered battle with St Helens 16-2.

Matty Ashton and Jordan Crowther scored the game’s only two tries in the first half, both set up by Warrington captain George Williams.

The start of a match full of penalties was marred by two controversial yellow cards, both shown after players stayed down for treatment when referee Chris Kendall had initially waved play on.

First Warrington’s Lachlan Fitzgibbon was binned for a high tackle on Tee Ritson in the eighth minute, then five minutes later Matty Lees of St Helens went off for a late hit on Josh Drinkwater.

Saints led early through a Jon Bennison penalty given for a Zane Musgrove high tackle but, shortly after going down to twelve, Alex Walmsley dropped a pass and Williams’ quick thinking, kicking the loose ball to Ashton, allowed the winger to race away for a thrilling try.

On the stroke of half-time, Williams was influential again as he stepped Harry Robertson and offloaded for a Crowther try. With both Warrington tries converted by Josh Thewlis, they led 12-2 at the break.

That was extended by four points in the first ten minutes of the second half through two Thewlis penalties, the first given for offside and the second for an escort by Joe Batchelor.

St Helens were making too many errors, and Jack Welsby having too little impact on his return from injury off the bench, to mount any real fightback as the Wolves – who had Thewlis sinbinned on the hooter for a professional foul – secured a ninth win from their last eleven games.

Saints, meanwhile, have much work to do to secure a place in the Super League play-offs after losing to Warrington for the third time this season.

WOLVES
38 Cai Taylor-Wray – 6
2 Josh Thewlis – 7
14 Rodrick Tai – 7
3 Toby King – 6
5 Matty Ashton – 8
6 George Williams – 8
7 Josh Drinkwater – 6
41 Luke Yates – 8
32 Sam Powell – 7
16 Zane Musgrove – 8
42 John Bateman – 7
12 Lachlan Fitzgibbon – 7
11 Ben Currie – 7
Subs (all used)
9 Danny Walker – 7
13 Matty Nicholson – 6
15 Joe Philbin – 7
17 Jordan Crowther – 7

Tries: Ashton (17), Crowther (37)
Goals: Josh Thewlis 4/4
Sinbin: Fitzgibbon (8) – high tackle, Thewlis (80) – professional foul

SAINTS
33 Harry Robertson – 4
25 Tee Ritson – 5
3 Waqa Blake – 4
11 Sione Mata’utia – 5
5 Jon Bennison – 6
6 Jonny Lomax – 6
14 Moses Mbye – 5
8 Alex Walmsley – 4
24 Jake Burns – 5
10 Matty Lees – 5
19 Matt Whitley – 6
12 Joe Batchelor – 5
13 Morgan Knowles – 6
Subs (all used)
1 Jack Welsby – 6
17 Agnatius Paasi – 5
20 George Delaney – 7
30 Jonny Vaughan – 5