Frustrated Daryl Powell says Warrington need to put right their defence – particularly on the left-edge – and generally step up a gear if they are to mount a play-off push.
The Wolves are seventh in Super League after a win, loss, win, loss record in their last four games, the most recent Friday’s 40-22 home defeat by Wigan.
And after the break for the Challenge Cup semi-finals, Powell’s side, who have five victories from their eleven league games to date, face tough tests away to Catalans on Saturday, May 14 then at home to St Helens on Thursday 19.
The former Castleford chief hasn’t been helped by injuries to key personnel, with fullback Stefan Ratchford, pivots George Williams and Gareth Widdop and skipper and second rower Jack Hughes all affected.
Williams was back from an abdominal problem to face his former club Wigan, but Warrington couldn’t put the brakes in their rivals, who won at the Halliwell Jones Stadium for the first time since 2017.
“It’s topsy-turvy,” said Powell.
“We started poorly, six again in the first set, and the first try, one side of the field to the other, was a really poor one to concede.
“That set the stall out. We consistently lost the ruck area. They had way more punch and got the ball on the floor and, as a result, dictated the pace.”
The coach continued: “Early on in the first half, the left edge got exposed pretty heavily. Some of the stuff they did was smart and we were too slow putting defenders where they needed to be.
“You don’t want to be conceding at all, but if you’re conceding in the same area, there’s something there that needs to be improved.
“The players will be frustrated playing in a game like that because it’s that fast.
“It was similar against Hull a couple of weeks back – you’ve just got no ability to hold your structure together. It’s just helter skelter.
“We need to find a way to go to the next level and maintain it across an 80-minute period.
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