HULL KR 28 WARRINGTON WOLVES 34
JAMES CHESTNEY, Sewell Group Craven Park, Tuesday
A LEAGUE double over Hull KR saw Warrington maintain third place in the rearranged Round Two game and it was certainly an action-packed thriller.
It was tight and tense for the first hour, but back-to-back tries from Liam Byrne and George Williams shot Sam Burgess’ side into an unassailable lead.
Many eyes were on the two England halfbacks and while Williams played a key role in only his second match back from neck surgery, Mikey Lewis’ return from suspension ended in the sin bin for a kick charging another playmaker, the impressive young Ewan Irwin.
It was an already high-octane atmosphere which lifted even more on two minutes when Williams went high on Arthur Mourgue and Rhyse Martin landed the resultant penalty.
Warrington then attacked dangerously and, on the back of two forced goalline drop-outs, got their first try. The ball was sent right and, with the Robins defence stretched, Albert Hopoate got on the outside of Joe Burgess to score. Ewan Irwin’s conversion attempt hit the far upright.
It was then defences on top as a Lewis kick sailed into touch on the full. Rovers lost Elliot Minchella to an HIA – which he passed – before Peta Hiku was forced into touch.
Warrington turned defence into attack as Bentley, after passing his own HIA, took a Williams pass to reach out and score. Irwin added the conversion for 10-2.
The tide turned in the final few minutes of the half as Sam Stone went high on Mourgue before a deft Jez Litten kick was pounced on by Lewis.
Lewis was then denied chasing down another kick, but it mattered not as Litten sent substitute Karl Lawton in under the posts and Mourgue added both conversions for a 14-10 home lead.
A Joe Burgess lost ball gave the Wolves an early opportunity when he spilled an Irwin kick ten metres out, which allowed Danny Walker to send Toafofoa Sipley under the posts.
Irwin kicked for a two-point lead, although it did not take Rovers long to level as a penalty for offside was slotted over by Mourgue.
The Wolves lost Jordan Crowther to an HIA after a high shot by Tevita Pangai Jr but again no action was taken by referee Liam Moore, while Josh Thewlis was also forced off by a hamstring issue.
Warrington though were the next to retake the lead as another Irwin penalty-goal was added after Byrne was taken out by Hiku close to the Rovers line.
It got even better for the visitors just a minute later after Lewis’ kick-off went out on the full. The Wolves made their way back into Hull KR territory and Walker found Byrne to go through the Rovers line to score.
Irwin added his fourth goal of the night to give his side a pivotal eight-point lead, and it was soon 14 as Williams cut through the Robins defence for an easy try.
Rovers had a chance in the final ten minutes when Lewis went close before Burgess was held up over the line. Then on the next Warrington set Lewis caught Irwin’s leg with his boot after a kick and was sin binned.
That was the Robins’ chance of taking third place gone, and compounded by a second try for Hopoate.
Rovers, however, didn’t give in and bagged two late tries from Dean Hadley and Pangai Jr. Mourgue added the extras for both but they came up short by six points.
GAMESTAR: Warrington hooker Danny Walker tormented Rovers for the 70 minutes he was on the field.
GAMEBREAKER: George Williams’ try with 15 minutes remaining saw the Wolves into an unassailable lead.
HIGHLIGHT REEL: The late try from Albert Hopoate in grounding the ball an inch from the line.
ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Danny Walker (Warrington)
2 pts Ewan Irwin (Warrington)
1 pt Arthur Mourgue (Hull KR)
MATCHFACTS
HULL KR
1 Arthur Mourgue
2 Tom Davies
3 Peta Hiku
14 Jack Broadbent
5 Joe Burgess
6 Mikey Lewis
7 Tyrone May
8 Sauaso Sue
9 Jez Litten
11 Dean Hadley
16 Jai Whitbread
17 Rhyse Martin
13 Elliot Minchella
Subs (all used)
10 Tom Amone
15 Sam Luckley
19 Karl Lawton
35 Tevita Pangai Jnr
18th man (not used)
34 Ryan Hampshire
Also in 21-man squad
12 James Batchelor
22 Bill Leyland
25 Louix Gorman
Tries: Lewis (35), Lawton (39), Hadley (79), Pangai Jr (80)
Goals: Martin 1/1, Mourgue 5/5
WOLVES
2 Josh Thewlis
4 Albert Hopoate
23 Arron Lindop
3 Toby King
5 Matty Ashton
6 George Williams
18 Ewan Irwin
16 Liam Byrne
9 Danny Walker
10 James Harrison
20 James Bentley
12 Sam Stone
13 Ben Currie
Subs (all used)
15 Toafofoa Sipley
17 Jordan Crowther
25 Max Wood
34 Kelepi Tanginoa
18th man (not used)
19 Leon Hayes
Also in 21-man squad
14 Sam Powell
21 Luke Thomas
26 Josh Smith
Tries: Hopoate (17, 77), Bentley (29), Sipley (42), Byrne (58), Williams (65)
Goals: Irwin 5/7
SCORING SEQUENCE: 2-0, 2-4, 2-10, 8-10, 14-10; 14-16, 16-16, 16-18, 16-24, 16-30, 16-34, 22-34, 28-34
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Hull KR: Arthur Mourgue; Wolves: Danny Walker
Penalty count: 5-5
Half-time: 14-10
Referee: Liam Moore