WARRINGTON WOLVES needed golden-point extra-time to win their Super League play-off eliminator against St Helens.
A thrilling tie was 22-22 after 80 minutes as Mark Percival nailed a high-pressure conversion from the touchline while the hooter sounded following a Jon Bennison try.
But Joe Batchelor conceded a penalty and Percival sliced a kick into touch in extra time, allowing George Williams – at the second time of asking – to kick a winning field-goal.
Warrington will now head to Hull KR in the semi-finals next Friday, with Wigan Warriors hosting Leigh Leopards the following day in the other last-four tie.
St Helens had recovered impressively from a nightmare start to the match – Tommy Makinson dropped the kick-off and Warrington immediately capitalised with Matt Dufty putting Toby King over.
They battled back into a 4-16 lead, two of the tries coming from Makinson himself including a spectacular effort in the corner from a ball over the top by Jonny Lomax.
Jack Welsby put Percival – who converted two of the three efforts – in before Makinson crashed over in front of a bouncing away end.
Warrington hit back through Matty Ashton – via a brilliant offload from Williams – to narrow the deficit to 10-16, then completed the turnaround in the second half.
Williams set up King with another great pass to level the scores, then Daryl Clark’s wayward dummy-half pass gifted a second try to Ashton, with Josh Thewlis converting both for a 22-16 Wolves lead.
But with just over a minute to go, Bennison and Percival took the game to golden-point, in which Williams emerged the hero.
It’s a first play-off victory for Warrington since 2018 after losing eliminators in four of the previous five seasons, while St Helens have failed to reach the final four in Super League for only the third time, and the first since 2013.
WOLVES
1 Matt Dufty
2 Josh Thewlis
14 Rodrick Tai
3 Toby King
5 Matty Ashton
6 George Williams (C)
7 Josh Drinkwater
41 Luke Yates
9 Danny Walker
16 Zane Musgrove
42 John Bateman
13 Matty Nicholson
11 Ben Currie
Subs (all used)
8 James Harrison
10 Paul Vaughan
15 Joe Philbin
32 Sam Powell
18th man (not used)
33 Arron Lindop
Also in 21-man squad
4 Stefan Ratchford
17 Jordan Crowther
29 Tom Whitehead
Tries: King (2, 54), Ashton (36, 66)
Goals: Josh Thewlis 3/4
SAINTS
1 Jack Welsby
2 Tommy Makinson
11 Sione Mata’utia
4 Mark Percival
5 Jon Bennison
6 Jonny Lomax (C)
7 Lewis Dodd
8 Alex Walmsley
9 Daryl Clark
10 Matty Lees
19 Matt Whitley
12 Joe Batchelor
13 Morgan Knowles
Subs (all used)
15 James Bell
17 Agnatius Paasi
20 George Delaney
24 Jake Burns
18th man (not used)
21 Ben Davies
Also in 21-man squad
3 Waqa Blake
30 Jonny Vaughan
31 Noah Stephens
Tries: Makinson (11, 32), Percival (24), Bennison (79)
Goals: Percival 3/4
Field-goals: Williams (84)
