After a poor start to the Easter Weekend for both sides, it was Warrington Wolves that came out of it with a dominant performance. Here’s our verdict.
MATCH DETAILS
The game got going after ten minutes when the home side were over for the first score of the game. They created their attack on the back of a penalty for a high shot on Will Dagger. Ben Crooks was the try scorer, finding the gap down the right hand side.
The visitors hit back with their response on 17 minutes when Blake Austin spotted a gap and created space to the line.
It wasn’t until 25 minutes into the first half when the Wire had their second, with Tom Lineham crossing in the corner, taking a looping pass from his inside.
With three minutes to the break, the Wire were over again. Joe Philbin twisted over the line in the tackle, getting the ball free to score the try on the back of a grubber kick from Dec Patton.
Austin attempted a drop goal with the seconds ticking away but couldn’t add the one pointer. The visitors taking a 12-point lead into half time.
The Wire started the second half with a try, just one minute in. Josh Charnley had the legs down the right to score in the corner.
Another soon followed, this time with quick hands down the left, putting Bryson Goodwin under the sticks for the Wire’s fifth of the afternoon.
The line was broken on 65 minutes when Philbin took the pass to score his second, setting up a simple conversion for Stefan Ratchford.
Toby King was next over just minutes later with the perfect reach in the right-hand corner to score.
Rovers created a chance eight minutes from time but their final pass to the edge saw Lineham snatch the interception and run 90 metres to score under the sticks.
A somersault got Sitaleki Akauola out of the tackle and over the try line for the next score. Ratchford’s boot was on target to make it 6-54 and that’s how the scoreline looked at the final whistle.
FOUR POINTERS
An awful weekend
It wasn’t the best of Easter weekends for Hull Kingston Rovers as they got heavily beaten over the course of two games in four days.
They will now have six days to rest and prepare for their away trip to Leeds Rhinos, who they beat comfortably just a few weeks ago.
Wire bounce back
Having slipped to a defeat at home to Salford Red Devils, the Wire reflected on their flaws and put them right on their second trip back to Hull.
Poorest defence
Over the space of two games in four days, Hull Kingston Rovers have conceded 110 points in total. Their missed tackle count has also risen to 530, which is the worst in the Super League so far.
Maintaining pressure
Despite falling to their third defeat of the season at home to Salford, Warrington remain just four points behind St Helens.
It will look to be another interesting encounter when the two sides meet at the end of June, which could decide the favourite to win the League Leaders Shield.
THE RESULT
Hull KR 6
Tries: Crooks
Goals: Hall
Drop Goals: n/a
Warrington 54
Tries: Austin, Lineham 2, Philbin 2, Charnley, Goodwin, King, Akauola
Goals: Ratchford 9
Drop Goals: n/a
SQUADS
Hull KR: Dagger, Hall, Keinhorst, Crooks, Vaivai, Drinkwater, Atkin, Mulhern, Lee, Harrison, Tomkins, Addy, Lawler.
Interchanges: Bardle, Linnett, Rooks, Hauraki
Warrington: Ratchford, Lineham, Goodwin, Charnley, Austin, Hill, Clark, Hughes, Murdoch-Masila, Patton, Tasi, King, Davis.
Interchanges: Clark, Philbin, Akauola, Livett
