Wolves see off Bulls charge
Chris Riley grabbed a brace as Warrington secured a 40-28 win over Bradford in an exciting contest at Odsal.
Last Updated: 19/06/10 8:49pm
Chris Riley grabbed two tries as Warrington secured a 40-28 win after proving too strong for Bradford in an exciting contest at Odsal.
The 22-year-old winger took his tally for the season to 18 as the Wolves outscored their opponents by seven tries to five.
Riley crossed the whitewash either side of half-time as injury-hit Bradford put up a brave fight, twice coming from behind to draw level.
But Warrington had too much firepower and Mickey Higham also claimed a brace to condemn the hosts to a fifth straight defeat.
The Bulls made a bright start but the visitors opened the scoring against the run of play when Riley went over in the corner after a Simon Grix pass.
Good handling
The Wolves then added to the lead moments later after some slick handling allowed Ryan Atkins to send Matt King in at the corner.
Stand-off Lee Briers had missed his first conversion attempt but made no mistake with the second as Warrington took a 10-0 lead.
But Bradford hit back in the 20th minute when Heath L'Estrange squeezed his way over the try-line after some good work from Paul Sykes.
Sykes slotted the conversion over and the Bulls were level eight minutes later when Chris Nero took a quick pass from Elliott Whitehead to score from close range.
The Wolves regained the advantage when Briers started and finished a brilliant flowing move in which former Bulls player David Solomona played a pivotal part.
Briers converted his own try and added the extras again on the stroke of half-time after Higham had scored from acting half.
Come back
The hosts did not capitulate though and Steve Menzies capitalised on a slip from Riley to ground a kick from L'Estrange four minutes after the half-time break.
The Bulls drew level again six minutes later as a neat sequence of passes led to Sykes sending the supporting Dave Halley racing clear.
Sykes added the conversion but Warrington's class eventually told when they scored twice in as many minutes shortly before the hour mark.
First Riley grabbed his second after two Bradford defenders missed a high kick and then a clinical breakaway led to Grix playing Atkins in from 30 metres out.
Briers converted twice but the Bulls again responded moments later when Brett Kearney went over from close range and Sykes slotted his fourth goal over.
But Higham scored his second try with seven minutes remaining to close out the victory.