Wolves snuff out Dragons
Warrington bounced back into the play-off picture with a 22-18 victory over Challenge Cup finalists Catalans Dragons.
By Paul Higham
Last Updated: 19/08/07 11:22pm
Warrington bounced back into the Super League play-off picture with a 22-18 victory over Challenge Cup finalists Catalans Dragons
The French side fielded a near full strength side despite facing St Helens in the Challenge Cup final at Wembley next week, but they could not warm up with a win as the Wolves outscored them by five tries to three at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
Full-back Brent Grose bagged two tries for the home side, while Chris Riley, Kevin Penny and Rob Parker also crossed the line, but some errant goal kicking made the game a lot closer.
Tries from Clint Greenshields, Stacey Jones and Justin Murphy kept the Dragons in the game, but two second half yellow cards did not help their cause as they slipped to defeat.
Wolves strike first
Riley opened the scoring with his try after 13 minutes, collecting a long pass from Jon Clark to muscle his way over in the corner.
Greenshields replied for the Dragons on 23 minutes and Jones' conversion put them ahead, but the lead did not last long as Penny ran on to Lee Briers' kick to bag an impressive 11th try in 10 starts for the Wolves.
Grose scored his first try just after the half hour mark, but Briers was incensed that referee Steve Ganson referred the decision to the video referee, and his dissent saw him sin-binned.
The French side again levelled when Jones combined with Cyril Gossard four minutes after half time to cross the whitewash, and he added the extras himself.
Grose added his second try just three minutes later and, after Greenshields was then sin-binned, Briers powered through before supplying Parker with the pass to score his first try of the campaign.
Centre John Wilson was later yellow carded to reduce Les Catalans to 12 men again six minutes before the end, but they still had the final say in the scoring with Murphy going over in the final minute.
Warrington bounced back from a heavy defeat at Hull last week to get back into the play-off places, but the Dragons did not enjoy their Wembley warm-up, and they could be in even more trouble after prop David Ferriol was placed on report for alleged use of his elbow in the tackle just before the interval.
Warrington (12) 22.
Tries: Riley, Penny, Grose 2, Parker.
Goals: Briers.
Catalans Dragons (6) 18.
Tries: Greenshields, Jones, Murphy.
Goals: Jones 3.
Att: 8,125