Report: Warrington 12-30 St Helens

It's now four straight losses in Super League for Warrington, and just two wins in eight after an 18-point loss to Justin Holbrook's St Helens, who ran out comfortable winners against a much-changed Wire team.


As expected, Steve Price made a number of changes to his team, with injury keeping Blake Austin, Jack Hughes and Josh Charnley out, while there were rests for Daryl Clark, Declan Patton, Mike Cooper, Toby King, Jason Clark, Joe Philbin. This meant that it was a Wire debut for academy product Riley Dean, who started at six, next to Matty Smith, the new loan signing from Catalans, who lined up at seven. Luther Burrell made his first start and was in the centres, while youngster Josh Thewlis was handed his second appearance, and played on the wing. Jake Mamo was on the other wing, while Harvey Livett started in the second row, Danny Walker at nine, Sitaleki Akauola at prop and Ben Westwood was the loose forward. Only Stefan Ratchford, Bryson Goodwin, Chris Hill and Ben Currie kept their places in the starting 13 from the Catalans defeat. The bench consisted of regulars Ben Murdoch-Masila, Matt Davis and Lama Tasi, who were joined by Luis Johnson, making his first appearance of the season. St Helens were without Lachlan Coote, Mark Percival, Theo Fages, James Roby, Alex Walmsley or Morgan Knowles, which meant it was a battle of two very different-looking sides.

It was an excellent start for Wire when Jake Mamo crossed for his ninth try of the season after just shy of three minutes. A short run from dummy-half by Walker allowed him to pass to Dean. Dean found Ratchford, who showed brilliant quick hands to divert his pass out wide to Mamo in an instant. The former Huddersfield man walked into the corner to score and give the home side the lead. Ratchford couldn't convert from out wide, and so it was 4-0 in the early stages. In the next set, captain Hill gave away a penalty, though a big hit from Akauola won the ball back soon enough, however the ball was lost when Smith fumbled it under pressure. The lead only lasted seven minutes, with Saints getting on the board when Jack Welsby arrived from deep and found Kevin Naiqama, evading the presence of Goodwin as he played the pass. Thewlis couldn't stop Naiqama, who made his way to the centre of the in-goal area and touched down, giving Danny Richardson an unmissable kick, for a 4-6 lead for St Helens.

Ben Currie was the recipient of an unfortunate injury when he and Chris Hill both went to challenge Richardson and ended up colliding with one another. Currie was forced off the pitch with a head knock and replaced by Murdoch-Masila, the first of injuries aplenty on the night. Livett made a good burst but unfortunately lost the ball at the key moment, not the first time that would happen. The second injury of the night came to Danny Walker, who suffered a leg complaint and was replaced by Davis. Some brilliant defensive work from Westwood and Goodwin forced an error from Makinson, which laid the platform for the next try. Davis found Smith with a ball from acting half, and Smith then played the ball to Ratchford, who got his second assist of the night with a brilliant cut-out pass to Thewlis out wide, who slid in for his first Warrington try, in a carbon copy to Mamo's. Thewlis celebrated joyfully and lobbed the ball into the East Stand in a lovely moment. Ratchford was again unable to convert, but Wire were back in the lead after 24 minutes.

It was a lead that would last less than four minutes. After Dean kicked the ball out on the full and gave Saints a penalty, the young halfback was sold a dummy from Jonny Lomax, who accelerated past flimsy challenges from Ratchford and Murdoch-Masila with ease to score a great try. Another Richardson conversion made it 8-12. Riley Dean recovered from his earlier error with a magnificent tackle on Zeb Taia to force a knock-on. Right before the break, Wire were awarded a penalty and with just seconds on the clock, the decision was made to take the two, which Ratchford did, and at half-time it was 10-12.

A good tackle from Ratchford in the second half prevented Regan Grace from scoring, but it was only delaying the inevitable, when Saints scored a try that Wire should've done a lot better with. A drop-out ended in the hands of Kyle Amor. The big forward bust through the tackle of Luis Johnson and left the youngster injured, before making his way close to the line and finding the support of Joseph Paulo. Ratchford couldn't prevent Paulo scoring his first try for Saints, in a central area, giving Richardson a simple conversion for 10-18. Wire were awarded a penalty when Tasi was taken out off the ball. Despite being eight points down, the decision was taken to have a shot at goal, which Ratchford nailed. From only 27 metres out, this was a negative decision which really shows where we are as a club at the minute.

A good run by Murdoch-Masila got Wire in good field position, but Ratchford's pass to Livett ended up being forward. Another penalty conceded by Hill forced Price into taking the captain off, and shortly afterwards Saints crossed for their fourth try. A slick passing move ended in the hands of Matty Costello, who wasn't challenged by Burrell or Mamo until it was far too late, and the Saints man scored. Another Richardson conversion made it 12-24 with just under 20 minutes remaining. Four minutes later, Lomax and Welsby (who were the stars of the show) sent the ball wide to Makinson, who finished the try sensationally in the corner, evading the challenge of Goodwin and getting the ball down. Makinson is easily the best finisher in the league at the minute and is making tries like this look simple. A terrific kick from Richardson made the score 12-30, which it stayed.

It was a solid effort from a very depleted Wire side who can hold their heads up high. With Walker, Johnson, Murdoch-Masila, Currie and Hill all leaving the field with injuries, it became harder and harder as the game wore on with no interchanges available. Some of the tries conceded were poor, particularly Paulo's and Costello's. Despite the depleted numbers, it's four defeats in a row now. It needs sorting.

It's always our year.

Daniel (@aloosewire)