Wire produced a performance full of heart and quality to secure passage to the Challenge Cup semi-finals, beating their opponents in last year's final by two points.
Steve Price welcomed back Chris Hill, Jack Hughes and Jason Clark to his starting team, while he opted to replace the suspended Tom Lineham with Jake Mamo on the wing. Ben Murdoch-Masila moved to a bench that was supplemented by the returning Joe Philbin and Matt Davis. Saints got on the front foot with a converted Jonny Lomax try and then a Lachlan Coote penalty, but Wire hit back superbly in the latter stages of the first half, first with a score from Anthony Gelling from Blake Austin's kick, before Josh Charnley crossed after a wonderful pass from Gelling. Matty Ashton rounded off the first-half tries after super work from Toby King and Mamo. It was St Helens who grabbed the first try of the second half though, Regan Grace touching down in the corner. Thankfully though, Charnley was the beneficiary of a deflected Jack Hughes pass and restored Wire's advantage. Kevin Naiqama got Saints back in it with a try in the corner but Wire hung on for a terrific win at the AJ Bell Stadium. Here are my six major talking points...
1) The top boys?
Having beaten Saints in their last three meeting and being on a run of eight consecutive wins, are Wire now legitimately the best team in the country? There's definitely a case for it. Wire have got Saints' number lately and are in the best form of anyone. To be honest, Warrington were unlucky not to win it by more today - it was a convincing victory. A real statement - until now, Wire hadn't beaten any of the big boys on this run of form. Then this came.
2) Central figure
I've been highly critical of Anthony Gelling's performances since joining the club but he put in a marvellous display today, easily his best for the club. He grabbed a try with a brilliant jump to catch and ground Austin's kick, and was influential in the second try too - he started the move with an offload and provided the finishing touch with a glorious flicked pass for Charnley to score. Some outstanding metres and carries too.
3) Cloud nine
The performance of our number nine today was something to behold. Clark absolutely ran Saints ragged. His energy, runs from dummy-half, passing range and vision were causing havoc for the opposition defence and he put in a display similar to that in the Challenge Cup final last season against the same opponents. He's a special player.
4) Up for the cup
Before the game, I did wonder if being knocked out could be beneficial for Wire's Super League hopes with a lack of extra fixtures and distractions. That thought clearly didn't enter the heads of Price or the squad though as they put in one of their best performances of the season. The team are now two matches away from retaining the trophy they won last year and you'd be a brave man to bet against them.
5) Subs of the day
It was noticeable what a change the interchange bench brought to the match today. Joe Philbin, Matt Davis and Ben Murdoch-Masila brought go-forward and pace to the game, which was lacking from a Warrington perspective in the early stages. Wire now look like they have plenty of options and depth to their squad.
6) Congestion charge
There is the point to be made regarding fixture congestion. Wire will now face Salford in the semi-finals of the cup, shortly after playing the Red Devils in the league. If Steve Price's team make the final, that will be another fixture to fit in. There may be some concern that this run could detract from the league form in the same way that it did last year, though I'd hope lessons have been learned from that.
Player Ratings
Matty Ashton - 8/10
Still looks a little uneasy under the high ball but largely an excellent performance and another breakway try.
Jake Mamo - 8/10
One poor decision with a forward pass but otherwise it was another impressive display, this time out wide on the wing.
Toby King - 9/10
Tremendous in defence and offered plenty in attack too, doing superbly to set up the Ashton try.
Anthony Gelling - 9/10
A near-perfect performance from Gelling. A fantastic try and an even better assist for Charnley.
Josh Charnley - 9/10
Two tries and plenty of metres for the winger. He's hitting form at the right time.
Blake Austin - 9/10
Ran the show from the halves. A 40/20, a brilliant assist for Gelling and some huge defensive efforts including a hell of a tackle on Grace.
Stefan Ratchford - 8/10
I still don't see him as a half-back but he was very solid defensively and his passing was as reliable as ever.
Chris Hill - 7/10
Had a very good game in terms of metres made and defensive efforts but gave away a cheap penalty at the end.
Daryl Clark - 9/10
Back to his best today. Just an absolute monster of a player. Caused Saints all manner of problems.
Mike Cooper - 8/10
Another excellent display from the prop. A ton of metres and plenty of defensive work.
Ben Currie - 6/10
Probably Currie's quietest performance of the season. No real effect on the match.
Jack Hughes - 7/10
Got through a lot of work again in the second row. Such a hard-working player.
Jason Clark - 8/10
Put in a hell of shift today. Tackles galore.
Ben Murdoch-Masila - 7/10
A rare occasion where using him from the bench actually worked. Some good carries.
Joe Philbin - 9/10
So much go-forward, energy and metres. The best sub in Super League.
Matt Davis - 7/10
Industrious and quick off the mark. Changed the pace of the game.
Danny Walker - 6/10
Solid and pacy in the final part of the match.
@ALooseWire
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