WARRINGTON'S 56 points against St. Helens was a Super League record, beating the Wolves' 49 points at Workington in 1996.

And although Warrington inflicted the heaviest defeat the world champions have suffered in Super League since 1997 coach Darryl Van de Velde was his usual realistic self.

He said: "It has been a long drought for us against Saints and I was delighted with the win but you've got to keep everything in perspective. They had some players out and had a player sent off.

"It's been a tough couple of weeks and the players have got to take the credit because they have showed a lot of character and turned the season around for us."

Warrington were labelled the best 60-minute team in the league last year and in the corresponding fixture of Super League V Warrington lost to Saints after holding them for the first three quarters of the match.

But in the last three games Warrington have won because the effort has been there until the final whistle.

Van de Velde acknowledged this: "I'm pleased that we did not stop. We kept going at them and going at them.

"We started pathetically, letting in a couple of soft tries but in the end we knuckled down, defended well and grabbed control of the game."

When tries were created seemingly effortlessly through Briers and Langer's quick long passes, the question seemed to be why does that not happen every game?

But Van de Velde revealed that was the plan to beat Saints.

He said: "We knew that was how we had to play them. The half backs got some good width for us and they had the runners hitting the holes."

Saints coach Ian Millward accepted defeat at the hands of the better side and did not use the absence of players or an impending cup final as excuses.

He said: "Warrington are playing to the ability that they should have been playing to at the start of the year."