PLATFORM FOR LANGER'S GENIUS

Warrington Wolves 41

Hull FC 10

DEFEATING Hull FC was an achievement in itself but the manner of Wolves' victory at Wilderspool on Sunday was beyond all expectations.

Warrington had not beaten Hull in their previous two clashes this year and the Boulevarders were desperate for winning points to close in on Castleford Tigers and a coveted top five spot.

So the Wolves knew the size of their task but the odds grew a few minutes into the game.

Poor injury-plagued Mark Hilton, again deputising for first choice prop Danny Nutley, left the field in the fifth minute with a suspected broken arm that turned out to be bruising.

French international Jerome Guisset, who has played the majority of his football in the back row, replaced Hilton but he was carried off with mild concussion 26 minutes later.

Dean Busby took over the front row mantle and deputised superbly as the Wolves matched Hull's meaty pack blow for blow.

A steady influence through all of this changing around was action man prop Andrew Gee. He gladly took on extra responsibility to do the hard work down the middle and laid the platform for his mate Allan Langer to work some of his miracles.

Langer was at his awesome best, in attack and defence, and Hull had no idea how to handle him.

They allowed Warrington's skipper space to distribute the ball and he put players through holes. Instead, defenders closed in around Alf and so he cut them to pieces running with the ball himself. When Hull tried to swamp Langer he successfully kicked and chased.

Langer played a crucial hand in six of Warrington's eight tries - three of which were scored by Toa Kohe-Love - as the team made it three wins in a row for the first time this season.

Darryl Van de Velde's team played with confidence after successes at Castleford and at home to Salford. Dormant skills have come alive as a result and the willingness to work for one another was top notch.

This was apparent in defence when on several occasions the Wolves successfully battled in their own 20m area to keep their line intact for numerous sets of six on the trot.

It was in this way that Warrington took the lead, having earlier gone behind to a Luke Felsch try after Steve McCurrie and Tawera Nikau left it to each other to tackle the long-striding prop.

Hull's three sets of six at the Wolves danger zone were broken up by an Alan Hunte interception. Two tackles later Langer fired out a long ball to Kohe-Love. The New Zealander took Craig Simon's tackle but slipped the ball out of the back door to flying winger Rob Smyth who raced home to huge roars from 70m. Briers' goal made it 6-4.

Smyth deserved his reward as four minutes earlier he had prevented a try at the other end when he turned opposite man Matt Daylight on his back over the line.

The lead was never lost and seven minutes later was extended to eight points after back rower Stanley Gene knocked on in his own 10m area. Straight from the scrum Langer darted cross ways and bulleted a perfect pass for Kohe-Love to crash on to and touch down unopposed.

A great final five minutes to the half put the Wolves in command.

After a burst by Kohe-Love, Langer danced sideways and picked out McCurrie for a charge over try, his 15th of the season.

Following Warrington's first penalty of the game, in the 39th minute, Lee Briers potted a drop goal for a 17-4 lead.

Two minutes into injury time a Briers kick deflected off Gene straight to Langer's feet. He sweetly scooped up the ball and passed on to Kohe-Love to finish off for a 21-4 lead.

There were concerns at the start of the second half that Warrington were going to blow it, as they had previously given up big leads in the second half of matches.

The fears were based on a 43rd minute try by Gene for Hull. Lee Penny, usually so secure at the back, collected a deep kick and decided to off-load in his own 10m area to Will Cowell. The ball bounced to Gene off his tackling teammate's arm and suddenly Hull were back in the hunt at 21-10.

Briers opened up a 13-point gap with a 57th minute penalty goal which gave the Wolves confidence to go for the jugular and they did by running in 18 points in the final 17 minutes.

Briers wiggled over straight from acting half back after another Langer sideways run.

Gee's wonderful pass sent Ian Knott scurrying home from 35m.

Langer grubber kicked, regathered and handed on to Danny Farrar, Tawera Nikau and then Briers to put Kohe-Love over for his first hat-trick of the season and the second of his Wolves career.

Another kick, by Briers, led to the final try by substitute Paul Noone.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.