WHEN Ben Murdoch-Masila exploded over the try line to make it 22-0 to The Wire against Hull KR everyone watching would have thought it was game over.

Warrington Guardian:

Trouble was, the Wire players thought so too, and it nearly cost them a semi-final shot at returning to Wembley to put right the wrongs of last year’s submission to Catalans Dragons.

Because once the Robins and their fans got a sniff of Warrington going into cruise control, no second invitation was needed to come to the party and, criminally, twice in the closing stages they got to within six points of embarrassing their visitors.

Steve Price’s men had done the hard part, holding out for eight minutes with only 11 men - and for even longer with 12 - after both Tom Lineham and Dec Patton were rightly sin-binned in the first half.

Warrington Guardian:

The dedication and determination to turn away wave after wave of Hull KR attacks at that time was both remarkable and impressive, 34 play-the-balls inside the Wire 30-metre area coming to nothing.

Ben Currie’s sharpness of thought and fitness to track George Lawler and wrap his arms around the ball to prevent what had looked a certain try typified the effort of all.

 



 

 

> Steve Price's comments on the Wire victory

To get through that energy-sapping period and retaliate with a sucker punch on the stroke of half-time, when the outstanding Bryson Goodwin broke for a Blake Austin try, definitely won Wire the game but almost cost them too.

Warrington Guardian:

With adding two further tries in the opening 12 minutes of the second period through Lineham and Murdoch-Masila it seemed the floodgates were about to open.

Warrington Guardian:

But Rovers were all too aware that the burning up of Wire’s fuel in the first half was always going to come at a price later in the game.

Warrington did not help their own cause, giving away too many penalties to leave themselves with more and more defending to do.

A better side than Rovers, whose main threats had been nullified earlier, would have made even more of suddenly having the space to exploit.

> Fan's Tweet that outrages supporters throughout rugby league

But credit Wire for finding a way to still win the game after momentum had gone against them, though they need to start learning about clocking off early because they do have history in that regard.

A high kick from Austin, whose game management was first class, led to Currie crossing for the try that proved decisive.

Warrington Guardian:

That is what cup kings do, they fight for their lives and give their all to one another.

In the end the win is all that matters in the Challenge Cup and The Wire can look forward to their ninth semi-final in 11 seasons.

> Photo gallery from Wire's win at Hull KR

INTERESTING NOTES:

. The Wire reach ninth Challenge Cup semi-final in 11 years

. Warrington have lost only once to Hull KR in last nine meetings

. Hull KR were the opponents in the final the first time Warrington won the Challenge Cup in 1905. The score was 6-0.

Warrington Guardian:

MATCH FACTS:

Challenge Cup quarter-final, Friday, May 31, 2019

Hull Kingston Rovers…22 Warrington Wolves…28

Rovers: Craig Hall; Ryan Shaw, Kane Linnet, Jimmy Keinhorst, Ben Crooks; Josh Drinkwater, Danny McGuire; Antoni Maria, Danny Addy, Mose Masoe, George Lawler, Weller Hauraki, Robbie Mulhern. Subs: Chris Atkin, Mitch Garbutt, Ryan Lannon, Owen Harrison

Wolves: Jake Mamo; Tommy Lineham, Bryson Goodwin, Toby King, Josh Charnley; Blake Austin, Dec Patton; Chris Hill, Daryl Clark, Mike Cooper, Ben Currie, Jack Hughes, Joe Philbin. Subs: Jason Clark, Ben Murdoch-Masila, Sitaleki Akauola, Matt Davis.

 



 

 

Scoring: Mamo try, 15mins, Patton goal, 0-6; Austin try, 40mins, Patton goal, 0-12; Lineham try, 42mins, 0-16; Murdoch-Masila try, 52mins, Patton goal, 0-22; Crooks try, 55mins, 4-22; Drinkwater, 62mins, Shaw goal, 10-22; Drinkwater try, 70mins, Shaw goal, 16-22; Currie try, 73mins, Patton goal, 16-28; Hall try, 77mins, Shaw goal, 22-28.

Warrington Guardian:

> Look back over the match, as it happened

Penalties: Rovers 10 Wolves 6

Sin bin: Lineham, late tackle (22mins); Patton, ball steal, (28mins)

Referee: Robert Hicks

Attendance: TBC

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