Our Warrington Wolves reporter Matt Turner has his final word on Thursday's victory over Salford Red Devils...
ANOTHER game and yet more things become clear about Warrington Wolves’ class of 2023.
And on this night, we learned a lot more about them than in the two games that went before.
Once again, we discovered that this group of players has plenty of grit and togetherness – regardless of your opinion about how it came about, hauling back a 14-point deficit takes some doing.
However, we also saw the first flashes of concern that some of the bad habits that punctuated last year are still niggling at the squad.
What can be said for certain, though, is that the Warrington Wolves of 2022 would not have pulled themselves out of the fire as this group did.
As we keep being told, this team is made of something more and the evidence to support that continues to grow.
We had seen them dominate an opposition and tough it out on their own try line but on this occasion, we saw how they would respond to falling behind.
The manner in which they put themselves in that particular hole will require attention, but Wire deserve plaudits for the way in which they dug themselves out of it by upping the intensity, keeping things simple and when a chink in the armour appeared, they struck.
Ryan Brierley’s sin-binning was no doubt a game-changer and opinions are divided as to whether or not it was justified, but Wire still needed to take advantage.
The top teams are ruthless when they smell blood and at that point, the home side still had a 10-point deficit to retrieve with a little over 20 minutes left.
By the time Brierley returned, Warrington were 28-20 to the good. Box ticked.
As one would suspect he will be if Wire are to be successful this year, George Williams was at the heart of their fightback.
In situations like this, you need your leaders and key men to come to the fore. Aided and abetted by Daryl Clark, both wingers and the return from the bench of Tom Mikaele and Paul Vaughan, Williams did just that.
Playing alongside Josh Drinkwater and behind a much sturdier pack, he is playing with a freedom and verve we have rarely seen from him in a Warrington shirt – long may it continue.
All of the above will only serve to boost the growing confidence in this side, but the sub-par first-half showing cannot be merely skipped over.
The decision to move Peter Mata’utia into the back row and bring Greg Minikin in at centre raised some eyebrows and sure enough, the dangerous Salford left edge had plenty of joy down that side.
Having looked so water-tight against Huddersfield and Leeds, the defence was full of holes as the Red Devils broke the line with regularity.
They will not be able to get themselves out of dodge every time, so it is important Wire learn lessons fast as with the greatest of respect to Salford, who are a strong and dangerous side in their own right, the competition’s best teams will not be so forgiving.
Still, it is lessons learned and Warrington can move on with their record unscathed.
They have tamed the Rhinos, slayed the Giants and now they have danced with the Devils without getting burnt – can they now rock the Robins?
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