Warrington Wolves talking points after victory at Hull FC

Despite completing less than half of their sets, they managed to sneak away with a victory at Hull FC thanks to a late Matt Dufty winner.

Following another scratchy performance, however, there is plenty for head coach Sam Burgess to ponder during the international break.

Here, our Wire reporter Matt Turner picks out five key talking points from the Round 15 game...

Lady Luck shines on Wire

Put simply, Warrington Wolves got away with one here. Big time.

A sloppy and error-strewn display showed all the hallmarks of a team scratching around for rhythm having been knocked off their stride in recent weeks.

Completing less than half of your sets usually results in defeat so to that end, Wire deserve credit for the way they were able to ride out periods of intense pressure and keep themselves in the contest.

It was a game they could have had no complaints about losing, but they managed to escape to victory.

Wire got what they came for, but made it much harder for themselves than it needed to be.

(Image: SWPix.com)

Hindered by “over-playing”

In his player-of-the-match interview with Sky Sports post-match, Matt Dufty said Wire tried to play too much rugby in this game having not tried to play enough in losing to Salford last week.

That is probably a fair assessment as the team tries to rediscover the balance between the two that got them into this position.

Many of Wire’s errors came from trying inventive plays, which should not be discouraged but as we saw on Saturday, it can put you under pressure if it goes wrong.

When Wire did keep hold of the ball, they showed they were able to crack the Hull defence – scoring 24 points having had pretty much no possession shows as much.

Should the game situation have been read better, particularly at 18-6 up? That will no doubt be a question they ask themselves.

Dazzling but divisive Dufty

This was another game in which Matt Dufty posted some incredible numbers and in real terms, he won Wire this game.

Two tries including the dramatic late winner, an assist for Toby King and another 200 metres gained with the ball demonstrated how much of a threat he can be.

Despite injecting himself into the Man of Steel conversation, however, he remains a polarising figure among Warrington fans.

Many remain unconvinced by the defensive side of his game and it is true that some of his play in that respect can put himself and his teammates under pressure.

He’s also got a worrying habit of talking back to referees and while he generally knows when to stop, it may only be a matter of time until one official takes more of an exception to that and punishes him – and thereby the team – more severely.

That said, his race back to save a certain interception try from Carlos Tuimavave was a superb piece of defensive full-back play. More of that and the continued brilliance in possession and more fans will be on his side.

Matt Dufty touches down for his first try (Image: SWPix.com)

Returnees show their value

Those of a Warrington persuasion will have felt instantly better about this game when their teamsheet had George Williams’ name on it.

And while he will admit himself that he’s had better games, he was still a big influence on his side.

His outrageous, no-look flick to set up Dufty’s first try showed the kind of quality he has. The two have a near telepathic understanding and when it pays off, the results can be spectacular.

Josh Thewlis too showed just how important he has become with some key defensive plays, big yardage runs and another nerveless and flawless goal-kicking display.

The two were badly missed against Salford and here, they showed their value.

George Williams returned from a calf injury against Hull (Image: SWPix.com)

More questions than answers going into break?

While Warrington got the victory they desperately needed out of this game, there is clearly still plenty of work to do.

And now, they have a fortnight in which to do it as Super League breaks for England’s mid-season Test against France – a game a few Wire players may well be involved in.

Those who aren’t in Shaun Wane’s plans will enjoy a few days off before getting back to work as they try and get themselves back to the kind of performance levels we have become used to.

The break has probably come at a good time and Burgess insists the issues Wire have faced of late are easily fixed.

He now has more time to do it, so we await the results with interest.

Wire now have just under a fortnight until their next game - the hosting of Huddersfield Giants on July 5 (Image: SWPix.com)