Warrington Wolves talking points after win at St Helens

A league-and-cup double over neighbours St Helens is now complete following a stunning, backs-to-the-wall showing after being reduced to 12 men by James Harrison's 20th-minute red card.

Still, it was a disadvantage they made light of as they tightened their grip on second spot in the table.

Here, our Wire reporter Matt Turner picks out five key post-match talking points in "The Morning After"

Oh what a night!

We seem to be writing this a lot this year, but this game is one that will live long in the memory.

Not for the first time this season, the cards were stacked heavily against Warrington Wolves as the game unfolded – reduced to 12 men with an hour still to play, even having a spell with 11 in the second half, players going down injured and nothing going their way.

And yet, we are talking about acts of heroism from a team that seems to thrive on pulling themselves out of the fire.

Of course, this was not the strongest St Helens team Wire have faced of late both in terms of personnel and form, but any win at the Totally Wicked Stadium is one to savour.

This side now has three of those to their name in the past few months, two of them over a club they had endured nothing but pain against over the past three years.

And given how it came about, this one will feel sweeter than the rest.

Paul Vaughan rouses the celebrating Wire fans at full time (Image: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)

More evidence of a team built different

This is a victory that probably sits alongside – or perhaps even above – the win in Perpignan in May in terms of satisfaction.

That one was similarly backs-to-the-wall, albeit in entirely different circumstances, but this only adds to the body of evidence that this group of players is made of something a little bit more.

And let’s not forget, it’s a largely similar group to the one that collapsed so dramatically around this time last year.

He will no doubt play down his influence, but Sam Burgess simply has to be the major point of difference. Whatever he is doing behind the scenes, he has unlocked something within these players that not many people believed they had.

They are showing all of the characteristics required for winning competitions. Now, it’s up to them to go and win one.

Like London buses…

As previously mentioned, games against St Helens have been nothing but painful for Warrington in recent years.

Before the start of 2024, it was coming up to three years since they had triumphed over their neighbours – a run stretching back seven games.

That particular skeleton was banished from the closet by April’s Challenge Cup thrashing and you know what they say about London buses…you wait an age for one, then two come along at once…

A stunning league-and-cup double of away victories against Saints is now secure, and they will get the chance of a hat-trick when they visit The Halliwell Jones Stadium in September.

Of course, that will count for little if Saints get on top of Wire in a play-off game again but now at the very least, games against them do not loom like a grim spectre.

And we wonder why people are turning off…

There have been a few comments from Saints fans in the aftermath of the game that James Harrison’s red card saved their side from something of a hiding.

While it’s impossible to know for sure whether that would have been the case, it was certainly looking ominous for the hosts as they were ripped apart whenever Wire got the chance to attack.

However, then came the decision that looked set to undermine all of that good work when between them, referee Chris Kendall and video official Liam Moore decided a thunderous but innocuous-looking collision between Harrison and Saints prop Noah Stephens constituted serious foul play by the Warrington man.

Let us not forget that this was a tackle Kendall was happy to let go in real time and only when play was stopped for both men to be treated – Stephens was cleared of any damage, Harrison was set to go off for a HIA before the red card was shown – that it was examined further.

Whether you think the decision was right or wrong, this kind of forensic examination of everything is putting people off the game.

Now for the next frontier…

This Wire side have become used to booting down barriers this year.

Return to the Challenge Cup Final? Check. Beat St Helens? Been there, done that, got two t-shirts…

Now, there is another demon to banish…

Things do not get any easier with a trip to Wigan Warriors next up – a side who wrecked their Wembley outing and have triumphed in the past seven meetings in all competitions.

Ending that run will not be easy, with Stefan Ratchford’s facial fracture adding to their growing injury list, but if they can do it, belief that this group are onto something special will go through the roof.