AFTER a memorable couple of weeks, this was a brutal reality check for Warrington Wolves.

A timely reminder that if you are off your game even slightly against Super League’s best sides, you will be made to pay.

If anything, the fact it happened now as opposed to in late September or early October is something of a blessing, and there is time for lessons to be learned.

However, their bid to make a statement to their home fans after delighting those who follow them away at St Helens and Wigan fell flat on its face.

While Sam Burgess and his players will no doubt pick over their own failings, it is only right that credit is given to Hull KR first and foremost.

Yes, Warrington were poor but they were made to be poor by a physical and hungry Robins outfit whose victory was richly merited.

From very early on, their physical dominance was evident and Burgess had to make the disappointing admission post-match that they simply ran and tackled harder than his players.

Their kick chase put the Warrington back three – in particular Josh Thewlis and Matt Dufty – under immense pressure and it yielded two tries after Wire’s middle-third defence had earlier been uncharacteristically smashed open by Jesse Sue.

Indeed, the visitors could perhaps consider themselves unfortunate not to be further ahead after being on the wrong side of two video referee decisions in the first half. The same was true of Wire as Thewlis and Josh Drinkwater also had tries ruled out, but those calls were much clearer-cut.

With the ball, Wire’s thinking was clouded and they lacked their usual precision having been forced to go off-script.

They were not without chances – indeed, they squandered two golden opportunities to exploit overlaps either side of half-time – but even when they did get themselves a foothold in the game, they never really gave themselves a chance to make it count.

And as a result, they find themselves looking up at the top two as opposed to giving themselves a cushion within it.

This is by no means a fatal blow for Burgess’ boys, but it certainly goes down as an opportunity missed and with seven games to go, their margin for error is now reduced.

If they are to make sure they skip the eliminator rounds, they cannot afford too many more slip-ups.