Warrington Wolves talking points after St Helens play-off win

That will particularly be the case if Warrington Wolves go on and win their first ever Super League title, but it was an evening during which The Halliwell Jones Stadium was shaken to its very foundations.

Our Wire reporter Matt Turner was there and brings us his five key talking points from the action here...

What a game!

The Halliwell Jones Stadium terraces will now fall silent as the autumn and winter months loom.

When the turnstiles start to click again in February, however, the echoes of this evening may still be reverberating around the place.

The 12,000 inside the ground felt like treble that, with both sets of fans creating a truly special atmosphere.

All that needed to happen was the on-field action to be befitting of it – and boy was it.

It was quite possibly the best club game this ground has seen in many a year, settled in the most dramatic fashion by George Williams’ drop goal.

With the game taking a primetime Saturday tea-time slot on terrestrial television, it was a showcase of everything we all love about rugby league.

George Williams runs away to celebrate the winning drop goal (Image: Paul Currie/SWpix.com)

Burgess’ boys break down another barrier

It is easy to forget that the vast majority of this Warrington squad that has achieved so much formed the group that has grossly underachieved for the past two seasons.

They entered this year with a new coach but with plenty of emotional baggage to shed.

Winless runs over their neighbours and biggest rivals have been emphatically ended while a five-year absence from the Challenge Cup Final was ended. The next hurdle was to bring a six-year wait for a play-off win to an end.

It looked for a while as though this one would go the same way as the three shock home defeats they suffered at this stage of the post-season in a row between 2019 and 2021, particularly in the first half as a previously beleaguered Saints side looked more like the one that had won four of the past five Super League titles.

In the end, though, it is another barrier that this group have kicked down. Now, only the ultimate one remains.

Proof that Wembley lessons been learnt?

Very much like they were in the Challenge Cup Final, Warrington were up against it for much of this game.

They were short of their best and behind on the scoreboard in a game with everything on the line.

In North London, they panicked. Three months later on home soil, calm heads prevailed.

Nothing was forced, low-percentage plays were shelved and Burgess’ boys had faith that eventually, they would get their chance to work their way back into the game.

Burgess was adamant post-Wembley that his squad would be better for what they went through that day, so was this the first sign of that theory being proved right?

Williams drags his side through

Warrington signed George Williams to be a difference-maker in games such as this.

His detractors say he tends to go missing in these high-pressure games, but he provided a stunning riposte to those claims here.

Even aside from the obvious moment of glory, it was his piece of individual brilliance that set up Matty Ashton to score just before half time to give his side a critical foothold in a first half in which they were second-best.

He also produced a stunning flat ball to send Toby King over for a try that levelled the scores.

And then, of course, came the moment the game will be remembered for – a perfectly-struck drop goal to send the Halliwell Jones Stadium into raptures.

Cometh the hour, cometh the man.

(Image: Neil Ashurst/P&B Pictures)

One down, two to go

Three steps to immortality – and the first of them has been negotiated.

Old Trafford is starting to come into view but before they can think about the Theatre of Dreams, they must first negotiate one of the competition’s toughest propositions.

A trip to a likely sold-out and raucous Craven Park to face Willie Peters’ excellent Hull KR side is no mean feat. The cards may have been stacked in Wire’s favour in the eliminator round, but they will all be against them on Friday.

The old ground has been a fortress for the Robins this year, but Warrington will head there knowing they are one of only two visiting sides to win there this year having won 22-20 back in March.

A lot has changed for both sides since then but while it is a hellishly tough trip, Wire can approach it with no fear.

Wire won 22-20 at Hull KR back in March (Image: PA Wire)