Warrington Wolves 2024 season review, September and October

As such, we’ve been conducting a month-by-month review of The Wire’s first campaign under the charge of head coach Sam Burgess over the coming weeks.

READ MORE > Check our reviews of February and March, April, May, June, July and August

Our final piece takes a look at September and October as Warrington’s season came to the crunch…

THEIR fate was out of their hands in terms of finishing in the top two, but the least Warrington Wolves could do was keep the pressure on those above them.

With Wigan and Hull KR still having to play each other in Round 25, there was still a chance at least one of them could be overhauled but first and foremost, Wire had to be perfect for what remained of the regular season.

As summer turned to autumn, their first assignment was trying to make it a terrific trio of victories over neighbours St Helens, who were making their first visit of the year to The Halliwell Jones Stadium.

Saints too desperately needed a win to avoid a first ever finish outside the play-offs, but it was Warrington who emerged victorious in a game that was not much to write home about.

First-half tries from Matty Ashton and Jordy Crowther proved to be enough, with the visitors throwing precious little back in response and succumbing to a 16-2 loss.

Matty Ashton celebrates scoring against St Helens in Round 25 (Image: Neil Ashurst/P&B Pictures) That result meant Wire had at the very least guaranteed a finish of no lower than third place – and with it home advantage in the eliminator rounds should it be required – but they still had higher goals in mind.

After they lost the top-of-the-table clash with Wigan, Hull KR became their prime target but Wire still needed the Robins to slip up again in the final two matches of the season while avoiding one themselves.

They also needed to overturn a significant points difference advantage, but that issue was soon to be blown completely out of the water.

In their final regular-season away game at Huddersfield, Burgess’ boys were in ruthless mood as they mercilessly destroyed their hosts 66-0, meaning their three victories over the Giants during 2024 came via an aggregate scoreline of 160-10.

Twelve tries were scored in all, none were conceded and most importantly, one of the issues barring the way to second spot was emphatically dispatched.

Wire blew Huddersfield away in their final regular-season away game (Image: SWPix.com) Hull KR remained two points ahead going into the final round of games, but the points difference gap being reduced from 82 to just 17 in one fell swoop eliminated their margin for error.

It meant that Warrington did not have to go out recklessly chasing points as London Broncos visited The Halliwell Jones Stadium – any kind of win would have done so long as Leeds Rhinos, who themselves needed a win to keep their play-off hopes just about alive, did them a favour at Craven Park.

In the end, the points came naturally for Wire as London proved no match for them, with the 54-0 victory making it three games without conceding a try, and at points during the first half, it looked like it could be enough to win them second spot as Leeds led in East Hull.

Wire did their part in Round 27 by thrashing London, but Hull KR held off their challenge for second spot (Image: SWPix.com) However, the Robins turned things around after the break and consigned Warrington to the eliminators, where it would be St Helens again that awaited them.

All of the cards seemed to be stacked in Wire’s favour, but any optimism was very much guarded – and with good reason.

The Saints side that showed up with everything on the line was much more akin to the one that had won four of the previous five Super League titles than the one that had underwhelmed for much of 2024 and when they took a 12-point lead during a dominant first half, it looked as though a season’s worth of hard work was about to come crashing down.

What unfolded, however, was a game for the ages – Wire stormed back to lead 22-16 only for Jon Bennison’s last-gasp try and Mark Percival’s nerveless touchline conversion with the hooter having sounded to send the game to golden point.

Then came a moment that will live in the memory for years to come.

Having had an earlier attempt at a drop goal charged down, George Williams made no mistake with his second effort to blow the roof off The Halliwell Jones Stadium and earn his side their first play-off win since 2018.

The wild celebrations that followed George Williams' match-winning drop goal in golden point against St Helens (Image: PA Wire) It was another hurdle cleared, but one more blocked their path to Old Trafford.

Would it be a first Grand Final appearance for Hull KR? Or would Wire go to the brink of ending their eternal wait to be called champions of England?

In what was a game of two halves at Craven Park – KR scored twice in the first half, Wire did the same in the second – it was another game in which controversy reigned.

Only referee Liam Moore knows what he saw as Robins winger Joe Burgess dived for the try line late in the first half but despite the ball being concealed by a mass of bodies, he opted for a live call of “try” and with the footage inconclusive either way, it was a decision video referee Jack Smith had no option but to uphold.

It was a decision that will be the abiding memory of a well-contested semi-final, but Warrington will know they had more than enough chances to make it immaterial.

In the end, though, they could not make them count and a 10-8 defeat saw their season come to a heartbreaking end.

A dejected Josh Thewlis contemplates the season-ending loss at Hull KR (Image: SWPix.com)

Warrington Wolves results, September and October 2024

September

Saturday 7…St Helens (H) - won 16-2

Saturday 14…Huddersfield Giants (A) - won 66-0

Friday 20…London Broncos (H) - won 54-0

Saturday 28...St Helens (H) (play-off eliminator) - won 23-22

October

Friday 4...Hull KR (A) (play-off semi-final) - lost 10-8