Warrington were looking for a fifth straight win as they targetted third place in the league and to restore themselves to within two points of the league leaders. Their opponents Wakefield Trinity knew that a win wouldn’t improve their league position, but it would get them within two league points of sixth spot in the table.
Wakefield were without a nine players including the high profile David Fifita who was stood down from the side for refusing to wear a GPS tracker, a requirement of COVID rugby league.
The bookies fancied a win for this rounds only home side in the last game of the weekend, but never rule out a side in adversity.
It was an end to end opening seventeen minutes with little to choose between the two sides. The deadlock was broken when Toby King took the pass twenty out, threw a dummy left and then dropped the shoulder to run the angle and score under the sticks. Stefan Ratchford kicked the conversion for 6-0.
Blake Austin had to wait until the twenty-fifth minute when the half-back stepped twice to evade the tacklers and go in from ten metres. Ratchford added the conversion for a 12-0 lead. Trinity were showing resiliance but no reward for their efforts.
Jusr after the half hour mark Ratchford went close backing towards the line and on the next play a miss-out pass from Austin found Josh Charnley for the winger to fly over in the corner for a trademark try. Ratchford converted brilliantly from the touchline, from almost nowhere the Wolves were 18-0 ahead and cruising.
Austin got his second of the game five minutes after the restart when he bounced over the line underneath the shadow of the posts after a solo run. Ratchford added a simple conversion, the Wolves easing towards the two points and third place in the league.
A long range Ben Currie effort sealed the deal for the Wolves. On seventy he collected the ball from a poor Wakefield kick on his own ten metre line and went ninety down the centre of the field to score under the H. Ratchford added the goal for 30-0.
Austin sealed a perfect evening for the Wolves and himself when he went over for his hat-trick after a couple of great offloads. Ratchford kicked the extras for 36-0.
A comprehensive and professional Warrington performance as they shut out a depleted Wakefield side and added to Chris Chester’s mounting problems. A Blake Austin hat-trick was the main contributor to the win as the half-back controlled the game and Ratchford added twelve points to the score with a faultless kicking performance.
Wolves: Ratchford (6G), Charnley (T), Mamo, King (T), Lineham, Austin (3T), Widdop, Hill, Clark D, Cooper, Currie (T), Hughes, Clark J. Subs: Philbin, Davis, Kibula, Ashton.
Trinity: Jowitt, Croft, Gigot, Tupou, Sebnior, Miller, Hampshire, Navarrete, Wood K, Arona, Batchelor, Ashurst, Westerman. Subs: Kirmond, Green, Crowther, Tanginoa.
Referee: Marcus Griffiths.
Half-Time: 18-0.
Full-Time: 36-0.
Ground: Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington.
