FORUMS FORUMS






RLFANS.COM
Celebrating
25 years service to
the Rugby League
Community!

  
 Current LIVE TV Match : Hull Kingston Rovers 4 - 0 Hull FC LIVE ON SKY SPORTS Evalds Try, Not Converted

A win for the Widnes Vikings, by more than twenty-two points, would send them top of Super League and condemn the Warrington Wolves to a third consecutive defeat at the start of the season. A win for the Wolves, by more than six points, would lift them into the top eight and get their season belatedly underway.

The Vikings have had a great start to the season with an opening weekend win over the Catalans Dragons, and a single point loss to the Castleford Tigers last week. Up the road in Warrington, teeth were already being gnashed after two consective defeats, coming on the back of an awful 2017 season.

On the artifical pitch at the Halton Stadium, it promised to be an intriguing early season match-up.

After absorbing some early pressure it was the Wolves who opened the scoring when Ryan Atkins took a Declan Patton chip to the corner, under pressure from the Vikings defence, to drop over the line. Bryson Goodwin failed to add the extras and it was 4-0 after eight minutes.

The second Wolves try was a walk in for Stefan Ratchford as he took a delightful pass from Ben Currie to step between the Widnes tacklers and go over without a hand being laid on him. Goodwin added the extras for 10-0 after fourteen.

Widnes got their opener on twenty-one on a repeat set of six when Krisnan Inu picked up a neat little Joe Mellor grubber to ground one-handed. The conversion was missed leaving the Vikings six adrift.

There was no further scoring action in the first half with both sides having opportunities that they couldn’t convert.

Warrington put Widnes under a lot of pressure early in the second half and on forty-five Ryan Atkins took a Ratchford high kick to drop over the line and ground. Goodwin added the conversion and the Wolves were pulling away at 16-4.

On fifty-three referee Bentham was clattered into by Chris Houston and he had to be helped from the field. Scott Mikalauskas, the reserve referee, picked up the whistle and took over in the middle.

A fifty-fifth minute Wolves penalty was kicked from twenty metres out by Goodwin to leave Widnes needing three converted tries to snatch a victory.

Just before the hour mark Jack Hughes appeared to have scored a breakaway try but with pushing and shoving going on in back play the referee pulled play back and penalised Ratchford for running in to get involved. It was a reprieve for the Vikings.

Tempers were fraying with the referee lecturing both captains for a second time on sixty-two. On sixty-four Inu found his way to the line for his second try of the night after taking a Mellor cross-field kick to evade the tacklers and dive over. Tom Gilmore added the conversion for 10-18 with fourteen minutes remaining.

A brilliant Ratchford strip on Jay Chapelhow, as he was in the act of scoring, saved a certain try which would have set some nerves jangling.

A superb Danny Craven break and pass inside to Olly Ashall-Bott saw Mike Cooper scrambling back to commit a professional foul for holding down and be shown the yellow card by the referee, leaving his team mates to finish the game with twelve men.

Widnes did have chances to get closer to the Wolves score but couldn’t find a way through their strong defence.

Warrington will be delighted to get their seasons scoring underway at last with an important two points. It wasn’t the prettiest of encounters and at times bad tempers spilled over into bouts of pushing and shoving. Points are points, and they are very precious at these early stages of the season. The players and coaching staff from the Wolves will take them where they can get them.

Vikings: Hanbury, March, Inu (2T), Whitley, Ashall-Bott, Mellor, Gilmore (G), Chapelhow, Heremaia, Cahill, Dean, Wilde, Houston.  Subs: Walker, Burke, Craven, Olbison.

Wolves: Ratchford (T), Lineham, Goodwin (3G), Atkins (2T), Russell, Brown, Patton, Hill, Clark, Cooper (SB on 71), Currie, Hughes, Westwood.  Subs: Crosby, Smith, Philbin, Murdoch-Masila.

Referee: Phil Bentham, Scott Mikalauskas (from the 53rd Minute).

Half-Time: 4-10.

Full-Time: 10-18.

Attendance: 7,009.



facebook sharing button
twitter sharing button
pinterest sharing button
email sharing button
sharethis sharing button


Posted by RLFANS News Hound on Fri 16th Feb 2018 9:37 PM | Views : 18602 | Replies : 0 | BACK TO STORIES
RLFANS Recent Posts
FORUM
LAST
POST
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
1m
Game - Song Titles
Boss Hog
34331
2m
BORED The Band Name Game
Wanderer
56055
2m
The Good Friday Derby Massacre
Plum Bob
159
6m
TV games not Wire
karetaker
2870
16m
Rd 6 I Cas A
KaeruJim
135
17m
No grade A for 2025 for Trinity
PopTart
33
34m
Investment
Bully_Boxer
32
37m
Squad for Cup Game
CW8
17
47m
York - 14th April
PopTart
23
Recent
State of the Nation
UllFC
232
FORUM
LAST
VIEW
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
27s
New Investors
BullRaider
2
28s
ALL NEW 49ERS ERA LEEDS UTD THREAD
tad rhino
1386
30s
No grade A for 2025 for Trinity
PopTart
33
41s
Squad for Cup Game
CW8
17
45s
Smith - should he stay or should he go
B0NES
369
47s
Fevround 2
The Phantom
92
51s
TV games not Wire
karetaker
2870
1m
York - 14th April
PopTart
23
1m
Investment
Bully_Boxer
32
1m
Ky Rodwell
FIL
112
FORUM
NEW
TOPICS
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
TODAY
New Investors
BullRaider
2
TODAY
Wigan/Saints
ratticusfinc
2
TODAY
Another Tigers Defeat As Rhinos Go Level Top
RLFANS News
1
TODAY
York - 14th April
PopTart
23
TODAY
Stats article
Sir Gregory
5
TODAY
21 man Squads - Devils v Leopards
WYSIWYG2
5
TODAY
Squad for Catalan
CW8
19
TODAY
The Wigan Way - New Podcast - Chairman Special
Jukesays
1
TODAY
Dons v Swinton Lions 30 June 2024
Wanderer
1
TODAY
Squad for Sheffield
AdamH
1
TODAY
London Away
Fartown58
1
TODAY
The Bulls away
terry silver
9
TODAY
The official Leon Hayes Thread
Smiffy27
18
TODAY
Saints a
apollosghost
26
TODAY
Leon Ruan signs on loan
Jemmo
2
TODAY
Wardle
Jo Jumbuck
3
TODAY
Huddersfield - Home
Deadcowboys1
9
TODAY
Max Wood on loan to Bradford 2 weeks
rubber ducki
7
TODAY
Jake Wardle 5 Year deal
Zig
22
TODAY
No grade A for 2025 for Trinity
PopTart
33
TODAY
Cup Quarter Final TV Arrangements
RLFANS News
1
NEWS ITEMS
VIEWS
Another Tigers Defeat As Rhino..
180
Cup Quarter Final TV Arrangeme..
599
2024 Challenge Cup Quarter Fin..
717
Easy Does It For The Dragons A..
600
Warrington Demolish London For..
705
Leigh Leopards Beat Plucky Fea..
761
Saints Triumph Over Disappoint..
736
Easy Win for the Wolves Over L..
977
Dragons Condemn Castleford To ..
941
Leigh Leopards Secure First Po..
1091
St Helens Tame The Rhinos To W..
1058
Wigan Warriors Come From Behin..
1127
Betfred Championship and Leagu..
1100
2024 Challenge Cup Sixth Round..
3887
Featherstone Win Extra Time Cu..
1217
RLFANS Match Centre
Matches on TV
Table 'boards.stats_fixtures' doesn't exist