Currie sends Warrington top as Leigh stay on course for Super League

A try three minutes from time by Ben Currie allowed Warrington to provide the perfect response to their Challenge Cup final defeat.

Currie touched down for the winner in a 26-22 victory at Catalans Dragons, a week after he was denied being the hero at Wembley.

It was Currie – eerily with similar time left on the clock – who looked set to win Wire the cup a week ago when he broke through the Hull defence, only for Danny Houghton to deny him with a now-famous tackle.

But things changed in France, Currie dotting down to earn Tony Smith’s men a win which edges them above Hull at the top of the table.

It had looked like being an easy afternoon’s work for Warrington at the Stade Gilbert Brutus, scoring three first-half tries as they cruised clear.

Half-back Declan Patton – in for Chris Sandow who missed out after Wembley – scored two tries in the sixth and 38th minutes, with recalled winger Kevin Penny also going in. Patton slotted three goals and a patched-up Wolves went in 18-0 up at the break.

Fatigue was always likely to catch up with Warrington and so it proved in the second half as Vincent Duport, ex-Wolf Richie Myler and Benjamin Garcia all crossed for the home side.

Tony Gigot converted and also slotted a penalty and Patton replied with one of his own, meaning it was locked at 20-all. Gigot then put his side two points clear, kicking a penalty after a video review on a possible try revealed no four-pointer but an obstruction. And that looked like being enough until Currie went in to win it.

Earlier, Leigh took a giant step towards securing a place in next season’s Super League with a 25-18 win at Hull KR. It was their fourth win from as many games in the Middle 8s and the second time this season a Championship side had come to the Lightstream Stadium and left with a win after Oldham knocked Rovers out of the Challenge Cup. This defeat was another embarrassment for Rovers, who issued a statement before kick-off stating that Albert Kelly had been suspended for returning to the club late following a trip back to Australia for personal reasons.

Rovers led 12-0 but they were blown away by Leigh, who scored 22 unanswered points to seize control.