BEN ALL SET FOR A WARR SINFIELD: GET OUR FAX RIGHT
Barba & Co throw down the gauntlet
BEN BARBA and Saints threw down the gauntlet to the Wolves in this firecracker of a battle.
The two sides will clash again in two weeks in the semi-final fight for a Grand Final spot.
And, on the evidence of this eventful showdown, fans are in for an absolute belter.
Man-of-the-match Jonny Lomax said: “It will be no different in two weeks – just with more added pressure and passion.”
There were fears this game would end up as a phoney war with both teams holding themselves back for the semi.
But the action, and the emotions, were red-hot from the start and rarely dropped below that level.
It took just 13 minutes for tempers to boil over between these arch rivals when Matty Lees accidentally kneed Tyrone Roberts in the head.
The incident, which earned Lees a yellow card for reckless play, sparked a mass skirmish which took several minutes to calm down.
Lees’ team-mate Mark Percival and Warrington’s Ryan Atkins were also sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes to cool off. But, even with a one-man advantage, Wolves found it difficult to bloody Saints’ noses. Justin Holbrook’s men have the top attack in the league but they also have the best defence and showed just why it is so fearsome.
Brilliant try-saving tackles by Lomax and Regan Grace helped hold 12-man Wolves out.
But, as the sin-bin trio waited to return, Warrington finally found the breakthrough with a clever try from Kevin Brown.
Dec Patton added the conversion to make it 6-2, with Saints’ points coming from an early Danny Richardson penalty.
Warrington desperately needed to win – and avoid a third successive defeat by Saints this year – to give them confidence for the semi.
But St Helens have been ruthless all year, apart from a recent little blip, and proved it again here.
Luke Douglas caught the Wolves defence napping for the away side’s first try and before half-time they went further ahead with a Grace touchdown.
Richardson, who converted one of the tries, looked certain to stretch Saints’ lead with a brilliant break early in the second half.
But Wolves winger Josh Charnley did superbly to catch him and then drag him into touch just for good measure.
Saints were not to be denied for long, though, thanks to a great pass from Percival putting Lomax over.
Two minutes later half-back Richardson darted in for another and the punishment kept on coming.
Super League’s leading try-scorer Barba made it three tries in six minutes to put the result beyond doubt.
Warrington refused to give in and scored late tries from Toby King and Bryson Goodwin.
But Barba added a second to hint that he is rediscovering his best form just in time for the semis.
He said: “It has been a tough couple of weeks for me and a lot of people have been writing us off but we know where we’re at.
“We wanted to prove a point.” looks like and what we have to do. But we need to win. We need one more win, possibly two, and I want us to win both.
“We have to go to Halifax and play well. Hopefully we can be tough, physical and add some smarts and skill to it.”
Championship side Halifax – the only part-timers in the Middle 8s – have lost all five of their games so far. But Sinfield, whose men DANNY JOY: Richardson goes over for a Saints try have lost just one, at home to Hull KR, has warned them not to take Richard Marshall’s men lightly.
He said: “They are really well-drilled and they will love having Leeds at their ground.
“It’s a big game for us. They will be very physical and we have to match fire with fire.”
Brett Ferres is suspended, while fellow forwards Brett Delaney, Carl Ablett and Stevie Ward are out for the rest of the season.
Halifax v Leeds, Today, 3pm