STEF OF DREAMS
BLAKE AUSTIN, Stefan Ratchford and the success-starved Wolves stunned Leeds to send out an ominous battle cry to Super League.
Warrington had admitted in pre-season that they were still hurting from their Challenge Cup Final and Grand Final defeats last year.
But few expected them to react to that in such ruthless fashion.
It is 64 years since they last won the title but, if early signs are anything to go by, rivals need to start worrying.
Coach Steve Price said: “We played good footy and scored some really good tries so it was a positive hit out.
“I was really pleased with Blake Austin and he is only going to get better. He showed some really good moments throughout the game – he plays with a smile on his face.”
Leeds had made waves over the winter with some eye-catching high profile signings after a dismal relegation-threatened season.
But the 2017 champions’ hopes of hitting the ground running came off the tracks within minutes of kick-off at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
Wolves’ marquee signing Austin sounded an early alarm bell with a good chance which would have come off if the impressive Bryson Goodwin had got away a better pass.
Not even a 12th-minute sin-binning for Wolves back-rower Jack Hughes for a prof foul could stop the hosts.
While he was in the bin, Warrington racked up eight points from a clever Stefan Ratchford try and two goals from the full-back.
And within minutes of being back to 13 men, the Wolves stepped up another gear with two quick-fire tries from winger Josh Charnley and hooker
Daryl Clark.
Ratchford converted both for a 20-0 half-time lead, leaving Leeds in desperate need of a big response.
But it never came, apart from a late rally when Warrington were again down to 12 men with Toby King this time in the bin for a dangerous tackle.
Price added: “To go 20-0 up at half-time, and to play with 12 men for 20 minutes, was really good.”