Thewlis helps the Wolves find bite
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JOSH THEWLIS helped rip apart the Giants as Daryl Powell’s new reign finally looks to be coming good.
The Wolves boss had been coming under pressure after a run of five successive defeats.
But two wins, and a narrow defeat, over the past week have got the fans back on board.
This convincing victory against a team who started the day four places higher than them in the table, was the Wolves’ best so far this season.
Powell said: “That was a big step forward for us. It’s the best we have been for the whole season so far.
“It was really pleasing on the back of a really tough schedule around Easter. Looking at the last three performance you can see we are in a good place and we’re improving. The energy and effort was great and we defended really well.”
Warrington were without four key players - Stefan Ratchford, Gareth Widdop, Jack Hughes and George Williams all ruled out through injury.
But it bodes well for the future of the club that it was three youngsters who helped mastermind this victory.
Full-back Thewlis, 20 next Saturday, grabbed the spotlight with his three tries, while 20-year-old centre Connor Wrench also scored an eye-catching try.
Riley Dean, also 20, made the most of a rare start in the halves by creating two of
Thewlis’s tries. Powell said: “Special mention has to go to some of the younger boys. They came up with some real spark. Josh Thewlis is class. He has got a real eye and some of the combinations with Riley Dean were outstanding.
“Riley was nervous before the game but he put in a really composed performance.”
Giants have had a disastrous Easter, picking up just one point from six, but this was the only result that angered coach Ian Watson.
He said: “It was probably our worst performance of the season, we were awful. We lacked energy and effort.
“We did not turn up with the right attitude. We ended up defending all the time and hardly touched the ball in the first half.”
Stand-off Jack Cogger was their main culprit, getting sinbinned twice in the opening 20 minutes. His first yellow card was for holding down as he tried to snuff out a dangerous Wolves attack.
His second - three minutes after he’d returned to the field after his first - was for sliding in on Thewlis as he scored.
Watson said: “It was disappointing because they can quickly post points on you. They were picking us off.”
Warrington led 18-0 with Thewlis’s first two tries, one from Toby King and two Dean penalties and a conversion.
Innes Senior pulled a try back before half-time but Warrington continued to dominate with further tries from Wrench, Thewlis and Ben Currie. Luke Yates scored a late Giants consolation.