Super League: St Helens 6-18 Warrington Wolves – Wire go top after fourth straight win

Betfred Super League

St Helens (6) 6

Try: the sailor Aim: the sailor

Warrington (6) 18

Try: Hopoit, Smith, Irwin Aim: Irwin d

Warrington Wolves came from behind to beat St Helens to return to the top of the Super League table.

Tristan Saylor kept the hosts off the mark with his kicks and chases, but Albert Hoppoet got in just before the break to get the Saints back.

Josh Smith ran in from 80 meters to send Warrington in front and a St Helens error scored their third and decisive try.

Jack Welsby knocked away Ewan Irwin’s long-range kick, which gave Ware space for another attack, with Irwin running on.

Warrington’s victory – their fourth in a row – meant they leapfrogged Leeds as leaders.

St Helens’ defeat was their third on the bounce and means they lose further ground in the top-flight battle, with Paul Rowley’s side fourth and a narrow points gap to their rivals.

Jack Gardner’s first game of the season for The Wire didn’t last long – the visitors were forced into an early change when he suffered a dislocated shoulder as he extended his arm to the ground after a tackle.

The hosts lost Jonny Lomax after a quarter of an hour with a jaw injury after a first-half injury. He was later taken to hospital for a scan.

Soon after beating Lomax, however, Seaman found space to chase down his own kick to go in for their first try.

St Helens almost rallied and added a quick-fire second try when Wayne Dagnall came down the wing, but Josh Thewlis made a try-saving tackle to deny him.

A brutal first half continued, with Saints duo Jack Davies and Mark Percival and Warrington’s Jordy Crowder all leaving the field within minutes of each other to be assessed for respective head injuries.

There was still half time left for Warrington to respond, though, as Josh Smith gained the ground he needed to send Hoppoet to the brink of a hooter.

An attacking match continued in the second half and it took almost 15 minutes for the first score, which came when a wayward Saints kick was left to bounce and meet Smith, who made a lung-busting run to slot in from distance and send the visitors ahead for the first time in the match.

Jake Shorrocks was hard on James Bentley as Saints continued to chase the game, the incident was reported, and minutes later Irwin made the difference as the visitors succeeded in sending him over after Welsby’s mistake.

Warrington finished the game with 12 men after Thewlis was shown a yellow card for a professional foul, with three minutes remaining when Dagnall was brought down after breaking clean on the wing.