Warrington Wolves go 5-in-a-row versus St Helens in the Betfred Super League

St Helens 12 - 14 Warrington Wolves

Marc Sneyd had an impressive debut as a player for the Warrington Wolves, skillfully managing field position and setting up a remarkable try for George Williams, which ultimately earned him the Sky Man of the Match award for the evening. In an interview with Jenna Brooks following the game, Sneyd remarked, "It was a a great game, I just said to George I prefer them to the 50 nillers, especially when you come out on the right side. It was a proper battle, it always is when you come to Saints, it is a really good feeling, first game in this shirt and what a way to start I have really enjoyed it."

Let's relive this brilliant game of Rugby League.

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The Coaches Post Match Reaction

Paul Wellens

Sam Burgess with Marc Sneyd

Social Media Reaction

St Helens

Paul our squad is no where near strong enough big Al is knackered and only the start of the season Lomax is finished our forwards are not big enough. You can't keep relying on the young lads also get any bad injuries like Feltz and we will go no where. Why can Warrington just sign Sneyd just like that. Forget about the salary cap that's a joke what about bullock from Salford just for a bit of weight up front. Thomas Taylor

Much better in attack away from the bash up the middle. We need a finisher. I wrote two weeks ago we should have got Sneyd best player by far in RL. Pinned us back everytime. We lost but better than the Hull KR performance. Warrington defence good and so was ours apart from two errors. William Bradbury

Free for all on the last tackle play and no one having a clue what to do😅that match should have been won comfortably, Lomax needs to be dropped out of the team to give Whitby a chance. Feel sorry for the front row as they put there hands up, the 6/7 massively let them down Stephen Barton

Wellens nowhere near good enough, should have been sacked last season.

Last tackle options poor, evidenced by almost triple the amount of PTB’s in the Wire 20 metre line! Kicking game absolutely non existent. And big game record is absolutely woeful! Sean Bailey

Clarke not good enough. Why we didn’t sign Sneyd is beyond me. Poor team. I hate to say it another saints legend cannot manage this team. Need to get a new coach instantly. No excuses. Richard Fenn

Warrington Wolves

Well done Wire! 💛 💙

Hard fought, touch and go at times but a brilliant game to watch from both sides. The interaction between Williams and Sneyd in the halves shows a lot of promise if they can work that way with only two training sessions. COYW 🐺 Claire Thurtle

Both Sides going toe to toe tonight, really tough rugged defence and Sneyd already making an impact. Rob Croston

At last we have a player capable of tactical kicking. Welcome Sneyd...he could be the final piece of Big Sam's jigsaw.

COYW! Colin Clayton

That's what we've been waiting for.

Outstanding defence.

TACKLING PROPERLY

Sneyd was brilliant considering has only trained with us twice.

More effort and determination than we've seen so far this season.

Oh yeah and Matty... 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♂️🏃‍♂️🏃‍♂️

Well.done lads. 👏👏👏👏 Mark Davies

The Final Word

St. Helens fans may be increasingly concerned following their losses to two teams that finished above them in the 2024 standings. Although Joe Batchelor, Lewis Murphy, and Kyle Feldt were absent, their absence cannot solely be attributed to the defeats. Many supporters are expressing the opinion that the halfbacks lack the necessary kicking game to maintain advantageous field position or effectively penetrate strong defenses. This observation is particularly relevant given the possession and territory that St. Helens dominated during the match. While the team's effort is evident, the quality of play and execution are significantly lacking. Calls for Lee Briers' dismissal, though voiced by a minority, may be premature at this juncture.

One notable highlight for the Saints was Dayon Sambou, who excelled in his debut, showcasing the talent that led Wigan Warriors to secure his services for 2026. Morgan Knowles delivered a colossal performance on both offense and defense during his farewell season. Additionally, Mark Percival performed remarkably well, especially given his uncertainty about participating following the Challenge Cup victory over Leeds Rhinos. However, questions persist at the Totally Wicked Stadium this season, with renewed pressure mounting on Paul Wellens.

The Warrington Wolves delivered their most impressive performance of the season against a team that has often thwarted their efforts in the past. Fans of the Wolves must relish emerging victorious in tightly contested matches against the Saints, particularly after enduring numerous defeats decided by drop goals in the closing moments over the years. The return of Ashton, Dufty, Fitzgibbon, and King proved to be pivotal, energising the team ahead of the match. Notably, James Harrison, who filled in for Ben Currie at loose forward, made a remarkable contribution by playing the full 80 minutes and completing 33 tackles, with only three missed.

Marc Sneyd may prove to be the signing of the season for Warrington, as the team now has a dedicated game manager for the first time since Lee Briers retired. One can only imagine that Briers was watching, perhaps lamenting that his current club did not recruit this exceptional Rugby League talent. Many observers believe that Sneyd's arrival will relieve Williams of some organisational responsibilities, enabling him to focus more on his running game and display his match-winning abilities. This dynamic was clearly illustrated when Sneyd instructed Williams on his positioning just before the play-the-ball, leading to a masterful fade kick that landed perfectly in Williams' path for a try for the Wire.

One commendable performance out of five in the Super League is unlikely to have Sam Burgess envisioning silverware just yet, as questions remain regarding the Wolves' ability to mount a serious challenge against Wigan and Hull KR this season. Additionally, with two more encounters scheduled against the Red V before the end of April—including a quarter-final in the Challenge Cup—Wire fans will be hopeful that the Saints do not exact revenge by preventing their return to Wembley. This developing mini-trilogy is sure to present many twists and turns.

The Gladiators who took the Field

St Helens

1 Jack Welsby

5 Jon Bennison

26 Harry Robertson

4 Mark Percival

29 Dayon Sambou (D)

6 Tristan Sailor

7 Jonny Lomax

8 Alex Walmsley

9 Daryl Clark

10 Matty Lees

11 Curtis Sironen

16 Matt Whitley

13 Morgan Knowles

Interchange

14 Moses Mbye

17 Agnatius Paasi

18 Jake Wingfield

19 George Delaney

Try Scorer: Knowles (49), Sambou (59)

Tale of the Boot: Percival 2/3

Warrington Wolves

1 Matt Dufty

2 Josh Thewlis

3 Toby King

4 Rodrick Tai

5 Matty Ashton

6 George Williams

35 Marc Sneyd (D)

16 Zane Musgrove

9 Danny Walker

10 Paul Vaughan

11 Ben Currie

12 Lachlan Fitzgibbon

8 James Harrison

Subs (all used)

14 Sam Powell

15 Joe Philbin

21 Adam Holroyd

24 Max Wood

Try Scorers: Williams (22), Ashton (52)

Tale of the Boot: Sneyd 3/3

HOW IT WENT DOWN: 2-0, 2-6, 2-8; 8-8, 8-14, 12-14

Man of the Match - The Super League Raw Trophy

3pts - Marc Sneyd

2pts - Mark Percival

1pt - Morgan Knowles

Half-time: 2-8

Referee: Chris Kendall

Attendance: 14,068

Key Performance Indicators:

Most Tackles – Morgan Knowles - 42

Tackle Efficiency - Zane Musgrove - 100% - 22 Tackles

Top Tackle Busts – Mark Percival - 10

Most Carries – Mark Percival - 24

Most Metres/Hard Metres - Alex Walmsley - 120

Most Offloads - Paul Vaughan - 3

Clean Breaks - Harry Robertson & Rodrick Tai - 2

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