Warrington Wolves produced a second-half masterclass to set up a Challenge Cup semi-final with Huddersfield Giants, as Sam Burgess’s magnificent start to life as a head coach continued with an impressive victory over St Helens.
Burgess has had a transformative impact since taking charge at Warrington in the off-season. The Wolves sit second in Super League after the opening seven rounds, and they are now just one win away from a trip to Wembley in Burgess’s first season in charge. This was arguably their most accomplished display under the former England superstar, too.
They trailed the Saints 8-7 after an enthralling opening 50 minutes but the final half-hour belonged to Warrington, who scored 24 points without reply thanks largely to the brilliance of the England captain, George Williams, to book their place in the final four. The Saints were more than a match for Warrington in the initial stages but in the end, could have no complaints about the outcome.
They were ultimately outclassed as tries from Matty Ashton, Connor Wrench, James Harrison and Williams himself put the result beyond doubt in some style. “I’m really happy with the effort,” Burgess said. “Everyone’s just doing their job. I’m really happy for the guys, it was a brilliant team performance.”
Josh Thewlis’s try put the Wolves into an early lead but the Saints were arguably the stronger of the two sides in the closing stages of the first half. They went ahead when Jon Bennison converted a Konrad Hurrell try, but a penalty from Thewlis, followed by a drop goal from the boot of Williams on the stroke of half-time, gave the Wolves a one-point lead at the break.
Bennison then kicked a penalty of his own to put the Saints in front by a point: but what happened next stunned the home supporters into silence. “I’m disappointed,” the St Helens coach, Paul Wellens, reflected. “There’s a big prize at stake, it’s a Challenge Cup quarter-final, it’s a big derby game and we didn’t quite get it right.”
However, Burgess’s side were simply sensational when it mattered most. They went back ahead when Ashton produced an extraordinary one-handed finish and six minutes later a pinpoint Williams kick was grounded by Wrench to extend the Wolves’ advantage. For the first time in the game, there was a two-score gap and Warrington didn’t stop there.
Harrison barged his way over some tired Saints defence to put the tie beyond doubt before Williams finished an exceptional Matt Dufty break in the dying moments to put the seal on perhaps Burgess and Warrington’s standout performance of 2024 thus far, and move them to the brink of a Wembley final in June.