Wildcats bow down to King

Warrington Wolves returned to winning ways in the engage Super League with a 36-18 victory over Wakefield Wildcats on Sunday afternoon.

The Wolves, who had lost their two previous league fixtures before last week's Challenge Cup semi-final victory over Catalans, moved up to second in the table with a comfortable win at Belle Vue.

Tony Smith's men ran in seven tries in West Yorkshire, of which Matt King scored three, as Wakefield crashed to their 16th defeat of the season.

Chris Kicks, Chris Riley, Matty Blythe and Lee Briers also crossed for the visitors, who leapfrogged St Helens into second place courtesy of a better points difference.

The defeat, Wakefield's fourth on the bounce, all-but ends their faint hopes of clinching a play-off place.

Different class

It was a bitterly disappointing afternoon for veteran Wildcats forward Jason Demetriou, who made his final home appearance for the club after six years at Belle Vue.

The 35-year-old Australian will leave at the end of the season after not being offered a new deal, and Samoan hooker Tevita Leo-Latu also bade farewell to the home fans ahead of a move to Salford.

Warrington were in a different class to their hosts and claimed the first of their seven scores in the sixth minute with a well-worked try.

Briers, who typically emerged as the visitors' creative fulcrum at stand-off, flighted a high kick into the right corner where the unmarked Hicks touched down with ease.

Wakefield's initial response was impressive as Demetriou and fellow second-rower Glenn Morrison punched some sizeable holes in the Wolves' defence. Yet the Wildcats were hit by a vicious sucker-punch which gave Warrington their second try in the 16th minute.

England prop Adrian Morley produced a delightful offload out of a tackle to spark a brilliant move which ripped Wakefield apart and culminated in Riley sending King clear down the left channel.

Former Wakefield forward Ben Westwood could not convert either score and was errant with the boot again after his side claimed their third try in the 23rd minute.

Warrington's passing was too much for the hosts as the ball was worked through several players before former Wildcats centre Ryan Atkins ushered King over in the left corner.

The visitors' fourth score arrived in the 32nd minute when more slick handling ended with Briers' intelligent short pass sending Riley over from close range.

Brute strength

Westwood finally converted his first goal at the fourth attempt, yet there were still bursts of life from the home side.

On the stroke of half-time they were handed a lifeline when scrum-half Ben Jeffries showed impressive pace to escape a clutch of Warrington players and cross in the right corner.

Jeffries converted to cut the visitors' lead to 10 points but Warrington claimed their fifth try within a minute of the restart as Blythe's pace took him clear inside the right channel.

Seven minutes later, King showed brute strength to burrow over from close range for his hat-trick try and Westwood added his third conversion.

Wakefield hit back when Morrison went over but Jeffries could not convert and three minutes later Warrington had their seventh try when Briers intercepted Sam Obst's wayward pass to sprint clear from inside his own half.

Briers converted the try himself and although Wakefield responded in the 70th minute when Leo-Latu collected a pass from Jeffries to touch down, they had long since surrendered the points.