Warrington 22-22 Catalans: Wolves and Dragons play out stunning Super League draw
Last Updated: 12/07/18 11:08pm
Warrington and Catalans Dragons fought out a 22-22 draw in a thrilling Super League encounter at the Halliwell Jones Stadium on Thursday.
In torrential rain for the majority of the game, both sides scored three tries but it was the boots of respective scrum-halves Tyrone Roberts and Josh Drinkwater which proved decisive.
Both landed five conversions - but both were also wide of the target with late drop-goal attempts in a frantic finale, while Josh Charnley's last-gasp effort three minutes from time was ruled out by the video referee for a knock on.
Warrington's tries came from Charnley, Bryson Goodwin and Harvey Livett, while the Dragons replied with tries by Tony Gigot, Michael Mcllorum and Benjamin Jullien.
The Wolves made two changes from the side that suffered a 13-12 defeat at Wigan with Livett and Bem Pomeroy coming in for Mitch Brown and Dom Crosby, while the Dragons named the same 17 that won 35-18 at Wakefield.
It was the Dragons who were quick out of the blocks and were ahead after just four minutes when, straight from a scrum 20 metres out from the Warrington line, Samisoni Langi and Gigot combined to send Jullien over for the opening try which Drinkwater converted.
After that early setback, the Wolves gradually worked their way into the game and were rewarded with their first try on 15 minutes when Goodwin touched down Kevin Brown's grubber kick. Roberts converted to level matters at 6-6.
A Drinkwater penalty edged the visitors two points ahead before the Wolves struck with two tries in four minutes.
Firstly, a superb Ratchford break saw the full-back send Charnley clear down the wing to score.
That was quickly followed by more good work by Ratchford, who kicked ahead on the last tackle as the Wolves kept the ball alive.
Livett won the race to touch down and with Roberts adding a further conversion the Wolves looked to have wrestled control of the game at 16-8.
But an error straight from the kick-off when Joe Philbin dropped Tom Lineham's pass gifted possession back to the visitors and they took full advantage when Mcllorum crashed over from close range.
Drinkwater kicked his third goal to cut the lead to two points at 16-14.
A Roberts penalty edged the Wolves four points clear before three minutes before half-time, Drinkwater's kick was touched down by Gigot and Drinkwater again goaled to give the French side a 20-18 advantage at the break.
Roberts booted over two early second-half penalties to edge Warrington back in front at 22-20 with torrential rain turning the game into something of a war of attrition in the difficult conditions.
On 58 minutes, an outstanding piece of defensive work by Goodwin - sprinting back to ground the ball in-goal under the challenge of two Dragons players - ensured Warrington remained in the lead and saw a try decision on the field for Catalans overturned by the video referee.
Catalans were reduced to 12 men with 12 minutes remaining when Michael Simon was sin-binned after a flare up with Charnley, but Warrington failed to make their extra man tell and it was the Catalans and Drinkwater who kept his nerve to land a penalty and level it up again at 22-22 with 10 minutes remaining.
In a busy finale, Roberts, Drinkwater and Charnley all fired drop goal attempts wide while the latter's late effort was ruled out by the video referee for a knock on.
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