St Helens risk wrath of McManus after flopping against Warrington

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/may/18/warrington-wolves-st-helens

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St Helens are in danger of earning another stinging, history-referenced rebuke from their chairman Eamonn McManus following this latest failure to perform on the big stage. Following last month's Challenge Cup exit at Leeds and two defeats over Easter, McManus used an analogy of the British navy at the beginning of the 20th century, which was accused of replacing iron men in wooden ships with wooden men in iron ships.

His players might want to avoid his programme notes for Friday's home game with in-form Huddersfield, after they conceded eight tries to an impressive Warrington. Saints' club captain, Paul Wellens, described the performance as "embarrassing" in a television interview after the game and the coach, Nathan Brown, added that the problem is a deep-rooted one.

"I'm definitely disappointed," Brown said. "We had a chance to go top of the table, which halfway through the season would be seen as a good achievement. Unfortunately, we weren't good enough. "I told the players at half-time what I honestly think we need to beat a Wigan, Leeds or Warrington in a big game. But I won't say it publicly. I don't think it's a coincidence that Wigan have dominated St Helens for the last four years, let me just say that."

Brown's side wasted a host of scoring opportunities, but it is their defence that provides most cause for concern. A brief second-half comeback could not mask those deficiencies and the optimism that surrounded the club after they won their opening nine games is ebbing away.

For Warrington, the opposite is true. They have struggled for consistency throughout the campaign to date but here they looked much more like their old selves and a side who are finally coming to terms with the retirement of the talisman Lee Briers at the end of last season. The margin of victory could have been even wider but for four missed conversions by Chris Bridge, who was otherwise prominent alongside the game's best player, Stefan Ratchford, at half-back.

"I don't see it as a defining performance," their coach, Tony Smith, said. "I think we'll have some good days and some bad days again but today was a good day. We probably out-enthused our opponents in the first half."

Smith's side established an 18-point lead with four unanswered tries in the first half hour. Michael Monaghan sent Gene Ormsby over with a smart cut-out pass before Trent Waterhouse offloaded for Rhys Evans to touch down in the opposite corner.

Saints were struggling to get out of their own half and fell further behind when Chris Hill brushed off Luke Walsh and stepped round the full-back Jonny Lomax for a third Wolves try. It was four soon after, as Chris Bridge's kick ricocheted fortuitously for Ratchford to send Evans over again.

St Helens gradually began to establish a foothold in the game and closed the gap to 12 points by half-time, although not before wasting a host of scoring opportunities.

Breaks from Jon Wilkin and Jordan Turner both came to nothing after wayward passes, before Walsh split the Warrington defence again and kicked ahead. Ormsby was first to the ball but then had it stolen by Lomax and was sin-binned for holding the St Helens man down too long.

Even against 12 men Saints continued to be wasteful, with Lance Hohaia's ambitious long pass to Matty Dawson drifting forward. But they did eventually find their way over the try line when Walsh sent the prop Alex Walmsley under the posts from close range.

The trend continued early in the second half when Hohaia broke clear only to see his pass go to ground. Less than a minute later Warrington made no such mistake, as Ryan Atkins released Evans down the left before supporting on the inside to score.

Joel Monaghan forced his way over after smart build-up work from Ratchford and when the stand-off released Matty Russell from inside his own half, the Scotland international had enough pace to beat the chasing pack to the line.

Bridge's conversion made it 36-6 and Saints were in danger of receiving a real hammering. To their credit they did muster a spirited response, scoring three converted tries in the space of 13 minutes to be within just two scores.

With Walsh and the substitute Paul Wellens influential, Turner, Hohaia and Matty Dawson crossed in quick succession. But a Ratchford drop goal halted their momentum, and Saints' forgettable afternoon was summed up perfectly by Joel Monaghan's late interception try.

Warrington Russell; R Evans, J Monaghan, Atkins, Ormsby; Bridge, Ratchford; Hill, M Monaghan, England, Waterhouse, Westwood, Harrison. Interchange Higham, Asotasi, Laithwaite, B Evans

Tries Ormsby, R Evans 2, Hill, Atkins, J Monaghan 2, Russell

Goals Bridge 4. Drop goal Ratchford

St Helens Lomax; Makinson, Turner, Jones, Dawson; Hohaia, Walsh; Walmsley, Roby, Walker, Wilkin, Greenwood, McCarthy-Scarsbrook. Interchange Thompson, Masoe, Soliola, Wellens.

Tries Walmsley, Turner, Hohaia, Dawson. Goals Walsh 4

Referee P Bentham (Warrington)