Warrington Wolves claimed their first win under new head coach Sam Burgess as they saw off the challenge of 12-man Hull FC. Danny Walker and Lewis Martin had exchanged tries, before Fa’amanu Brown was sent off just before the break for a high tackle on Ben Currie. With a man extra, the result was not in doubt as the Wolves ran in five second-half scores to make sure of their first points off the campaign.
Despite a Jack Walker try, it was a second consecutive loss for Hull. Burgess has been brought in at Halliwell Jones Stadium to try to instil the winning mentality he had as a player on a club that has been the bridesmaids of the Super League era. Life under the former dual-code England player began with a narrow defeat at last year’s runners-up Catalans Dragons, but expectation was high before taking on their depleted visitors.
When Walker went over from dummy half for the first try, there was a feeling it would be the first of many. But Hull, shorn of a raft of players through injury and suspension and off the back of a dispiriting home derby loss to Hull KR, grew into the game, and in confidence. Only a desperate tackle from Josh Thewlis held up Liam Sutcliffe, before nice work from full-back Jack Walker allowed teenage wing Martin to score his team’s first points of the 2024 season.
However, the decisive moment of the game came three minutes before half-time when Wolves loose-forward Currie had to leave the field with a cut to the head. After a review of the incident, Brown was sent off for coming in with what was deemed “forceful and dangerous” play by referee Marcus Griffiths in an application of the game’s new rules to try to reduce head contacts. It was a third red card in two games for Hull and effectively decided the outcome.
A penalty try was then awarded shortly after the interval when Tex Hoy’s high tackle on Matty Ashton stopped the winger from scoring. Jack Walker’s try reduced the gap to four points, but Warrington pulled away in the last quarter of the game. Sam Powell scored his first try following his switch from Wigan Warriors, while Toby King, James Harrison and Connor Wrench also touched down. Burgess knows Warrington will have harde
