While most of the Super League attention has been focussed on the shenanigans at bottom of the table, the runaway top two sides had an encounter at a sweltering Halliwell-Jones Stadium as the Warrington Wolves welcomed St Helens for the match of the round.
A win was crucial for Warrington if they were to keep hold of any outside hopes of a minor premiership as it would get them within four points of the Red Vee. A loss would almost guarantee a Saints side, who have only lost twice in 2019, the top spot as they would then be eight points clear.
The Wolves had Tom Lineham back in their side after a three game suspension and the home fans flooded into the packed ground hoping for better outcome than the 38-12 loss that they suffered back in April at the Totally Wicked Stadium.
Two minutes into the game a long stoppage ended with Aaron Smith being stretchered from the field after a heavy colllision with Sitaleki Akauola.
Eight minutes in Regan Grace had a try ruled out for foot in touch. On fourteen a Declan Patton penalty from twenty metres after Saints were penalised for not being square at the play-the-ball. Three minutes later Patton added a second short-range penalty for a 4-0 lead.
Some tremendous Warrington defence kept a concerted Saints attack at bay and despite being behind on both possession and field position it was the home side who guarded their 4-0 lead until the half time hooter.
The first points of the second half again came from the boot of Patton after some backchat to the referee Ben Thaler.
A sloppy shoulder charge tackle from Jack Hughes on Tommy Makinson saw the Wolves player sin-binned and his side down to twelve men for ten minutes.
Saints went in for the first try of the game on the hour mark thanks to Mark Percival who was on hand to take a Theo Fages pass and duck inside the Warrington defenders to dive over, triggering the boos of the home support who believed that the final pass was forward. Lachlan Coote converted brilliantly from wide to level the scores.
Luke Thompson was the beneficiary after Jake Mamo failed to field a kicked ball spilling it forwards into the grateful hands of the Saints prop forward who weaved his way through a broken Warrington defence to score. Patton added the extras on seventy-two, the visitors now in the box seat.
A Coote drop goal on seventy-four took Saints two tries clear but from the restart Jake Mamo picked up a bouncing ball and went fifty metres to make amends for his mistake seconds earlier. Patton missed the conversion and with four minutes left on the clock the Wolves were three points behind.
Alex Walmsley sealed the win on seventy-six when he went straight down the middle and crashed over under the sticks. Coote added the conversion for 19-10, the two points heading to St Helens, and the Minor Premiership now within their grasp.
A high tackle by Patton on Fages in the dying seconds gave Coote his fourth goal of the night to seal a 21-10 win.
This was a humdinger of a game with plenty of passion on the pitch and in the stands. Played in sweltering condition, and a sensational speed, the two sides served up an intense encounter which stalemated for the first hour and then opened up in the last twenty. Saints now eight points clear at the top but Warrington still comfortable in second.
Wolves: Mamo (T), Lineham, Goodwin, King, Charnley, Austin, Patton (3G), Hill, Clark D, Cooper, Currie, Hughes (SB on 54), Akauola. Subs: Davis, Clark J, Philbin, Tasi.
Saints: Coote (4G, DG), Grace, Percival (T), Naiqama, Makinson, Lomax, Fages, Walmsley (T), Smith, Thompson (T), Peyroux, Knowles, McCarthy-Scarsbrook. Subs: Lees, Paulo, Amor, Bentley
Referee: Ben Thaler.
Half-Time: 4-0.
Full-Time: 10-21.
Attendance: .
