England centre Tom King, 27, scored a brace on his 150th Warrington Wolves appearance to defeat fellow title challengers Hull KR and go top of the Super League table
Two -try Toby King delivered a regal display as Warrington beat Hull KR 20-8 to move into top spot.
The classy England centre marked his 150th Wolves game in style. His double helped Sam Burgess’ side storm into a 18-0 lead before he helped stave off a second-half Rovers onslaught. Both sides hold hopes of claiming a maiden Super League title this year and each knew victory here would put them into first.
Rovers had beaten champions Wigan and St Helens in their last two outings to show their title credentials. Yet they looked anything but contenders as red-hot Warrington surged 12-0 up inside as many minutes. They targeted KR’s nervous right-edge who looked clueless working out which runners to pick off.
Josh Drinkwater gave space for King, a Grand Final winner with Wigan last year, to exchange passes with Matty Ashton for the opener. When England winger Ashton was sent haring for the line again, the only way desperate Joe Burgess could stop him was with a high tackle. A penalty try was awarded and the hosts could easily have been further ahead.
Ashton dropped a dolly and then Matt Dufty just failed to touch down Ashton’s kick inside after electric King had put him away once more. But King, 27, got his second and sixth of the campaign when Rovers’ defence got easily confused again allowing him to step over on 27 minutes. Josh Thewlis slotted a third conversion but the visitors gave themselves hope with their first chance of note four minutes later.
Kelepi Tanginoa bulldozed over England captain George Williams to offload for dangerous Niall Evalds who put Jack Broadbent in and leave them trailing 18-4 at the break. Rovers, who gave a debut to prop Jack Brown after his move from Hull, got their act together in the second half. They saw a Evalds try ruled out for a Ryan Hall knock-on and Thewlis also needed to be on hand to deny Jez Litten.
But the improving visitors did eventually cross again when Mikey Lewis regathered his ricocheted kick and scampered over on 51 minutes. But the England scrum-half again failed to convert and Wire held on. Rovers badly missed captain Elliot Minchella who missed his first game of the season with a groin issue.
They’ll desperately hope he’s fit for next Saturday’s Challenge Cup semi-final against Wigan. Warrington, who completed a double over Willie Peters’ side, face Huddersfield next Sunday for a place at Wembley.
