Warrington show their cutting edge to maintain pressure on leaders

Warrington's potent three-quarter line again found themselves among the tries but their coach, Tony Smith, says they will become even more fluent as the season unfolds. The left-wing partnership of Chris Riley and Ryan Atkins shared five tries as the Wolves' superior cutting edge proved the difference between the two sides. "There is some good rugby league being played but it's learning when to push the last pass and when not to," Smith said. "We still get a bit excited and still have more to come. But I'm pleased with the way we're approaching the game." Smith's decision to reshuffle his backline over the last two weeks, switching Matt King from the left to the right, does not appear to have caused much disruption and they will be boosted further over Easter with the return of their talisman Lee Briers. Riley scored the first of his eventual hat-trick after three minutes and, though Wakefield had at least an equal share of possession and territory in an entertaining first half, they found themselves 22-10 behind due mainly to the Wolves' superior finishing. Riley scored again before the break, along with the excellent Chris Bridge and Atkins, with Wakefield staying in touch through Aaron Murphy and Michael Korkidas. But it was Riley and Atkins who took the game away from Wakefield in the opening 10 minutes of the second half. Both scored opportunist close-range tries in the left-hand corner, with Bridge adding one touchline conversion. Sam Obst scored a late consolation for the Wildcats. "I thought Warrington were very good and have become most un-Warrington-like," the Wakefield coach, John Kear, said. "They give very little away, physically they are very tough indeed and Tony Smith has really changed the culture off the field, which is being reflected on the field." Warrington Wolves : Mathers; Hicks, King, Atkins, Riley; Grix, Myler; Morley, Monaghan, Carvell, L Anderson, Westwood, Bridge Interchange : Wood, Solomona, Higham, Harrison Tries : Riley 3, Bridge, Atkins 2 Goals : Bridge 4 Wakefield Trinity Wildcats : Blaymire; Blanch, Gleeson, Millard, Murphy; Cooke, Obst; Tronc, Leo-Latu, Moore, Ferguson, Demetriou, Morrison Interchange : Korkidas, Gledhill, Henderson, Kirmond Tries : Murphy, Korkidas, Obst Goals : Cooke 2 Referee : P Bentham