Victory is Evans-sent for rampant Warrington
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Your support makes all the difference.Warrington moved up to third in Super League with an attacking display that was sparked by an 18-year-old, Rhys Evans. The blond Welsh centre was instrumental in the Wolves taking a first-half lead they were never to lose, scoring a try and setting one up.
"I'm not surprised because we've been a bit excited about him for some time," said the Warrington coach, Tony Smith. "If he suffers from nerves he doesn't show it.He's a very confident young man, without being cocky."
The downside for Warrington was that their inspirational captain, Adrian Morley, spent the last hour off the field after taking a blow to the knee. The likes of Paul Wood and Ben Westwood ensured that he was hardly missed, though.
The first half provided 40 minutes of ebb and flow. Warrington fell behind to the first Leeds attack, when they were opened up by Kevin Sinfield and Lee Smith for Kallum Watkins to score. When Sinfield kicked a second goal it looked like it might be a tricky evening for the Wolves. But after Ali Lauitiiti knocked on from the restart, they hardly looked back. Evans was the man to capitalise on the error, taking Brett Hodgson's pass and producing some educated footwork to get between three tacklers and touch down.
Lee Briers scored the second try from the sort of interception he has turned into an art form over the years, before Evans engineered a try of outstanding quality. He released Chris Riley with a perfectly timed pass, took the return and sent Richie Myler in for another four points. Evans then snaffled a loose ball and from that possession Michael Monaghan kicked for the corner for Riley to score.
The second half started in the same vein, Ben Cross losing the ball in the tackle and Simon Grix cashing in. Matty Blyth then stood in the tackle to allow Briers to set up a try for Joel Monaghan. Leeds started a revival of sorts with Brent Webb's try and Ryan Hall did his bit with a brace, but in between Mickey Higham burrowed through for Warrington's seventh. Forty points against Leeds is never a bad effort.
Leeds's coach, Brian McDermott, detected a better attitude in defence than in their defeat by Harlequins, but said: "It's still not good enough."
Wigan have remained tight-lipped over Martin Gleeson, the former Warrington, St Helens and Great Britain centre who is understood to have been sacked for disciplinary reasons.
Warrington: Hodgson; Riley, Blythe, Evans, J Monaghan; Briers, Myler; Morley, M Monaghan, Carvell, Westwood, Solomona, Harrison. Substitutes used: Wood, Clarke, Grix, Higham.
Leeds: Webb; Smith, Watkins, Senior, Hall; Sinfield, Burrow; Burgess, Buderus, Jones-Buchanan, Lauitiiti, Hauraki, Ablett. Substitutes used: Jones-Bishop, Cross, Clarkson, Kirke.
Referee: S Ganson (St Helens).
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