Briers gives Warrington a taste of the good life

London 8 Warrington 29

Warrington confirmed early impressions that this could be a much more respectable season in Super League with a confident victory over the Broncos. Lee Briers pulled the strings as the Wolves produced a sound performance which took them, at least for one match, to third in the table – a far cry from last year's protracted battle against relegation.

Two sides who had shown promise in the early weeks of the season made a cagey start at Griffin Park, frequently kicking early in the tackle count to the exclusion of any open, running rugby.

The only points were Tony Martin's offside penalty, although Chris Thorman was held up on the try-line and could have been awarded a penalty for having the ball stripped in a two-man tackle.

The first expansive piece of play in the evening yielded its first try, Lee Briers holding up his pass cleverly to send Sid Domic charging through a gap for a try which Briers converted.

Warrington had a gift of another two points with an offside penalty awarded by Richard Silverwood, but they deservedly extended their lead after 25 minutes when Briers intercepted Forman's pass and Brent Grose, who has looked a highly effective finisher since arriving from South Sydney this winter, was on his shoulder in support.

London had produced little in the way of incisive attack, but they put that right on the half-hour when Thorman threw out a good pass for their recent signing, Andrew King, to touch down on the left.

That try lifted them and they could have had another from some extravagant handling if Jim Dymock's over-arm pass had stuck for Dennis Moran, back in the Broncos' side for the first time this term. Martin did reduce the deficit to six points before half-time with another penalty.

Forward passes wasted two early London second-half chances, and it was Warrington who put points on the board when Ben Westwood cut in from the left to touch down under the sticks. Four minutes later, Briers chipped over the defence, Nat Wood gathered and picked out Ian Sibbit to storm in on the right.

Warrington had to absorb some extra pressure when Wood was sent to the sinbin for tackling a man without the ball. The Broncos wasted a couple of clear chances in his absence.

Warrington rubbed in their superiority with a drop goal from Briers and a spectacular last-minute try from Graham Appo, from Nick Fozzard's off-load.

London: Roy; King, Martin, Jackson, Hall; Thorman, Moran; Stephenson, Budworth, Marshall, Retchless, Toshack, Dymock. Substitutes used: Cox, Haughey, Hamilton, Bawden.

Warrington: Appo; Grose, Sibbit, Westwood, Gaskell; Briers, N Wood; Fozzard, Clarke, Hilton, Burns, Wainwright, Domic. Substitutes used: Gleeson, Guisset, P Wood, Noone.

Referee: R Silverwood (Mirfield).