Briers helps Wolves keep Giants at bay

Warrington 14 Huddersfield 8

Warrington's tenacious defence earned them an overdue second Super League win of the season at the end of a game of mounting tension.

The Wolves spent almost all of the second half defending their line. When Stanley Gene finally got over for the Giants from Chris Nero's pass with 11 minutes to play the pressure was really on, but the Wolves clawed their way to the win.

Lee Briers was denied a 40-20 kick by a touch judge, but Chris Thorman lost the ball on the Giants' possession, Brad Drew was penalised for dissent and Briers' penalty hit the post. Then Paul March was pulled up for not playing the ball correctly, Drew was sent to the sin-bin for back-chat and Briers put over a goal to make the game safe.

"Defensively we were absolutely outstanding, as we had to be," said the Warrington coach, Paul Cullen. "We were a bit irresponsible with the ball, but the determination we showed was remarkable. We've tested ourselves to the limit and we've come through.''

Warrington scored early when Chris Bridge, making an eye-catching debut, supplied a pass for Toa Kohe-Love, and again in the 36th minute when Logan Swann's floated pass allowed Brent Grose to skirt around the Giants' defence.

Huddersfield had a Hefin O'Hare try disallowed and were limited to two goals from Thorman, but dominated after the interval. Gene's break should have set them on their way, but he passed to Warrington's Mark Gleeson rather than either of his own players in support.

Try-saving tackles, notably from Swann and Briers, kept the Giants at bay after that, although they thought they had scored when Drew swooped on to Thorman's kick near the dead ball line.

* The London Broncos moved up to third after a 66-8 demolition of Widnes. Nick Bradley-Qalilawa, Luke Dorn and John Kirkpatrick each scored two tries while Paul Sykes converted nine goals from 12 attempts.

Warrington: Grose; Fa'afili, Martin Gleeson, Kohe-Love, Gaskell; Briers, Bridge; Westwood, Mark Gleeson, Hilton, Swann, Wainwright, Clarke. Substitutes used: Appo, Bracek, Stevens, Lima.

Huddersfield: Reilly; O'Hare, Evans, Gene, St Hilaire; Thorman, March; Jackson, Drew, Gannon, Nero, Smith, Jones. Substitutes used: Slicker, Morrison, Crabtree, White.

Referee: R Laughton (Barnsley).