Rugby League: Warrington's defiance not enough to stop Broncos

Warrington Wolves 18 London Broncos 38

A turbulent week at Warrington ended with their second defeat of the new Super League season, but they at least showed some fight before going down to an impressive London side, writes Dave Hadfield.

The Broncos took advantage of Warrington's current disarray as early as the ninth minute when Peter Gill did astonishingly well to keep the ball alive as he was tackled into touch and thus served up the opening try for Paul Smith.

Warrington's midweek clear-out meant a first team debut for two teenagers, John Duffy and Carl Roden, and they showed both youthful enthusiasm and skill.

The dominant figure of the game though, was London's scrum-half, Josh White. Perhaps inspired by the knowledge that Shaun Edwards could be after his jersey within the next few days, White produced his best rugby since coming to England, scoring a try from the base of the scrum and then having a hand in both claimed in quick succession by Scott Roskell.

Martin Offiah may have arrived by helicopter after collecting his MBE at Buckingham Palace but he was outshone by both Roskell and Warrington's Richard Henare, whose own pair of tries kept Warrington just about in touch at half-time.

Toa Kohe-Love further improved their position immediately after the break, taking Salesi Finau's pass and side-stepping his way through.

Warrington were certainly showing a spirit and a willingness that had been missing at Bradford last week, but their hopes were effectively snuffed out when their defence made the mistake of stopping when they thought they saw a knock-on, leaving David Krause to stroll in.

Further defensive naivete allowed Krause to go in again in the 64th minute, as London's greater organisation began to tell.

Henare completed his hat-trick with an opportunistic try after a scramble on the right.

Warrington - in particular Henare and the 16-year-old Duffy who had an admirable game - were capable of defiance, even if Gill rounded off a convincing Broncos display with a last-minute touchdown.

Warrington: Vagana; Forster, Kohe-Love, Roper, Henare; Shelford, Duffy; Mead, Roden, Chambers, Holden, Tatupu, Hulme. Substitutes used: Rudd, Currier, Finau, Mann.

London Broncos: Barwick; Roskell, Smith, Krause, Offiah; Tollett, White; Bawden, Beazley, Mestrov, Gill, Rosolen, Matterson. Substitutes used: Dunford, Best, Spencer, Maguire.

Referee: J Connolly (Wigan).