WARRINGTON Wolves’ win at Hull FC on Friday gave a taste of the intensity Super League chiefs were hoping for from the new format.

It doesn’t come much more intense than having to hold on to a one-point lead in front of nearly 12,000 Hull fans for the final quarter.

But Tony Smith’s side did, just, with a gritty, well-organised defence having their limits pushed and holding firm.

That the Black and Whites' only score came from a perfectly executed Marc Sneyd chip kick pleased Smith and Wolves, who barely missed a tackle.

While Friday night’s showdown was a reminder of what winter rugby league looks like, rather than an advert for the expansive football fans hope to see in the World Club Series, it was gripping all the same.

Ryan Atkins being hauled down by Hull winger Tom Lineham, who had earlier rolled over from Sneyd’s kick, kept the margins fine despite the Wolves centre appearing odds on to score.

Wolves then breathed a sigh of relief when Sneyd, with an otherwise impressive kicking game, misjudged a drop goal attempt.

Early on it had been new signing Ashton Sims who got the 200 or so Warrington fans off their seats at the KC Stadium.

But no matter how far the Fiji captain crashed off individual tacklers there were two or three waiting.

Rather than the trademark guile and power of Sims, Chris Hill and Ben Westwood, it was the finesse in Wolves’ ranks that eventually made the difference.

Lee Radford’s side continued, for the most part, to show the defence that nilled Huddersfield Giants a week previous.

The Hull head coach will therefore be disappointed Clark was able to slip through in front of the posts, but that should take nothing away from the young Man of Steel’s individual effort.

The 21-year-old’s quick feet took him beyond any would-be tacklers, eluding some last-ditch Black and Whites grasps to scamper home from 30 metres.

An opening Wolves score only intensified the hostile atmosphere in a cauldron-like KC, but a low error and penalty count saw the sides give little away.

So, it would prove, Gareth O’Brien’s expertly taken drop goal from a mammoth 40 metres was the decisive difference on the half time hooter.

INTERESTING NOTES

Lowest points scored in a Warrington win since a 6-2 victory at Wigan in 1988

Lowest aggregate score in a Warrington win since the 8-3 against Oldham in 1992

Daryl Clark scored his first Wolves try and made his 100th senior rugby league appearance

Warrington made it eight games unbeaten at the KC Stadium against Hull FC, their last defeat there was in 2007

Chris Hill completed a century of appearances for Warrington

MATCH FACTS

Friday, February 13, Super League Round Two

Hull FC...6 Warrington Wolves...7

Hull FC: Jamie Shaul; Tom Lineham, Richard Whiting, Kirk Yeaman, Steve Michaels; Leon Pryce, Marc Sneyd; Mickey Paea, Danny Houghton, Liam Watts, Dean Hadley, Mark Minichiello, Joel Westerman. Subs: Chris Green, Josh Bowden, Jordan Thompson, James Cunningham.

Wolves: Stefan Ratchford; Rhys Evans, Joel Monaghan, Ryan Atkins, Kevin Penny; Gareth O’Brien, Richie Myler; Chris Hill, Daryl Clark, Ashton Sims, James Laithwaite, Ben Currie, Ben Westwood. Subs: Ben Harrison, Micky Higham, Ben Evans, Gary Wheeler.

Scoring: Clark try, 25mins, O’Brien conversion, 0-6; O’Brien drop goal, 40mins, 0-7; Lineham try, 64mins, Sneyd conversion, 6-7.

Referee: Phil Bentham

Sin binned: none

Penalties: Hull FC 3 Wolves 5

Attendance: 12,000

Top Man: Ben Currie

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