A SPIRITED Warrington Wolves display was not enough to overcome NRL outfit St George Illawarra Dragons at The Halliwell Jones Stadium in the World Club Series opener.

The sides traded first-half tries through Tyson Frizell and Gareth O’Brien, before Joel Thompson crossed and Ryan Atkins replied.

O’Brien levelled things up with a penalty in the second half, but Josh Dugan crossed shortly after.

Wolves’ hopes of putting Super League off to a winning World Club Series start looked bleak when within two minutes Benji Marshall’s pass put Frizell in the corner and Widdop converted.

It came after former St George man Ashton Sims knocked on in the tackle close to his own line, handing possession to the visitors.

Wolves regained their composure and, with a strong crowd behind them, began to find some confidence with ball in hand.

O’Brien moved the ball on to Richie Myler and he looked to have executed a perfectly waited chip for Monaghan.

The onrushing winger gathered well, but had to check his stride and it allowed the scrambling St George defence to recover on their own line.

O’Brien pinned several high bombs in succession on Josh Dugan, but the talented full back gathered well under pressure.

But it was O’Brien’s skill with ball in hand that pulled Wolves level.

The half back, who looked to be heading to Bradford Bulls last season, broke the Dragons line before selling State of Origin full back Dugan with a dummy – aimed at the supporting Myler – and darting home besides the post himself.

The Warrington Academy graduate knocked the extras over himself.

What was billed as a tight encounter certainly did not start in that fashion, and Dragons were over again in the 19th minute.

Myler knocked on from dummy half and the NRL outfit took full advantage when Widdop found space to thread a grubber into Thompson’s path and he beat Monaghan to touch down.

Ben Thaler went to the video, but the try was given and Widdop converted for the visitors.

Ben Harrison, who replaced Sims, made good ground on several occasions but Wolves were facing a solid Dragons defence.

Then The Halliwell Jones Stadium was sparked into life, Eto Nabuli with a high tackle caught Penny and the fans voiced their displeasure at the treatment of the hometown hero.

It handed the hosts their first penalty half an hour in, and they boys in primrose and blue worked it left for Atkins to spin in a tackle and touch down.

O’Brien pulled the kick wide.

Nabuli looked to break free down the left flank for Dragons two minutes later with the visitors outnumbering Wolves wide, but it was Penny who recovered to stop the winger.

With less than two minutes of the half remaining, Myler put a deep cross-field kick which looked to have pinballed its way into Rhys Evans’ path, but he was hauled back – without the ball – by Jason Nightingale.

The decision went to the video referee, but no try was the call and Dragons held out.

They would continue to do, slowing the play-the-ball down at every opportunity as Wolves looked to release with urgency.

St George pinned Penny over his own line early on in the second period after a deep kick from Marshall was not dealt with by Evans.

And the visitors were nearly in moments later, when after a reverse pass from Widdop went loose it unintentionally created a gap for Dugan, who was help up by Evans with help from Harrison.

Marshall kicked again on the last tackle eight minutes into the half, but Wolves able to stop the Dragons crossing in the corner.

Seconds later and Bennie Westwood had the crowd up again, putting a big hit on Trent Merrin and then Dylan Farrell as Wolves recovered the ball.

With 15 minutes of the second half played Penny looked to jink his way through the middle, and when he was stopped it was moved back to O’Brien to put a bomb into Dragons territory.

Nabuli caught it and was hauled down behind his try line and from the drop out Westwood almost broke through.

But it was a high tackle from Marshall on O’Brien that allowed Wolves to pull level, the half back making no mistake 20 metres out with the boot.

Dragons’ reply was almost instant, Dugan the scorer after Mitch Rein had broken the Wolves line.

New Zealand international Marshall’s reverse kick was almost gather by Clark, but the Warrington replacement fumbled and Dugan pounced to score. Widdop converted.

With seven minutes remaining O’Brien sent a high diagonal kick out towards Monaghan and for the first time Thaler pulled up the Australian outfit for impeding the skipper.

From the penalty, Clark and then Micky Higham were held up. But the ball was span wide from Myler to Bridge and on to Monaghan, who juggled with it before spilling in the tackle a metre from the line.

As St George gained territory, the impressive Marshall attempted a long distance drop goal to put the visitors beyond a converted try of Warrington, but his effort fell wide.

Then another Marshall kick looked to be going deep, so thought Wheeler, as Nightingale came flying in and Thaler went to the vide – the crowd were not surprised to no try awarded.

But that decision would have no say in the outcome, as St George held on to the final hooter.