Super League: Warrington Wolves 36-10 Hull FC - Wolves get first win under Sam Burgess

Warrington Wolves claimed their first win under new head coach Sam Burgess as they saw off the challenge of 12-man Hull FC.

Danny Walker and Lewis Martin had exchanged tries, before Fa'amanu Brown was sent off just before the break for a high tackle on Ben Currie.

With a man extra, the result was not in doubt as the Wolves ran in five second-half scores to make sure of their first points of the campaign.

Despite a Jack Walker try, it was a second consecutive loss for Hull.

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Burgess has been brought in at Halliwell Jones Stadium to try to instil the winning mentality he had as a player on a club that has been the bridesmaids of the Super League era.

Life under the former dual-code England player began with a narrow defeat at last year's runners-up Catalans Dragons, but expectation was high before taking on their depleted visitors.

When Walker went over from dummy half for the first try, there was a feeling it would be the first of many.

But Hull, shorn of a raft of players through injury and suspension and off the back of a dispiriting home derby loss to Hull KR, grew into the game, and in confidence.

Only a desperate tackle from Josh Thewlis held up Liam Sutcliffe, before nice work from full-back Jack Walker allowed teenage wing Martin to score his team's first points of the 2024 season.

However, the decisive moment of the game came three minutes before half-time when Wolves loose-forward Currie had to leave the field with a cut to the head.

After a review of the incident, Brown was sent off for coming in with what was deemed "forceful and dangerous" play by referee Marcus Griffiths in an application of the game's new rules to try to reduce head contacts.

It was a third red card in two games for Hull and effectively decided the outcome.

A penalty try was then awarded shortly after the interval when Tex Hoy's high tackle on Matty Ashton stopped the winger from scoring.

Jack Walker's try reduced the gap to four points, but Warrington pulled away in the last quarter of the game.

Sam Powell scored his first try following his switch from Wigan Warriors, while Toby King, James Harrison and Connor Wrench also touched down.

Burgess knows Warrington will have harder tests, while opposite number Tony Smith will be targeting a first win of the campaign when the Airlie Birds welcome newly promoted London Broncos in their next match.

Warrington Wolves head coach Sam Burgess told BBC Radio Merseyside:

"I wouldn't say it was the prettiest game ever, but we got the job done. It was tough conditions and there was some controversy, but we were much better than last week.

"We stuck at it for longer periods and we managed attacking against 12 much better, and I was proud of that.

"I'm a new coach with a new team and it's round two and I've not shied away from saying that I am here to gradually improve us - and that's why I'm happy."

Hull FC head coach Tony Smith told BBC Radio Humberside:

"There is talk about head-on-head contact this year and we got shown an incident 24 hours before the competition and we, as coaches, were all gobsmacked.

"We've all been working hard on players to lower their contact points with their arms and shoulders, but some of them have been doing this for 20 years.

"It's hard for them to make an adjustment over a pre-season. We're doing our best but we're not going to get it all right, but I'm not sure they [referees] are either."

Warrington: Dufty; Thewlis, King, Wrench, Ashton; Hayes, Drinkwater; Harrison, D. Walker, Vaughan, Holroyd, Fitzgibbon, Currie.

Interchanges: Philbin, Musgrove, Powell, Wood.

Sin-bin: Powell (66)

Hull FC: J. Walker; Barron, McIntosh, Sutcliffe, Martin; Hoy, Smith; Ashworth, F Brown, J Brown, Okunbor, Staveley, Lane.

Interchanges: Balmforth, Gardiner, Litten, Severs.

Sent-off: F Brown (37)

Referee: Marcus Griffiths.

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