Warrington Hold Off York To Maintain 100% Start

6 March 2026


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York (18) 30


Tries: Jones-Bishop, Balmforth, Mata'afa, Vaughan, Harris Goals: Richardson 5


Warrington (22) 38


Tries: Stone 2, Thewlis 2, Taylor-Wray, Williams, Currie Goals: Sneyd 5


Warrington Wolves maintained their 100% start to the Super League season by holding back a spirited York Knights side in an electric high-scoring encounter.


The 30-38 scoreline included 12 attempts shared between the sides, with a manic 40-point very first half.


Josh Thewlis and Sam Stone perhaps made the difference for the visitors, contributing a pair of attempts each.


There was a special moment for Ben Currie too, who scored his 100th shot for Warrington in the second half.


The Wolves moved level with Wigan Warriors at the top of the table on six points, with York in ninth having won two out of their four video games up until now.


With a quarter of an hour on the clock, it looked as though the very first Super League meeting in between these two sides would be an extremely one-sided affair.


Stone, Thewlis and the outstanding Cai Taylor-Wray offered the visitors the perfect start with three fast scores, as the Wolves twice barged through the home defence either side of Taylor-Wray collecting a neat pass to discuss in the corner.


Fifteen minutes later, Warrington, exceptionally, discovered themselves behind following a storming resurgence from the home side.


Ben Jones-Bishop got the Knights on the board, before Denive Balmforth discussed following clever hands from full-back Tom Mata'afa, who scored a shot of his own minutes later to finish the turn-around.


The lead altered hands once again minutes later, Stone scoring his 2nd shot to send the Wolves in 22-18 at the break.


The second half mirrored the very first, as the hosts came out of the traps slower than their more experienced Super League opponents. George Williams crossed to score before Currie raised his century of shots for Warrington, from under the posts.


Still the hosts contradicted defeat, as Paul Vaughan, versus his former side, and Liam Harris declared attempts to bring the within 2 points of their challengers.


Thewlis went over again with 10 minutes to go, and Marc Sneyd converted the bonus as the Wolves saw out triumph.


They return to action at Goole Vikings in the Challenge Cup on Saturday, 14 March, while York face Keighley Cougars in the very same competitors.


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'We anticipate much better from ourselves' - response


York head coach Mark Applegarth told BBC Radio York:


"Fair play to Warrington, congratulations to them. They started really strong in both halves and we got captured.


"I was actually proud of the spirit we showed and how we got back into it, but there were some important lessons for us in all of that.


"If you score 30 points in a game, that ought to be enough to win it, but I believed we left some soft checks out there.


"I thought we looked great on the front foot, however the momentum shifts at this level are enormous, and these teams can publish some big scores quite quickly.


"We're not here to be pleased losers so it does sting a bit that we got ourselves back into the game and let it avoid us again. We expect better from ourselves."


York: Mata'afa; Jones-Bishop, Wood, Williams, Nofoaluma; Richardson, Harris; Martin, McShane, Vaughan, Field, Dee, Thompson.


Interchanges: Griffin, Balmforth, Va'a, Sangare.


Warrington: Taylor-Wray; Thewlis, King, Hopoate, Smith; Williams, Sneyd; Yates, Walker, Byrne, Harrison, Stone, Currie.


Interchanges: Powell, Sipley, Philbin, Tanginoa.