Matty Ashton’s hat-trick sent Warrington through to the Betfred Super League semi-finals with a 35-12 win over Hull KR that brought an end to the Robins’ brief reign at the top of the domestic sport.
The sending-off of Rovers centre Peta Hiku for throwing a punch two minutes into the second half effectively ended the defending champions’ hopes despite a rousing response in which they temporarily reduced their deficit to two points.
Ashton’s surging run and a subsequent effort from Albert Hopoate saw Sam Burgess’s men cruise away for a win that sets up a last four trip to Leeds next Friday.
Meanwhile defeat signals the end of Willie Peters’ glittering reign as Rovers coach, as the 47-year-old prepares to head to the NRL and take charge of the new PNG Chiefs franchise next year.
Seldom this season have Rovers looked capable of repeating any part of last year’s quadruple-winning heroics, having limped back into the play-offs in sixth place which forced them to head to the Halliwell Jones Stadium in the knockout rounds.
They did manage to summon one of the outstanding tries of the season through Joe Burgess in the first half, but Wire still had time to hit back and preserve a hard-earned lead at the interval.
The hosts were the better team from the start and looked to be cruising after Ben Currie’s early opener which was bolstered by two kicks from Ewan Irwin to ease them into an eight-point lead.
But five minutes before the break Rovers reduced the deficit to two points out of nothing when Arthur Mourgue burst to the halfway line before off-loading to Burgess who proceeded to rip the Warrington defence to shreds.
Rovers’ flicker of momentum was snuffed out almost immediately when Kelepi Tanginoa broke through their ranks and fed Ashton who touched down for his first try of the night.
The swift exchange of tries appeared to ignite the contest but the visitors’ hopes of a comeback looked to have been extinguished by Hiku’s moment of madness two minutes after the restart.
The Rovers centre flicked out a fist that caught Williams during a wider confrontation and referee Aaron Moore had not other option but to send him off.
Within three minutes Ashton added his second to take Warrington 10 points clear at 16-6, but just when it looked like the hosts were home and dry, Rovers threatened a rousing comeback.
Dean Hadley barged over on the back of good work from Burgess just before the hour mark, and Mourgue’s kick took them within four points of a remarkable fightback despite their numerical disadvantage.
But at the very point when their stirring reaction threatened to haul them level, a loose pass on the Warrington 10-metre line allowed Bentley to burst clear and he handed over to Ashton to surge clear and complete his hat-trick.
The try knocked the stuffing out of Rovers and it was little surprise to see Warrington add to their tally late on through converted efforts from Hopoate and Tony King, and a late Williams drop goal.
