Williams Returns from Neck Surgery to Sink Hull KR as Warrington Climb to Second
Warrington Wolves captain George Williams scored his first try since returning from neck surgery, helping his side beat defending Super League champions Hull KR 34-28 at The Halliwell Jones Stadium.
Williams was sidelined for almost four months after sustaining a neck injury against Catalans Dragons in April. He returned to action just five days before this rearranged fixture, in a game against York. Against Hull KR, he crossed for the match-defining try — his first since the operation that kept him out through the spring and early summer (BBC Sport).
The win moves Warrington into second place in the Betfred Super League standings. It also carried an edge of payback: Hull KR had beaten Warrington 32-12 in the Challenge Cup semi-final in May, a match the Wolves played without Williams, Cai Taylor-Wray and James Harrison through injury (BBC Sport).
The scoreline tells the story of a contest that swung both ways. Warrington's six tries came from Hopoate (twice), Bentley, Sipley, Byrne and Williams. Hull KR responded with scores from Lewis, Lawton, Hadley and Pangai Jr but fell six points short.
Liam Byrne, on his 27th birthday, was among Warrington's try-scorers. Head coach Sam Burgess — the former England and South Sydney forward — watched his side hold firm in a frantic finish.
Hull KR's Mikey Lewis was sin-binned late in the match for a dangerous attempt to block a kick. The ten-minute suspension (a sin bin, rugby league's temporary dismissal) left the champions a man short when they needed possession most. Lewis had been making his first appearance after completing a four-game ban (BBC Sport).
For Warrington fans, the sight of Williams steering the side and then scoring the decisive try will feel like a season turning. Their captain missed the run that saw Hull KR end their Challenge Cup hopes. Here, with him back pulling the strings, the league table looks very different.
For Hull KR, the defeat is a reminder that defending a title invites every opponent's best effort. They scored four tries of their own and pushed Warrington all the way, but the late sin bin and Warrington's clinical finishing left them empty-handed.
