Fresh from their win at Hull FC last weekend, securing the Minor Premiership, top of the table were at the Halliwell-Jones to take on their nemesis, St Helens, in the play-off semi-final. The Wolves home form against Saints is dreadful, losing their last seven encounters and with only two home wins against their near neighbours since the start of Super League.

Saints know what it takes to get to a Grand Final, having featured in ten of the eighteen finals, and they welcomed back James Roby into the form side in competition. Warrington also had a returnee in the shape of Kurt Gidley, adding strength and experience in the halves.

It would be the end of the season for one of these sides, the other would be starting preparations for a trip to Old Trafford and the Grand Final.

The opening sixteen minutes were played at lightening pace with both sides testing the oppositions defences with kick after probing kick. The first error was from Saints when Jack Owens let a high ball slip through his fingers but Saints held strong and defended the tackles before being awarded a penalty.

On nineteen Ashton Sims had the ball stolen in the tackle and Declan Patton kicked a thirty-eight minute penalty to edge the Wolves ahead. Luke Walsh levelled the scores on twenty-five with a ten metre penalty and it looked like both sides thought that there would be few points between the sides at the end of the eighty.

On the hour the Wolves crossed the whitewash for the first time when Kurt Gidley bust through the line to drops on the ball. Patton kicked the extras for an 8-2 lead. But we're all level on thirty-nine thanks to a nicely worked try from Jonny Lomax when Jordan Turner released Swift to go down the wing before finding his full back in support. Walsh added the two for 8-8.

As the half-time hooter sounded Walsh kicked a forty metre penalty goal, after interference at the play the ball, to give his side a 10-8 lead at the break.

The first points of the second half went to the Wolves when they declined a kickable penalty on forty-nine and used all their tackles probing the Saints defence before Stefan Ratchford went from acting half back to scoot over by the uprights. Paton added the two for 14-10.

Saints were caught offside on sixty-two and rather than go for goal the Wolves kicked for position. Three tackles in the ball was moved wide right for Tom Lineham to dive over in the corner. Video replays showed that Lineham could have lost the ball in the act of scoring but Thaler awarded without consulting the video referee. Patton missed the extras but his side were 18-10 up.

Saints had a couple of chances to score but spilled the ball at the critical moments. Three minutes from time and James Roby went close but as he passed the ball George King got his hand in the way to regain possession for his side.

On seventy-eight Dominique Peyroux appeared to find his way to the line burrowing under the Wolves tacklers. The referee ruled no try but passed the decision to the video referee, Joe Cobb, who controversially agreed with the on-field decision despite it looking like Peyroux had grounded on the line.

Warrington held on to take the win, but must count themselves as fortunate. They fought hard in a highly competitive game, but with the Lineham try being somewhat dubious, and Peyroux having a seemingly good try ruled out, it could easily have been Saints who were making their way to Old Trafford.

This will be the third Grand Final for the Wolves and their fans will be hoping that this will be their year.

Wolves: Ratchford (T), Lineham (T), Evans, Atkins, Russell, Gidley (T), Patton (3G), Hill, Clark, Sims, Wilde, Hughes, Westerman. Subs: King G, King T, Smith, Philbin.

Saints: Lomax (T), Owens, Peyroux, Percival, Swift, Turner, Walsh (3G), Amor, Roby, Richards, Greenwood, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Wilkin. Subs: Walmsley, Vea, Thompson, Knowles.

Referee: Ben Thaler.

Attendance: