George Williams created a brilliant late try for Josh Thewlis to give Warrington victory just as it seemed Catalans Dragons had pulled off a remarkable comeback Super League win.
Skipper Williams had scored one try and made another for Jordy Crowther, while teenager Zack Gardner added another on his full debut to seemingly put Sam Burgess’ team in the driving seat with an 18-2 lead at half-time.
Catalans fought back impressively, however, with on-loan Hull FC hooker Denive Balmforth scoring two tries and full-back Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet – a late replacement for the injured Sam Tomkins – another to edge the French side ahead 20-18 with six minutes to go.
Williams had the last word by leading a Warrington break and then producing a delicate kick with the outside of his boot to feed Thewlis for the winning try and make it three successive wins for the Wolves.
The victory sees Warrington move to within a point of sixth-placed Hull FC but it should have been much more comfortable after Wire threw away a comfortable half-time advantage.
There was drama before kick-off after thunderstorms left the surface at the Stade Gilbert Brutus sodden and Tomkins pulled out with a recurrence of his knee injury during the warm-up, meaning that Aispuro-Bichet stepped up from 18th man.
There was also controversy in the opening stages as Catalans winger Tommy Makinson was pulled back by referee Liam Rush for a knock-on as he was running clear for the opening try, only for a video review to back up the player’s angry assertion that the ball had bounced off his head.
Rush apologised to the home side and after Aispuro-Bichet’s penalty had put them ahead, Warrington took control.
First Gardner raced onto Marc Sneyd’s kick to score and Williams marked his 250th Super League appearance by starting and finishing a sharp move.
Sneyd was troubled by an apparent thigh strain but before he was forced off he kicked a penalty which takes him level with former Wigan and Catalans player Pat Richards as the fifth-highest points scorer in Super League history.
Williams took a hand to increase the half-time lead, kicking through for Crowther to touch down and with Thewlis adding the extras, a16-point gap seemed too big for a struggling Catalans side who have now won just one of their past nine matches.
Balmforth, who signed on a month’s loan just over a fortnight ago, came off the replacements bench to breathe life into the Dragons, feinting and dashing over to score.
Aispuro-Bichet then did well to pick up Makinson’s scruffy offload and score, and after Balmforth had grabbed his second, Aispuro-Bichet’s third conversion edged Catalans ahead.
Warrington summoned one last effort and the inspirational Williams led an attack down the right, exchanged passes with Sam Stone and then, on the gallop, somehow dabbed the ball to his right forThewlis to pick up and score the winning try.
