Saints 60 Warrington Wolves 16 STRUGGLING in their previous two outings, superb Saints quickly regained their touch with this ravenous 11-try devouring of the woeful Wolves at Knowsley Road on Sunday.

And no Warrington player felt the draught more than teenager Lee Briers, who swopped clubs in a surprise deal on Friday. For the youngster was thrown in at the deep end against a Saints' side who were simply awesome.

Adding to Warrington's embarrassment was the fact that they suffered Super League's heaviest defeat, and were also on the receiving end of Saints' biggest score and widest margin of the season.

Leading the home side's charge was Test centre Paul Newlove (PICTURED) who - returning after a groin injury - reduced the Wolves' midfield defence to ribbons, scored a typical solo try, and picked up the McEwan Lager man-of-the-match award.

Exciting full-back Steve Prescott took the Co-op Late Shop accolade, but both must have been closely run close by hooker Keiron Cunningham, while loose-forward Karle Hammond and prop Julian O'Neill were high in the pecking order.

Skipper Bobbie Goulding was also on song with eight goals from 11 attempts .

However, there was just one cloud on the horizon with the Wembley date next week, and that came as early as the third minute, when in-form centre Alan Hunte left the field with hamstring trouble after scoring Saints' first try.

Leading scorer Hunte raced in from 75 yards after being put through by Chris Morley, but was seen to be in distress on rounding Warrington full-back Nigel Vagana and had to be replaced by Andy Haigh. Newlove then left the hapless Vagana in his wake; O'Neill crashed through tackles by Mark Forster and Jonathan Roper to notch his first try for Saints, and already weary Warrington found themselve 14-0 down in just 10 minutes.

Worse was to come as Tommy Martyn broke through paper-thin tackling to touch down, and when Cunningham and Newlove opened the way for Anthony Sullivan to cross Warrington's record 80-0 defeat versus Saints appeared under threat.

Goulding inched his side further ahead with a penalty after Vagana high-tackled Sullivan, and there was still no respite for the Wolves as Danny Arnold and Goulding fashioned a try for Hammond.

Newlove was consigned to the sin-bin for 'interference' by referee Russell Smith, and the visitors made their extra man tell with Briers' long pass putting Toa Kohe-Love over in the corner, to leave Warrington trailing 32-4 at half-time.

After the interval Saints continued to rip the Wolves apart, with three quick tries being scored by Prescott and impressive substitutes Haigh and Andy Northey.

Touchdowns by Forster and Vagana brought Warrington a glimmer of respectability in being 48-12 in arrears, only for Hammond and Morley to create a second try for Martyn, while Cunningham made the running for Anderson to round off Saints' points blitzkreig.

Down maybe, but refusing to surrender, Warrington had the final word when Forster crossed for his second try.

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