Steve Price: I was looking for better display

Warrington coach Steve Price said his side were nowhere near up to their usual standard in their defeat to St Helens.

The Wolves lost 34-14 to the Saints in a dress rehearsal of the Super League semi-final play-offs which takes place in less than two weeks.

Starting half-backs Tyrone Roberts (concussion) and Kevin Brown (abductor) left the field with injuries in the first half and didn’t return.

Price thought that injuries played a part in their defeat but insisted that his side should have been better.

He said: “I was looking for a better display today.

“We have been playing a lot better than what we displayed today and it was hard work when we lost Tyrone Roberts and Kevin Brown early.

“It would be difficult for any team losing their both of their playmakers early and both of our back-rowers were struggling with injury so we have got a bit of work to do. Bodene (Thompson) got a knock in the fourth or fifth minute of the game but these things happen in rugby league.

“You have got to find a way to win but St Helens are a good football team. They are league leaders for a reason and they are big on clutch plays. If you have a lapse on any part of the field then they punish you and it showed today.”

Promising half-back Morgan Smith played over an hour for the Wolves after Roberts and Brown went off and Price thinks there is still plenty to come from Smith.

Price added: “Morgan is still a work in progress.

“When both of our halves went off, (Declan) Patton went into the halves and Morgan had to play a lot more minutes than we anticipated but those type of games create opportunities for young blokes to step up and he did.

“Today’s result is not going to mean too much in two weeks’ time but hopefully we will get a few players back and then we will go again.”

Tonga international Ben Murdoch-Masila also struggled with a leg injury, but Price thinks the back-rower will be fit for the semi-finals in two weeks.