Warrington go top of PDRL table – with Ben Westwood and Rangi Chase showing their support

Warrington claimed victories over Castleford and Wakefield in their home PDRL festival to pull clear at the top of the 2019 table, on an action-packed day which even featured a cameo appearance by Ben Westwood.

The Wolves were in need of a smile after a grim night on and off the field in their Super League fixture at Catalans.

Westwood provided it, at the end of a week in which the old warrior had confirmed that this will be his farewell season, surprising the crowd by taking to the field in the top of the table clash with Wakefield Trinity.

Westwood was on the end of a rattling hit by Darren Dean, the Wakefield captain who recently returned from a trip to the Gold Coast in Australia with a couple of his team-mates.

But the Wolves had the last laugh, earning a 12-10 victory with two tries from Tony Seward, the wing who commutes from Tiverton in Devon to train and play in Warrington.

Warrington had already won the first of their two games at the Victoria Park ASICS Arena, which will always be a special venue for PDRL as it hosted the first-ever fixtures less than two years ago – and which attracted more than 1,500 spectators showing off the overwhelmingly positive side of Rugby League in the town, with the newly-formed women’s team continuing their impressive debut season in the Championship with a good win against Barrow.

The Wolves PDRL team beat Castleford 18-0, although the Tigers competed strongly – and had a celebrity fan themselves in Rangi Chase, who was cheering on his good friend Kenan Wilkes.

Meanwhile Wakefield gained revenge for a defeat against Leeds earlier this season, with Dean scoring the crucial try in an 18-12 win after Connor Lynes, another who made the trip to the Gold Coast, had also touched down.

Leeds bounced back from that disappointment with a 34-6 win against a Wigan team who are still building in their first year of competition.

There is one more festival of the regular PDRL season remaining, at the RFL’s Grand Day Out in Blackpool on September 7, before Finals Day for 2019 at Weetwood Sport Park in Leeds on September 29.

Scores

Wakefield 18 v 12 Leeds

Warrington 18 v 0 Castleford

Leeds 34 v 6 Wigan

Warrington 12 v 10 Wakefield