Steve Price full of praise for man of the match Gareth Widdop after Warrington win

Correspondent
Warrington coach Steve Price was thrilled with the performance of England half-back Gareth Widdop after he helped the Wolves carve out a 44-12 victory over Super League new boys Leigh.

By his own admission, Widdop experienced a low-key first season in Super League in 2020 but he was close to his best as Warrington found their scoring touch.

“Gaz came up with some very big plays on that left-hand side,” said Price. “He’s feeling really good about himself.

“He’s a fantastic guy and a fantastic rugby league player to go with it. What happened last year is way behind us, what we can control is the present and it’s a credit to him for how he’s carrying himself.”

REPORT: Warrington 44-12 Leigh: Wolves get first win of the season

Widdop scored two tries, along with threequarters Tom Lineham and Toby King, as Warrington bounced back from the disappointment of their opening defeat by Castleford.

“I was looking for a good response and we got that,” said Price. “It was a big improvement.

“Defensively we were a lot more solid as a collective and I thought our left side looked potent.

“Scoring eight tries to two is very pleasing, we’ll build off that. There’s lots of positive stuff and that’s the standard as a group, we want to keep improving.”

Price gave a debut to ex-London Broncos prop Rob Butler and says fans could get their first sight of former Australian international Greg Inglis in next week’s Challenge Cup tie against Swinton.

“The big fella is getting close,” he said. “If it’s not next week, it will be the week after.”

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