How Taylor-Wray inspired a successful fightback from Wire reserves

A FOUR-TRY performance from Cai Taylor-Wray saw Warrington Wolves reserves complete a second-half fightback and end their recent losing streak on Saturday.

Despite their eventual victory against the Salford Red Devils, there were elements of the team’s performance that still concerned head coach Ryan O’Brien.

Taylor-Wray, who is preparing to represent the England Academy for the first time next month alongside team-mates Arron Lindop and Tom McKinney, was the undoubted star as Warrington transformed a 16-10 half-time deficit in a 44-22 victory at Victoria Park. with four of their six tries coming in the second half coming from full-back Livewire.

Prop Dan Okoro, who was signed by the Bradford Bulls in April, marked his first appearance in club colors by scoring a powerful late individual try, with Zac Bardsley-Rowe also on the scoresheet after the half-time.

The Wire had come out of the traps taking a 10-0 lead within seven minutes – Lindop crossing the Salford line to open the scoring while his compatriot Ewan Smith touched down shortly after.

However, that’s what happened in the rest of the first half, as Salford fought back to take the lead thanks to tries from Nathan Connell, Brad Hammond and former Latchford Albion striker Charlie McCurrie , which concerned O’Brien the most.

“After scoring two first tries, it quickly became clear that we didn’t want to get into a set-after-set tug-of-war in the first half,” he said.

“We were careless with the ball, our discipline was poor and we conceded far too many offloads.

“While I still don’t think we played particularly well in the second half, we tightened up those areas and managed to score quite a few points.”

Salford’s only fightback after the break was a late try from Fijian prop King Vuniyayawa, but the game had long been taken away from the visitors.

The Wire’s next reserve match is on Saturday June 29, when St Helens host visitors Victoria Park.

Wolves: Cai Taylor-Wray; Zac Bardsley-Rowe, Ewan Smith, Arron Lindop, Frank Sergeant; Joe Hickey, Adam Whalley; Daniel Okoro, Ben Hartill, Lucas Green, Scott Parnaby, Nolan Tupaea, Sam Marshall. Substitutes: Zack Gardner, Logan Raughter, Jamie Reddecliff, Bobby Shingler. 18: Stephen Antrobus