Warrington re-asserted their top six credentials with a second half blitz at the Halliwell Jones taking them past Hull Kingston Rovers. Taking a two-point lead into the interval, tries for Paul Rauhihi and Chris Riley plus a brace from stand-off Lee Briers were enough to see off a spirited effort from the depleted visitors.

Ben Westwood's opening try after six minutes, bursting through on an angled run from Lee Briers' short pass, suggested that the Wolves would have too much firepower for a Robins side missing key personnel like Ben Galea and Clint Newton. KR had other ideas, however, and Matt King's positioning on the left wing was brought under intense scrutiny as Paul Cooke's cut-out pass released Fox who, in turn, fed Chris Chester for the equalising score. Warrington were immediately caught napping again - this time on the right side - when Dobson worked a clever blindside move that enabled hooker Ben Fisher to scramble over for a try that Cooke couldn't convert.

As the home crowd started to fear another false dawn, Warrington leveled when Jon Clarke's half-break created an overlap out wide; Martin Gleeson took Briers' pass to score. But the Robins regained their lead just after the half-hour mark, Shaun Briscoe capitalising upon some weak defence to dive over for a try that Cooke again failed to convert. And as the half-time siren approached Warrington secured a repeat set after a high tackle, allowing Ben Harrison to reach over for a converted score that left the game finely balanced at 16-14 for the Primrose and Blue outfit.

Whatever Warrington caretaker coach James Lowes said to his troops at half-time, it worked. First Rauhihi latched onto a Ben Westwood pass to power past Briscoe in front of the posts. Then, almost immediately, Chris Riley was sent into the corner by Martin Gleeson after the Robins had sent the kick-off out on the full. 28-14. The Hull side were rocking and, with workhorse prop Mick Vella having to make up for the absence of his fellow frontrowers, the Warrington pack - led by Adrian Morley and the tireless Westwood - became increasingly dominant.

Having let slip an identical scoreline against Castleford less than two weeks previously, the Wolves needed a killer blow to finish off the game. As has so often been the case down the years, it was Lee Briers who provided it with consecutive scores. A good acting-half run by Clarke provided space for Michael Monaghan who dummied before sending the stand-off under the sticks. And as Hull KR searched for a score to get them back into the game, Briers pounced upon a speculator pass from Dobson to sprint seventy metres and confirm that the points would be staying in Warrington.

The Robins, backed to the end by an impressive away following, fought to the end and Peter Fox's persistence was rewarded with a consolation try after the final hooter. It was Warrington's day, however, and it will come as a relief to Lowes to see his men pick up a victory ahead of tough away matches versus the Catalans Dragons and Hull FC.

Warrington Wolves - 38

T: Westwood (6); Gleeson (24); Harrison (38) Rauhihi (48); Riley (51); Briers (60, 69)
G: Hicks (7, 39, 49, 52, 61)

Hull Kingston Rovers - 20

T: Chester (17); Fisher (20); Briscoe (35); Fox (80)
G: Cooke (18, 80)

HT: 16-14

Referee: B Thaler

Att: 9,095