WARRINGTON offered more compelling evidence that they are ready to shed their reputation as Super League’s perennial underachievers with a thumping victory over defending champions Leeds.

The final scoreline did scant justice to the dominance of the competition’s form team, who scored five tries to the two of a Leeds side whose season is heading into freefall. The deadlock in a tense, defence-dominated opening half was not broken until the 31st minute when Leeds prop Kylie Leuluai crashed over from close range after a perfectly-timed pass by his captain Kevin Sinfield, who landed the subsequent conversion to put the visitors 6-0 ahead.

Leeds, with a 6-1 penalty count against them, had spent long periods repelling repeated waves of attack from a Warrington side who have found a new lease of life since the dismissal of coach Paul Cullen two months ago. After masterminding six wins from his seven matches in temporary charge, Cullen’s assistant James Lowes was given the role on a permanent basis this week and the former Leeds, Bradford and Great Britain hooker again orchestrated an impressive effort from the Wolves.

Warrington should have taken an early lead when captain Adrian Morley was held down in a tackle 20 metres from the Leeds posts, only for Chris Hicks to miss the easy kick. The chance came following a mistake by Ben Jones-Bishop, a teenager who was drafted in as a late replacement for Leeds’s leading try-scorer Scott Don-ald, whose first daughter was born before kick-off.

Leeds were also missing a handful of key players through injury, including Great Britain second row Jamie Jones Buchanan, England prop Ryan Bailey and Brent Webb, the Kiwi Test full-back, whose absence again diluted the Rhinos’ threat in attack. Webb is one of the safest players in Super League beneath the high ball and Leeds were left relieved when Lee Briers, the Warrington stand-off, hoisted a testing kick for Matt King to rise above Lee Smith, only to see the ball squirt out of his grasp and into touch.

Leeds looked to to have taken the lead in the 27th minute when Keith Senior scrambled over the line with Briers and Chris Riley around his ankles. However, referee Steve Ganson adjudged Senior to have made a double movement. The speed of Warrington’s play had Leeds rattled and Briers kicked to the left for King to flick the ball back to Kevin Penny, who would have scored had he not fumbled.

Leuluai’s try merely served to strengthen the Wolves’ determination and after going close through King and Paul Rauhihi they got the try their persistence deserved when Michael Monaghan, Lee Mitchell and Hicks combined in a smart move for King to score on the left.

Lowes admitted recently that he was becoming renowned among his players for his use of “industrial language” in half-time pep-talks. He declined to expand on what he said at the interval last night but Warrington emerged for the resumption possessed of a sense of purpose which brooked no argument from their opponents.

The Wolves were unstoppable in the third quarter, a period which brought them three tries, two by Hicks. The scoring spree was instigated by a marvellous run by Morley, who cut through the heart of the Leeds defence before slipping a sweet pass to Jon Clarke on his inside for the hooker to stride away to the posts.

A slick passing sequence involving Clarke, Briers, Monaghan and King created the space on the left that allowed Hicks to sweep through in the left corner. Hicks then popped up on the opposite flank after Leeds had been opened up by a burst of speed from Penny, who gave his side the momentum that led to Gleeson putting Hicks over.

Leeds were by now in disarray and their woes were compounded on 66 minutes when the home fans were brought to their feet by a stirring try by Mitchell, a 19-year-old who made a big impression as cover for injured Vinnie Anderson. There seemed little danger when he took the ball at first receiver 35 metres out but a burst of pace took him beyond the clutches of Sinfield and out of a weak challenge by Jordan Tansey. Smith did get back to cut him down just short of the line but the two men rolled over and Mitchell was not to be denied.

The Rhinos did have the last word with a second try from Leuluai but it proved scant consolation for a team whose season appears to be fragmenting with each passing week.

Star man:Adrian Morley (Warrington)

WARRINGTON:C Hicks, C Riley, M Gleeson, M King, K Penny,L Briers, M Monaghan, A Morley, J Clarke, P Rauhihi, L Anderson, B Westwood, S Grix

LEEDS RHINOS:J Tansey, L Smith, C Ablett, K Senior, B Jones-Bishop, D McGuire, R Burrow, K Leuluai, M Diskin, J Peacock, G Ellis, I Kirke, K Sinfield

Referee:S Ganson Attendance:9,156