Matt Dufty and Josh Thewlis both scored hat-tricks, and Stefan Ratchford broke Rhyse Martin of the Leeds Rhinos’ Super League record with his 41st consecutive successful kick at goal, setting a new global record.
Warrington got off to a strong start in both halves, scoring three additional tries in the opening twelve minutes of the second half after sprinting to an 18-0 lead in the first fifteen minutes.
Burgess acknowledged that he was “nervous” prior to the game because he had to rearrange his squad when Ben Currie and Danny Walker withdrew because their partners were expecting babies.
He did, however, express his satisfaction with how they handled it.
He remarked, “We played the fundamentals really well, especially early in the game.”
“During the first ten to fifteen minutes, we were rather clinical; we established a solid rhythm and stuck with it.
Given how many players were out from crucial positions today, I was pleased with the team’s performance. They arrived and completed the assigned duty.
We came here thinking that London is a dangerous team, in my opinion. Despite the large margin of victory, they are a formidable squad with several talented players.
We truly had a chance to score, but we took almost all of our opportunities because some of our players can find space.
“I guess the difference is that we didn’t leave many out there. We took use of our opportunities, and I was happy with the boys for that.
“I’ll admit that before the game, I was a little anxious.
“After the first fifteen to twenty minutes, I was relieved because the game was quite risky due to the travel down and the large number of lads playing.
“I was happy because it told me a lot about the team today.”
Burgess held particular admiration for Ratchford, who once more displayed an unnerving show of goal-kicking.
That was, though, until he decided to break the world record by converting Dufty’s third attempt of the afternoon from exactly right of the posts.
Despite his inability to complete the convert, Burgess praised his captain nonetheless.
He declared, “He’s a great kicker—he just broke a Super League record and equaled a world record.”
“It wasn’t like Stef, so I think he’ll be pretty disappointed with the one he missed.”
“He practices a lot, and the fact that he’s placed himself in this position is no accident.
“He must be content with the other 41, even though he will be devastated not to kick the 42nd one.
It’s almost amusing that Stef missed the kick that was right next to the posts since I really appreciated his bravery in taking them all!
“He never makes these statements about himself; he works well in a team and has an amazing record. That is not an easy task.
Although he has come and gone from the team, I have a wonderful friendship with him. That’s the challenging part of coaching. We’ve played together internationally for a number of years, and I have a great deal of respect for him.
Stef’s current function is “when and where” because we’re trying to bring some youth through, but I really like what he provides.
He always delivers and is willing to play for me anyplace. He’s been a fantastic asset to the sport, and I love mentoring him.
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