WARRINGTON Wolves showed what they could do on both sides of the ball in beating Hull KR – and that left Sam Burgess a very happy man.

They started the game in red-hot fashion, opening up the Robins defence at will and racing into an 18-0 lead.

The left edge was particularly potent and tormented the visitors’ right as all three tries – a double for Toby King and a penalty try after Matty Ashton was hit high by a scrambling Joe Burgess – came down that side.

When they needed to defend, they did so as KR threatened to make the game nervy after the break when Mikey Lewis’ try reduced their lead to 10 points.

However, that was as close as they would get.

“It was a good game to watch,” Burgess reflected post-match.

“Our first half was good – we scored some nice tries and I thought we asked a lot of questions, although we left a couple out there.

“KR are a great side, so to score on them you’ve got to actually score on them as they make it difficult.

“Defensively, I thought we were sound in the second half – they threw a lot at us.

“They were trying to win the game and we were trying to defend it, so I was proud of our defensive effort.

“A 4-2 second half is one the fans probably didn’t like much but as a coach, it doesn’t get much better.

“It was a tale of two halves – our attack was great in the first half and our defence was in the second.

“There were some big efforts as they really challenged us big time. They’re a dynamic team with a lot of attacking flair.

“They tested us so I was happy that we managed most problems.

“The try they scored was off a kick rebound – sometimes the bounce of the ball gets you – but I was really pleased.”

Watch a snippet of Burgess' post-match press conference here

King’s brace marked his 150th Warrington appearance in style and he combined to lethal effect with Ashton all evening.

And when asked about his centre’s display, Burgess gave a tongue-in-cheek reply.

“He was alright. He wasn’t too bad,” he said.

“He could have scored another in the second half, so he was okay.

“He’s a great player and I love Kingy – I joke around with him a bit but he’s a great bloke and a good character in the group.

“I like him socially and professionally. He’s great to work with.

“He’s consistent in every game, he doesn’t miss much and he loves the club and teammates.

“I was happy for him – we were all in Kingy’s world in the first half and it was nice.”

He also insisted going to the left was not specifically tipped up in their preparations for the game in terms of exploiting any perceived weakness.

Indeed, Burgess insisted he had given his attacking players license to play what they saw within “a small structure.”

“Those guys can play – I don’t really try and coach them too much as they are better than I was,” he said.

“We give them a small structure and then just let them play.

“We left a couple of points out there in the first half too, which made the contest tighter in the second half but we felt confident. We believe in our defence.

“They came to win as well and will be a real threat this year. They’re going to challenge everyone.

“I think we’ve been ready in most games barring the Salford game, I’d say.

“We try and prep them as staff then really its just them getting to the race, and they’ve been there in almost every game.

“We’re always confident heading into games, but I was really pleased with them as it was a big game.

“We’re both in that logjam at the top of the table so it was nice to get a good victory.”

Burgess also had words of praise for the home crowd which, although small in number at just over 8,500, generated a fervent atmosphere when their team needed it most.

Now, his hope is that more fans flock back to The Halliwell Jones Stadium as well as the Totally Wicked Stadium for next week’s Challenge Cup semi-final to see a side “playing hard for them and the town.”

“The crowd were great and the more supporters we can get into the stadium, the better,” he said.

“It’s such a great stadium to play at, especially when it’s full.

“I played here when it was full for Bradford and it’s electric. As a player, you can feel that intensity.

“The team are really playing hard for the town and want to do it justice. We’re playing hard for them so hopefully we can start filling it up.

“It will be nice to get a full stadium next week to add to the atmosphere. It will be a great game and occasion as Huddersfield have been playing good.”