NEW signings Alfie Johnson and Dan Russell marked their first Warrington Wolves appearances with tries, but their first pre-season game of 2025 ended in defeat.

Neighbours Widnes Vikings rode away from The Halliwell Jones Stadium victorious, with Warrington surrendering a 10-point lead to go down 36-22.

The Championship side scored 26 unanswered points after Johnson's second try had put Warrington 22-12 up shortly after half time, with Mike Butt, Joe Edge, Dan Murray and Joe Lyons crossing.

Rugby union convert Johnson had got Wire on the board by catching Oli Leyland's high kick to touch down after Butt had opened the scoring, with Papua New Guinea international Russell then being sent through a hole by Leyland to score shortly afterwards.

Jake Thewlis finished off a scrum move to give Wire the lead again after Rhodri Lloyd had scored for Widnes but after Johnson had scored his second try from Cai Taylor-Wray's looping pass just after the break, the visitors took over.

More reaction to follow

> Five key Warrington Wolves takeaways from pre-season defeat

> Re-live the action from The Halliwell Jones Stadium as it happened here

Match facts

Pre-season friendly

Friday, January 17, 2025

Warrington Wolves...22 Widnes Vikings...36

Wolves: Cai Taylor-Wray; Jake Thewlis, Arron Lindop, Zac Bardsley-Rowe, Alfie Johnson; Oli Leyland, Stefan Ratchford; Zane Musgrove, Ben Hartill, Max Wood, Dan Russell, Nolan Tupaea, Tom Whitehead. Subs: Lucas Green, Luke Thomas, Joe Bajer, Zack Gardner, Joe Hickey, Ewan Irwin, Sam Marshall, Tom McKinney, Frank Sergent, Ewan Smith

Vikings: Jack Owens; Cameron Brown, Joe Edge, Matt Fleming, Mike Butt; Dec Patton, Tom Gilmore; Dan Murray, Aiden Doolan, Martyn Reilly, Rhodri Lloyd, Danny Langtree, Ryan Lannon. Subs: Gavin Bennion, Liam Bent, Matty Fozard, Adam Jones, Liam Kirk, Joe Lyons, Max Roberts, Lewis Hall

Scoring: Butt try, 10mins, Gilmore goal, 0-6; Johnson try, 15mins, 4-6; Russell try, 18mins, Ratchford goal, 10-6; Lloyd try, 27mins, Gilmore goal, 10-12; Thewlis try, 33mins, Leyland goal, 16-12; Johnson try, 42mins, Leyland goal, 22-12; Butt try, 47mins, Patton goal, 22-18; Edge try 52mins, Patton goal, 22-24; Murray try, 65mins, Gilmore goal, 22-30; Lyons try, 73mins, Gilmore goal, 22-36

Penalties: Wolves 4 Vikings 5

Referee: R Cox

Attendance: 3,690