St Helens coach Keiron Cunningham was beaming with pride after watching his side maintain a 100 per cent start to their Super League title defence with a 32-24 win over Warrington.
Leading 30-12 with 11 minutes to go, Saints were left sweating on the outcome after the Wolves scored two tries in quick succession but that failed to take the gloss off their sixth win from six matches, their first at home against Warrington for five years.
"There were large points of the game where we were in control but our game management just let us down a bit at the end," Cunningham said.
"All credit to Warrington, who came to play. If you give them opportunities, they can take them.
"But I'm happy with the result and we're still 100 per cent. We were absolutely brilliant until that period at the end.
Captain Jon Wilkin was Saints' hero, revelling in his role of makeshift halfback by scoring one try and creating others for Joe Greenwood and Adam Swift to put his side 18-6 at the break.
"People keep telling me he can't play seven," Cunningham said. "He has done a lot of work in pre-season and now he actually looks like a seven.
"I thought he managed the side really well tonight, he was very good."
St Helens wrapped up the win with second-half tries from Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook and Tom Makinson, with Travis Burns kicking six goals from seven attempts.
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