Warrington Wolves' Luke Yates opens up on Huddersfield Giants return - The Mirror

Aussie prop Luke Yates, 29, headed back to his former club two months after leaving and helped inflict a 66-0 rout to set Sam Burgess' side up nicely for the Super League play-offs

Luke Yates enjoyed silencing the knockers on his first return to Huddersfield and immediately set his sights on Old Trafford.

The combative Warrington prop helped lay the platform for a stunning 66-0 romp over his injury-ravaged former club on Saturday night. It means they could yet sneak a top-two finish if results go their way in Friday’s final regular round. Yates was Giants captain for the last three seasons before switching to Wolves in July.

He agreed to join them from 2025 on a two-year deal but, with Huddersfield nosediving, title-chasing Warrington paid a fee to make it happen early and they're reaping dividends. Yates admitted: “It was a bit strange coming back, to be honest. I usually come into this ground and go into the home sheds.

“But once we started playing we were pretty professional. That was the goal coming in. It was just another game of footy in the end.”

Asked if his former team-mates gave him much niggle, the Aussie insisted: “No, not really. On the sideline there were a couple here and there. But once the scoreline ran out they didn’t really have much to say...”

England winger Matty Ashton (3), Matty Nicholson (2), Cai Taylor-Wray (2), George Williams, James Harrison and Toby King all scored tries. Josh Thewlis also crossed and finished with nine goals in Warrington’s biggest-ever Super League win over the West Yorkshire club. Third-placed Wolves have now won five out of their last six games to offer further belief they could finally end their near-70 year wait for a league title.

Ex-Salford ace Yates, 29, said: “We’re a really connected group at the minute. If we keep the same mentality that we’re playing with I believe in us that we can go and do something very special. It’s just keeping ourselves grounded and going in with a good mentality.”

They round off against joint-bottom London on Friday, the club who first brought Yates to the UK from Newcastle Knights in 2019. He admitted: “I do have a soft spot for London. They gave me an opportunity when not many clubs would do. But we need to be the same as we were on Saturday: just worrying about ourselves and doing our job.”

London pulled off bottom for the first time this season on Saturday after almost winning in Perpignan, narrowly going down 12-8 against Catalans having led at the break. Broncos lifted above Hull - walloped 58-4 at home to Salford - by virtue of a better points difference. That victory saw fourth-placed Salford secure their play-offs spot and St Helens are also now in, meaning Leigh, Leeds and Catalans are left fighting it out for the last spot on the final weekend.

Meanwhile, Warrington boss Sam Burgess has commented on England hooker Danny Walker’s future after it was reported the club turned down an offer from Canberra Raiders. He said: “He’s a contracted player – I love Danny and I don’t want him to go anywhere. He’s got a contract so if they want him, they’re going to have to make it worthwhile.”