The doom-mongers will see the result and feel the Bulls' grasp on their Super League title is already slipping.

But this match had everything you would expect of a typical pre-season friendly - ring-rusty players, a lack of intensity, lesser-known line-ups - so the doubters shouldn't be harking just yet.

This wasn't the Bradford side that will open their 2006 campaign in the World Club Challenge next month.

Only three of their Grand Final-

winning squad were in the group, with a whole raft of Academy products instead given a shot, winter signings Stanley Gene and Adam Watene debuting and Joe Vagana, Brad Meyers, Ian Henderson and Andy Lynch providing the experience.

In the end, the Bulls were undone by Lee Briers' masterful kicking display - he had a boot in five of Warrington's six tries - but there were no dramas for the watching Brian Noble.

Stand-off Briers delivered a brilliant performance but his team were aided mainly by the fact they had already benefited from a run-out, having played against Widnes on Boxing Day.

That showed clearly as the Wolves were sharper all over the field and particularly around the ruck area, where Aussie scrum-half Mike Sullivan - a new signing from Cronulla Sharks filling in at nine - was a constant menace with his zip.

The Bulls had to protect their line from the off as Warrington started at pace.

They defended three sets on the trot as an early test of their fitness levels before Briers undid them for the first time on 14 minutes.

His cross-field kick from a scrum had Bulls flat-footed and Ben Westwood eventually benefited after a foot race between Bulls winger Andy Smith and Warrington's Chris Riley.

The Bulls responded five minutes later when hooker Henderson showed speed of thought to take a quick penalty tap close to the Warrington line, Brett Ferres tagging on the extras.

But then the scoring was all one way as the visitors were continually pinned back by Briers' boot on the back of solid completion rates.

The Bulls couldn't create the go-forward they needed and mistakes crept in. Another crossfield Briers kick handed 16-year-old centre Matt Blythe the chance to collect and dive over, before Sullivan's chip-and-chase resulted in the backtracking Andy Smith receiving a yellow card for barging down Wolves player Simon Grix without the ball.

While the Bulls winger was off, Briers resumed by offering a short-range chip for former Bulls half-back Chris Bridge to collect and the Bulls went in trailing 14-6 having struggled to get out of their own half.

They returned with more zest but a ten-minute period of pressure didn't amount to anything and the Wolves rallied, Sullivan getting a well-deserved try after good interplay with Westwood and then two more Briers kicks set up Westwood and Richie Barnett.

Of the young talent on show for the Bulls, centre Ryan Atkins

carried strongly, scrum half Matty Brooks continually probed behind a beaten pack and Matt James made some yards up front.

Gene, meanwhile, had a mixed afternoon at six, playing the whole 80 and constantly looking to find openings but never really tasting any luck.

A minute's silence was held for Doncaster Dragons boss St John Ellis before the game started. The ex-Bulls winger died suddenly on New Year's Eve aged just 41.

WOLVES: Reardon, Riley, Blythe, Westwood, Barnett, Briers, Bridge, Lima, Sullivan, Wood, Bracek, Wainwright, Grix. Subs: Roper, Colquitt, Harrison, Cooper, Mitchell, Penny, Rourke.

Bulls: Halley, Johnson, Atkins, Cook, Smith, Gene, Brooks, Vagana, Henderson, Lynch, Meyers, Szostak, Ferres. Subs: Tonks, Watene, Wildey, Hawley, Kopizak, James, Feehan.

Attendance: 6,089