August 2002

29th.August.Sid Domic is likely to miss the Halifax gameafter suffering knee ligament problems in the defeat by Wigan,it is a blow to the Wire with four important games coming up in the next few weeks.Richie Mathers has been recalled by Leeds in a surprise move,you may recall David Halliwell was recently recalled by Halifax after playing well for the Wire,I suppose to suggest a Yorkshire conspiracy is a tad outlandish.Halifax recently sacked Steve Linnane and replaced him with Tony Anderson who takes charge of the Blue Sox for the first time against Wire,and teams do tend to lift their game under a new coach,so Warrington can expect a tough encounter.A plus for Warrington is that Ben Westwood will be back after serving a one match suspention after getting sent off against Widnes, he will be joined in the centres by academy player David Alstead,centres have been a problem at Warrington since Koa Love went to Hull,and former coach Anderson never really addressed the problem when he was at the club.Indeed many will say that a lot of players that left the club should have been kept and the transition made more slowly ,instead we had a rapid clearout and that has left the club with the problems it faces today.

The Warrington Guardian predicts that Warrington will miss the drop it even gives a predicted end of season bottom four.

The assumption is based on Warrington beating Halifax and Salford plus Halifax winning none of their last games and Salford only one and Wakefield winning three including their home game against Wire,I personally think Wire will win at Wakefield.Under 18 and 21's teams will be back next season after changes by the RFL,it will mean a reshuffle at Warrington by the coaching staff to encompass the new teams.

26th.August .WARRINGTON 18-40 WIGAN .The Wolves dominated the opening stages after Sid Domic went over with just two minutes on the clock. But it did not take long for Wigan to hit back and they went over four times before the break to take charge. Rob Smyth did go over for Warrington,but three tries in the first 13 minutesof the second half sealed victory. A Graham Appo effort in the corner finished the scoring.Lee Briers went of injured it looked quite bad as he left the field in a sling but luckily it was only a trapped nerve ,both he and Sid Domic are both expected to be fit to face Halifax at the weekend.Warrington: Tries: Domic ,Smyth, Appo Goals: Briers (3)Wigan:Tries Newton (2) Radlinski Cassidy Lam Briscoe Farrell O'Neill (6) H/T: 12-24 Att: 6,185

.9 Halifax ..........24 6 0 18 458 739 12.
10 Wakefield ..24 4 2 18 470 781 10
11 Warr'ton ....24 5 0 19 423 776 10
12 Salford....... 24 4 1 19 418 787 09

22nd. August. Wire coach Paul Cullen is hoping for a big crowd on Monday as he takes control of the team for the first time at Wilderspool,Wigan who have not lost for 11 games will be hoping to further their chances of staying in the top three if not taking second spot,Wire remain one point off the relegation spot and a win against Wigan however unlikely would be a big boost,indeed Wire beat Wigan five years ago when Cullen took control of the side in the transition period between John Dorahy and Darryl Van de Velde,Wolves won 34-25 against all the odds in a pulsating game.Cullen said "Warington fans have stood behind the team all the way through,now we are looking for a full house at Wilderspool on Monday .In times like this we need all the help we can get".Cullen is remaining focused on the job in hand and will not allow talk of relegation to interfere in the teams preparations."We're one of four clubs Halifax,Wakefield Salford and ourselves who are still in control of our own futures.

Sonny Nickle has emerged as a possible target for the Wire Nickle who is not being offered a new contract at St Helens still feels he has a lot to offer a new club.

John Fieldhouse feels the appointment of Paul Cullen as coach of the Wolves is a very good move for the club,Fieldhouse who was at Warrington at the same time as Cullen,Said John "Paul is a Warrington man through and through,he has a lot of passion and will instill that passion into the team."

18th. August. WIDNES 19-18 WARRINGTON Westwood off as Wire lose.A drop goal six minutes from time from scrum-half Barry Eaton secured a thrilling victory for Widnes. The Vikings went ahead early on with a penalty from man of the match Adam Hughes and then grabbed the first try as Stuart Spruce went over. Warrington drew level with a Jerome Guisset try but Widnes regained the lead when Steve McCurrie powered over. Guisset again levelled the score but Eaton made sure it was the Vikings day.Paul Cullen will take much heart from a greatly improved Wire performance, Cullen said: "The players gave the response I wanted but we didn't get the right result. "We just have to start concentrating on improving our performances. We operate a no-excuse policy and got what we deserved," he added. "A couple of calls went for us and a couple against but I was pleased with the response from the players

Widnes Tries: Spruce McCurrie Hughes Goals: Hughes (3).Warrington Tries:Guisset (2) Smyth Goals:Briers (3) H/T: 12-8 Att: 6,681

Ben Westwood walks the walk.

16th. August.Lee Briers has ended speculation over his future by signing a new three-year contract . The news is a boost as the Wolves battle against relegation from Super League and comes just 48 hours after the arrival of new coach Paul Cullen. The stand-off said: "There are exciting times to come under the new coach and with the new stadium on the horizon." This is a Major boost for the Wire and I expect a turn around in the clubs fortunes ,Hilton Clarke and now Briers have committed to the club and it must be good for club morale.

15th. August.Hooker Jon Clarke has signed a new contract`with the Wire until the end of 2004. ` The 23-year-old former Great Britain Academy captain played for hometown club Wigan and London Broncos before moving to Wilderspool. Clarke said: "The club have been good to me and there's no way I'd seek new pastures just because we're struggling.This is where my future lies."

14th. August.As reported earlier in the week Paul Cullen has signed a contract to coach the Wolves till 2004.The former Warrington stalwart has the chance to go down in Wire history as the saviour of this great club ,he is under no illusions about the task ahead He Said " We have got to stop staring into the abyss because all it does is frighten you and you choke and become very stale and tired,we are looking no further than the next training session,I am not looking to bring in new players at the moment we have to get he best out of the team we have.I am going to work on building up players self esteem which is pretty low ,the players have been through the mill in the past few months and it doesn't take much to break fragile confidences.I will bring honesty and integrity to the club and try to create a game plan ,an atmosphere and an infrastructure that will allow the talent we have at the club to get us through the next six games,there is untapped talent at the club." The responsibilty now falls on my shoulders and my shoulders alone.We need to stop the responsibility being dispersed throughout the club."Paul Derbyshire will remain at the club as Cullen's assistant,Cullen further revealed that it was a difficult decision to leave Whitehaven but the chance to coach his old club was something he could not turn down.He said "I have a great opportunity ,I will treasure the job and work very hard to make a success of it,the deciding factor was that I couldn't walk away from the fight that Warrington are in at the moment ,and the way The Wire fans have supported the club through these difficult times is also a factor in my coming back here.

Lord Hoyle said David Plange had the chance to turn the club around but it would have bee to big a gamble to let him stay in charge for the climax to Super League 7,Lord Hoyle said "We have got to win at least two games to remain in Super League and it was a gamble keeping David on ,we are in a difficult position there is no denying that we face the drop and we cannot let that happen".Securing Cullen as coach now was a safer bet than waiting until the end of the season.

Squadbuilder review of the season meeting will be held at The Touchdown Club on August 21st 7pm start.Wolves new coach Paul Cullen will be in attendance along with Academy coaches Neil Kelly,Dave Elliott,Gary Chambers and player Steven Pickersgill.Free to squadbuilder members £1 to all others.

13th. August.Warrington will today name Whitehaven coach Paul Cullen as their new coach,Cullen who has done a very good job as Whitehaven boss and will be a popular choice with the Wire faithful ,many thought he should have got the job instead of Steve Anderson.Paul has spent his entire Rugby League career in the Warrington Area ,he played as an amateur at local club Crosfields,before joining the Wire as a youngster where he spent his entire playing career.He will certainly have his work cut out to pull The Wire from a very precarious position .

12th. August. Warrington Wolves have parted company with head coach David Plange through mutual agreement. Plange inherited a team built by former performance director Steve Anderson although Anderson had a 3 year plan if things had carried on the second year would have been in the NFP, although that is still not out of the question.Paul Darbyshire is in charge of running the first team and an announcement on a new head coach will follow soon. A recent poor run of form, culminating in a home defeat by Castleford at the weekend, had seen them slip to third from bottom of the Superleague table. Former Warrington player Paul Cullen is being tipped as the man to take charge at Wilderspool.

11th. August.WARRINGTON 12-24 CASTLEFORD .Warrington showed neither the commitment nor the wit to beat a Cas side that was there for the taking ,it is said that the threat of relegation is putting the players under pressure but Salford and Wakefield are under more pressure but manage better performances.Castleford kept alive their top six hopes with a hard-earned victory . Castleford went ahead after only four minutes when Danny Orr sent Michael Eagar over. Warrington had to wait until the 18th minute for their first points with a penalty from Lee Briers. But the Tigers took charge and Andy Johnson finished off a good move when he dummied over the line.

Warrington.Tries: N Wood .Briers Goals: Briers (2) Castleford Tries Eagar Pryce Johnson Godwin. Goals Bartrim (4) .

8th.August.Warrington players must lift their game in the final seven weeks of the current campaign if the club is to avoid going down a division for the first time in it's history ,David Plange has stated that the performance of certain players is unacceptable heads must not go down in the face of adversity.The performance against St Helens must not be repeated certain players let themselves and the club down and it will not be tolerated.Mark Hilton has said that he is ready for a battle to keep Warrington in the top flight He said "It's going to be a mad final seven weeks and he teams hat want it the most will be the teams that stay up"Mark who has just been given a new 2 year contract added We have got to dig deep now because we are in a relegation battle there are no easy games and no guarantees anywhere." Wakefield and Salford are pushing hard and are putting in better performances than us at the moment,we have got to pull our socks up or we will be relegated."Hilton also mentioned th embarrassment he felt after the St Helend game and said it was hard to look into the faces of supporters who had paid good money to watch such a bad display. David Plange is expecting full commitment from his team for the clash with Castleford on Sunday ,team changes are also in the offing, David Alstead, Rob Smythe, Dale Laughton and Lee Briers are all expected to return,Plange says " We apologise for the debacle we came up with last week at St Helens." From the response the coaches have seen from the players this week we are confident the fans will see a more committed performance against Castleford than we got against St Helens. "Chairman Lord Hoyle and Myself spoke earlier in the week and we know there is no way we can come up with the kind of performance we gave against Saints against Castleford. " There is no way I can accept that kind of performance,some players let themselves down badly and I'm looking to pick 17 players who are willing to give 100% committment against Castleford".Each player in the squad have had a one to one discussion with Plange and Paul Derbyshire to remind players of the commitment required.Plange says "On Thursday we will have a full training session followed by a barbecue at Chester RU club ,It's a different environment and it is something Paul Derbyshire did two years ago after a bad defeat by Huddersfield ,ironically Warrington played Castleford the week after and won."

Jerome Guisset was given a one match ban on Tuesday and will not play,Sid Domic is to see a neurologist to find out what is causing his fatigue and sickness ,he will miss the Cstleford game.Warrington partnership with Chorley Lynx is looking rather tenuous,it is reported that Chorley coach Graham West is unhappy that Warrington players have been loaned out to other clubs ie Matt Sturm going to Whitehaven rather than going to Chorley,Plange says some players have been to Chorley and are not happy there, for it to work players have to have a commitment,there is no agreement that players will go only to Chorley ,however Gary Hulse is currently at the club.

Crosfields Amateur Rugby League club are celebrating 100 years as a club with a game against old Cumbrian rivals Kells on August 17th at Crosfields recreation ground Hood Lane ,junior and youth matches will also take place plus the club will be presented with The Spotsmatch Award the club have been awarded for their work with local schools.There wil also be a reunion with players from the 1988/89 National cup final.On September 20 th a centenary dinner will be held at Alford Hall Manchester rd .It is a mixed event with entertainment provided by Mick Miller ,Mick Morgan and Barry Cheese.Tickets are available priced £25 from Colin Webb on 01923636432.The club are on the lookout for junior players for the new season all ages can join u7's to u15's, training is Monday - Thursday 6pm at Hood Lane.

A delay in the construction of the new stadium is pssible after a blunder by planning bosses,the council had given Tesco permission to build and open the new store before the stadium was up and running ,the council have been told that they cannot do this without autharisation from the appropriate government department,tje problem came to light after a complaint by local supermarket rival Asda,I'm sure this will endear Asda to the Warrington Fans.

4th.August.St Helens 72 Warrington 2... Goal 1 Noone. Nuff said about this debacle.

3rd August.Lee Briers has failed a fitness test and will miss the Saints game. 1. Lee Penny 36. Dean Gaskell 11. Darren Burns 34. Ben Westwood 35. Richie Mathers 13. Sid Domic (c) 33. Nat Wood 18. Nick Fozzard 9. Jon Clarke 8. Mark Hilton 15. Paul Marquet 16. Jerome Guisset 24 Paul Noone. Subs:12. Dean Busby 21. Paul Wood 31. Mike Callan 5. Leon Felton .

Ist August.Lee Briers has become the latest victim of a viral infection that has affected a number of players at Warrington,it has become quite a problem especially with a key game at St Helens coming up on Saturday "Live Sky Sports 6.05pm".David Plange said" We will give him as long as possible to recover before making selection decisions.

Hooker Jon Clarke has given a vote of confidence to the team coaching staff and fans ahead of him signing a new contract,Clarke said" Signing now shows how much confidence I have in the team,we have some fantastic players here and quality players are being brought in for next year.The Warrinton fans are fantastic and although it wont be around forever Wilderspool is a great place to play.Wolves skipper Lee Briers is continueing talks with the club over a new contract,he has a meeting with Andy Gatcliffe later in the week,Widnes Vikings remain interested in signing Briers for next season,and as he is out of contract at the end of the season he will be able to leave the club for free.

Paul Sculthorpe has said as much as he likes the Warington club he will not be doing them any favours on Saturday,Former Wire captain Scully says" I always hope they " Warrington " do well ,they were good to me and I enjoyed my time there,Ilike Warrington but I hope it is a good in for us on Saturday because we continue to need the points in our quest to finish in the best playoff spot possible.Warrington are a funny side they can give a good team a pasting one week and lose to a lesser one the next so we are expecting a tough game.Plange has placed much emphasis on the players producing the goods for 80 mins in contrast to the 60 minutes against Hull.Looking to next season Warrington are known to be persueing a number of overseas players,David Plange also said" It is no secret that Toa Kohe Love is reported to be moving back to Warrington to live ,and if he became available we would be foolish not to be interested..But I believe he still has a year left on his contract If it is correct on him moving it would be impossible to stay at Hull due to the distance to travel for training.Prop Dale Laughton should be fit to face Castleford on August 11th his bach injury has responded well to intensive therapy and traction .

Rylands under 14's have started preseason training ,6pm Tuesdays and Fridays at Rylands rec' Gorsey Lane ,new players are always welcome to attend with a view to playing in the new North West Counties Premier Division more in formation is available from Mark on 01925244462.