July 2003
31st July.The game with Wigan at Wilderspool on Sunday KO 3pm could be Wires best chance of beating Wigan since the last time which was on March 31st 1997. Having taken the decision to remove coach Raper and install former Wire favourite Mike Gregory as coach untill the end of the season Maurice lindsey is taking a gamble which could with any luck backfire, the Wire go into the game after two good home wins built on solid defence and whirlwind attacking play.The Wire should be at near full strength on Sunday as Sid Domic (ankle) Ben Westwood (lower back) andMark Gleeson ( groin) should all hopefully be back.Prop Nick Fozzard should be available after picking up an eye injury against Halifax, the only player who is certain not to figure is team captain Lee Briers. It will be the last time the Wire entertain Wigan at Wilderspool and Coach Cullen wants the team to make it an event to remember, He said " Mike Gregory will want to start his reign as Wigan's head coach with a win and the players will be keen to impress him, therefore we will have to be on our guard ,we must make sure that we are not the victims, bit part actors in a soap opera that someone else is writing the headlines for." He added " Warrington versus Wigan is a game that everyone wants to play in, it holds a mystique that you do not get in any other game not even when we play against St Helens and Widnes in our other derbies."
Paul Cullen has hinted that he expects Graham Appo to be a Wire player next year. Appo had a superb game against Halifax last Sunday scoring 34 points ,which is more that any other Warrington player has scored in a league game. Cullen said "Graham's contract is up at the end of the year but it is fair to say we want him to stay and he wants to stay, he is a very tealented player, he spent time at 6, 7 and 1 against Halifax and played extremely well on the back of a dominent and proactive go-forward .
Ticket sales for the last game at Wilderspool are giong well and the Briab Bevan stand is almost full with fewer than 50 seats available,the fletcher street end is also filling up,fans are advised to get tickets early ,these can be obtained from the Wolves wolfware shop or on the ticket hotline 01925235005.Or online @ www.wwrlfc.co.uk
Foz explains the why he is leaving .Fozzard said "In total I have spent three years out of the game through injury. During that time I have learned that you have to take your opportunities when they are presented to you, deciding to leave Warrington was the hardest decision I have had to make,I have some good friends here.Everyone at the club from Bob the kit man to chief executive Andy Gatcliffe is great and the fans are out of this world."" I will always have soft spot for Warrington, and I will be very sad when it is time to leave.
30th July.Sturm on Loan Matt Sturm, 28 has gone on loan to Whitehaven for a month. This is Matt's second loan spell with Whitehaven since joining Warrington in Super League Vii, his first spell six weeks was under Wolves current Coach Paul Cullen. Matt has been playing very well in the U21s this season and is looking to re-establish himself in the senior competition. Injury Report ============= Nick Fozzard suffered from a 'bang to the eye' in the Wolves match yesterday against Halifax, which saw him leave the field in the 17th minute and not return. Nick has received two stitches to a cut and is expected to be in contention for the Wolves next fixture against Wigan on Sunday 3rd August at Wilderspool Stadium. There are no other injuries to report from the weekend's game. Tickets Selling Fast ==================== Warrington Wolves are urging fans to buy their tickets in advance to avoid disappointment of not being able to gain entry for the last ever Tetley's Super League game at Wilderspool Stadium on Sunday 21st September against Wakefield Trinity Wildcats. Media and PR Officer Gina Coldrick commented, "We are encouraging fans from both teams to buy their tickets in advance to avoid missing out on what is set to be the climax of the Super League season. Tickets are now limited to less than fifty available in the Brian Bevan Stand, there are no longer any seats together. Ground tickets for the Fletcher End are also selling quickly, we have only 600 tickets available for this End." All season ticket/ticket holders are guaranteed entry. Ticket Prices Brian Bevan Stand: Adult £17 Concession £8 Ground: Adult £12
27th July.Warrington 66 Halifax 6 "Super League record" Mr Complacency was left in the dressing room today as the Warrington players got their heads down to emphasise how far they have come from last season,when they were beaten twice by Halifax, Graham Appo who is looking for a new deal at Warrington certainly put himself at the front of the shop window as he scored 34 points which included 4 tries and 9 goals.Wire never looked back after going 12 nil up in as many minutes.Tries Warrington: T: Clarke(1) Grose 2(9,58), Smyth(18) Burns 2(25,35), Appo 4(30,41,71,79) Wood(38), Hulse(50). Goals G: Appo 9 .Tries Halifax : Birchall , G: Dorahy .H/T: 36-0 Att: 5,291 .
26th July. Watch out for Mr Complacency is the watch word from Wire coach Paul Cullen as the Wire entertain Halifax at Wilderspool this Sunday kick of 3pm,Cullen said "Halifax are in in a negative downward spiral. Everything has been going wrong for them and that's where we were last season." Fortunately we were able to turn the tide and avoid relegation and so can they." Cullen added"Halifax still have on board the majority of the players who were responsible for defeating us in two of our three meetings last season so we will have to be on our guard,we have to make sure we are not the side that allows complacency to kill us, complacency is an excuse for the weak minded and we cannot allow ourselves to be the team that doesn't turn up because Halifax is coming to town".He added " Halifax may have lost 18 games on the spin but I won't be asking any of my players to bring their scrapbooks to Wilderspool on Sunday " What does he mean?.
Team News - Round 20 Paul Cullen names his squad to face Halifax this Sunday at Wilderspool. 5. Graham Appo 1. Lee Penny 2. Rob Smyth 12. Ian Sibbit 5. Brent Grose 4. Ben Westwood * 20. Dean Gaskell 7. Nat Wood 26. Jamie Durbin 19. Gary Hulse 16. Paul Wood 9. Jon Clarke 14. Mark Gleeson 8. Nick Fozzard 10. Mark Hilton 18. Paul Noone 15. Jerome Guisset 17. Warren Stevens 21. Matt Sturm 23. Mike Wainwright 11. Darren Burns* INJURIES -------- 4.* Ben Westwood back injury, faces late fitness test 6. Lee Briers broken scaphoid of the left wrist sustained in Rnd 18 v. London Broncos 11.* Darren Burns suffering from flu faces a late fitness test. 13. Sid Domic ankle injury sustained in Rnd 19 v. Hull FC MILESTONES ---------- 1. Lee Penny needs one more try for a club career century of touchdowns. Nick Fozzard is to leave the Wire and join St Helens on a two year at the end of the season Paul Cullen said".If and when and as and when any individual moves to another club we will simply shake hands and wish them well. "In the meantime our entire focus is our performance against Halifax on Sunday."
| Stadium news.Things are certainly moving on at the Winwick Rd site,the top soil is bedded in and the seed for the pitch has now been sown,hard to imagine that in January this year the site consisted of wasteland after the Tetley walker brewery had been demolished. Although the seats are due to go in soon the building is still a shell , the work will start soon fitting out the various entertainment suites, dressing rooms, gyms, retail outlets and food outlets and the ground should be ready in good time for the first game scheduled to be played on the new ground on the 14th february 2004.Pictures will be available when she who must be obeyed says I am well enough to go and take them.Picture Warrington Guardian. |  |
25th July.Regulars to this site may be wondering where I have been,well a spell in the local hospital is the answer. Anyhow a somewhat truncated appraisal of the past three weeks is all I can offer at the moment.
Team News - Round 20 Paul Cullen names his squad to face Halifax this Sunday at Wilderspool. 5. Graham Appo 1. Lee Penny 2. Rob Smyth 12. Ian Sibbit 5. Brent Grose 4. Ben Westwood * 20. Dean Gaskell 7. Nat Wood 26. Jamie Durbin 19. Gary Hulse 16. Paul Wood 9. Jon Clarke 14. Mark Gleeson 8. Nick Fozzard 10. Mark Hilton 18. Paul Noone 15. Jerome Guisset 17. Warren Stevens 21. Matt Sturm 23. Mike Wainwright 11. Darren Burns* INJURIES -------- 4.* Ben Westwood back injury, faces late fitness test 6. Lee Briers broken scaphoid of the left wrist sustained in Rnd 18 v. London Broncos 11.* Darren Burns suffering from flu faces a late fitness test. 13. Sid Domic ankle injury sustained in Rnd 19 v. Hull FC MILESTONES ---------- 1. Lee Penny needs one more try for a club career century of touchdowns. Nick Fozzard is to leave the Wire and join St Helens on a two year at the end of the seasonPaul Cullen said".If and when and as and when any individual moves to another club we will simply shake hands and wish them well. "In the meantime our entire focus is our performance against Halifax on Sunday."
23rd July.U21s v Leeds Warrington Wolves U21s take on Leeds Rhinos on Wednesday 23rd July, kick off 7.30pm at Wilderspool Stadium. They are currently 4th in the table winning 14 games out of 18. Leeds are currently 3rd in the table on level points with Warrington, but position comes down to the amount of points scored to date, therefore making tomorrow night a crucial game. The team lines up as follows: 1. Lee Patterson 2. Nick Owen 3. Steve Warburton 4. Richard Varkulis 5. Dave Pennington 6. Mike Govin 7. Jamie Durbin 8. Danny Heaton 9. Matty Pitt 10. Lee Gardner 11. Mike Callan 12. Tommy Grundy 13. Steve Pickersgill 14. Phil Braddish 15. Matty Wilson 16. Craig Ashall 17. To be confirmed
22st July.Noone Cleared Paul Noone has been cleared by the RFL Disciplinary Committee and will not face any charges after being put on report in yesterday's game against Hull F.C.
21st July.Hull FC 38 Warrington 14, Hull Tries,Best 2, Horne 2, Fletcher, Ryan 74, Goals Cooke 7. Warrington,Tries, Appo, Grose, Goals ,Smythe 1,Appo 2. Attn 9,835, HT 14-8.
18th July.Round 19 Team News Paul Cullen has named a 19-man squad to face HULL FC in Round 19 5. Graham Appo 2. Rob Smyth 12. Ian Sibbit 5. Brent Grose 4. Ben Westwood 20. Dean Gaskell 7. Nat Wood 19. Gary Hulse 16. Paul Wood 9. Jon Clarke 8. Nick Fozzard 10. Mark Hilton 18. Paul Noone 15. Jerome Guisset 17. Warren Stevens 13. Sid Domic 23. Mike Wainwright 14. Mark Gleeson 11. Darren Burns Injuries --------- 1. Lee Penny - calf injury suffered in training on Thursday 3rd July 2003 6. Lee Briers - broken scaphoid of the left wrist sustained in Rnd 18 v. London Broncos Milestones ---------- 1. Lee Penny needs one more try for a club career century of touchdowns. 15. Jerome Guisset has made 100 (55 + 45) appearances for the Wolves.
15th July.Briers Breaks Wrist Wolves Captain Lee Briers has broken his wrist in the game against London Broncos on Sunday. A precautionary x-ray has revealed that Lee has a broken scaphoid of the left wrist and will face at least eight weeks on the sidelines. Lee played 35 minutes of the second half with the injury scoring his second try of the game and kicking 3 goals. Lee has played 15 games and scored 7 tries, 64 goals and 4 drop goals with a total of 160 points this season so far. Paul Cullen commented, "Rugby League can be a cruel game where serious injuries are accepted as a matter of fact, this isn't the first broken bone that we have had to manage with this year and it won't be the last. For Lee Briers to play 35 minutes at this level with a broken wrist bears testimony to his character and also indicates how determined he is to force himself back in to the international selection process. He chose to play on in order to allow his forwards to be spelled in a game that was played in 80 to 90 degrees weather. Questions about his toughness and leadership have been answered. We are greatly disappointed to be losing the services of the most naturally gifted player in British Super League and we are duty bound to provide a Top 6 league position for his return." Back from injury for this week's game against Hull FC are Gary Hulse (tonsillitis), Mike Wainwright (ankle) and Mark Hilton (groin), Matt Sturm returns to the U21s from a neck injury and Lee Penny (calf) is due back for selection against Halifax in two weeks time.
11th July. Paul Cullen has named a 20-man squad to face London in Round 18. 5. Graham Appo 2. Rob Smyth 12. Ian Sibbit 5. Brent Grose 4. Ben Westwood 20. Dean Gaskell 6. Lee Briers 7. Nat Wood 19. Gary Hulse 16. Paul Wood 9. Jon Clarke 8. Nick Fozzard 21. Matt Sturm 18. Paul Noone 15. Jerome Guisset 17. Warren Stevens 13. Sid Domic 23. Mike Wainwright 14. Mark Gleeson 11. Darren Burns INJURIES -------- 1.LEE PENNY calf injury suffered in training on Thursday 3rd July 2003 8.MARK HILTON groin injury suffered in Rnd 17 v Leeds (6/7/03) MILESTONES ---------- 1. LEE PENNY needs one more try for a club career century of touchdowns. 15. JEROME GUISSET has made 99 (54 + 45) appearances for the Wolves. Fixture Change ============== Round 24 match against Widnes Vikings is now on Saturday 23rd August, kick-off is 6.05pm Live on Sky Sports.
7th July. Sibbit and Wood Selected for the 'A' Paul Wood and Ian Sibbit have been named in the England 'A' squad for this Autumn's representative honours. Paul Wood, 21 was selected last year, but it not make it into the final 17 for the Fijian and Tongan Tour last November. Ian Sibbit, 22 returned to the Wolves this season after spending a year in the NRL competition with Melbourne Storm. Both Wood and Sibbit have worked their way through the structure at Warrington since joining the Academy in 1998. Wood has made 13 appearances for the club this season scoring 2 tries while teammate Sibbit has made 14 appearances scoring 4 tries. Paul Wood commented on his selection,"I'm really pleased to get a call up for the second year, it was something that I was aiming for this season. Last year I didn't make the final cut which was very disappointing, so this year I am aiming to make it into the 17." Ian Sibbit was delighted with his selection, "It is an honour to be selected in the A side, it will be my first international honour if I make it through to the final cut, which is what I am aiming to do." Head Coach Paul Cullen commented, "It rewards both players for their efforts so far this season and encourages other Warrington players that they are also in consideration. There is along way to go from now to November, this is all about who can have a crack at the Aussies via GB or England."
6th July. Leeds 30 Warrington 20, Leeds tries,Cummins ,Poaching 2,Furner, McKenna,Goals Furner 5. Warrington,P.Wood,Briers 2,Goals Briers 4. attn 13,398,HT 12-8
3rd July.Darren Burns is the big doubt for Paul Cullen as he decides the squad to take on Leeds at Headingley on Sunday KO 3pm, Burns is trying to recover from a knee impact injury, Assistant coach Paul Derbyshire said" Burns is the biggest doubt of the week and obviously we would like to have every player on board. Darren has been present in the side for much of the year so obviously he would be a big loss if he did not recover in time." However we are not short of backrowers at the moment and there are players chomping at the bit to play, I think Jerome Guisset will be keen to prove a point if he gets back in the starting 17 after missing out against Huddersfield. And Paul Wood who has recovered from a shoulder injury and is back in training is another obvious replacement."" It will depend on how they go in training in terms of how Paul Cullen may work out his 17 for Sunday."" But we need to treat the Origin game as though it will play no part in our game whatsoever , and thinking about how professional Leeds are we should prepare accordingly,Leeds have a strong squad and there coach may even rest a few players".
Rob Smythe is hoping that the Origin game will leave a few of the Rhinos players a little bashed about as they take on the Wire on Sunday,He said " Hopefully everyone will have bashed each other in what is a Great Britain trial game and they have come up with a few injuries or come up a bit short on the field as a result. It is a massive edge for us".
Warrington will be entertaining teams from down under after the current season ends,as announced previously New Zealand A are lined up to take on the Wire on the 26th October, and this week it is announced that the Under 18's will be playing the Penrith Panthers under 18 touring side on the 29th November.
Nick Fozzard will be free to play against Leeds after being found not guilty of using the elbow in the game against Huddersfield.
Smythe winner Vs Huddersfield picture.
Brian Bevan. The Warrington Guardian poll to decide where the Brian Bevan statue will be moved to if indeed moved at all is going on at the moment, votes are flooding in to the web site or by post with over two thirds at the moment in favour of the statue following the team to the new ground on Winwick rd. Warrington Borough Council have said that the money is there to moved the statue,the vote will close in July. You can vote on, www.thisiswarrington.co.uk
The Wire are still looking for a sponsor for the new stadium, if you have the cash and would like to see your name in lights it will cost you £75,000 a year for 10 years, £35,000 is returned in benefits so come on dig deep,get nation-wide coverage whenever the ground is mentioned on radio and TV, plus over 2 million vehicles pass the ground every year.
Warrington Wolves Performance and Development Team will be running a series of coaching clinics looking at individual player specific coaching. All coaches are welcome, however the clinics will be aimed at club and senior coaches looking to develop individuals' understanding and skill in their specific role. The clinics will be held at William Beamont Sports College Vida facility, Thursday 17, 24 and 31 July, 6.00pm. There will be reference material handed out on the evening, which will be used in conjunction with the Wolves scholarship and recruitment panel. The sessions will be run by Gary Chambers (Player Performance Manager), Dave Elliott (Scholarship Manager), Brian Chambers (Coach Educator), and Vinny Webb (Academy Foundation). The clinics will carry a continual Professional Development Certificate, which can be obtained, through the development office. To register on the clinics, please call Debbie at the Wolves Development Office on (01925) 635338.
1st July The Wire's young winger Dean Gaskell, in his first year of a full time has been rewarded for his efforts in 2003 with a call up to the Super League Under 21 side, who face their National League counterparts in the pre-match build up to Wednesday nights origin game at Odsal. The young player who inadvertently gave Bradford a match winning try .
