27th November.Paul Cullen has added physical presence to his 2004 Warrington Wolves squad with a double catch from the top flight in Australia. He has snapped up, on two-year contracts, 28-year-old bulldozing prop forward Danny Lima ftom Manley and 25-year-old jet-heeled winger John Wilshere from Illawarra St George. Together with prop Chris Leikvoll and loose forward Mike Forshaw, they will complete the new faces in Cullen's squad but negotiations are continuing with Paul Wood, Mike Wainwright and Richard Varkulis. Complex work permit clearance has been granted for Papua New Guinean international Wilshere and Western Samoan Lima this week and i Wolves have been able to sign them as, under new regulations, players from Pacific Islands nations do not count on the overseas quota. Cullen told theWarrington Guardian: "They have both been long term targets to enhance the squad." and the way that we played last season. "Wilshere is well over six feet tall, he has great pace, great balance and I believe quality hands for a winger. He's very versatile in that he can also play full back or centre and has done so at a very high standard. "He gives us a big man on the wing. Our 'kick and catch' prospects were not that good last year. In certain games we kicked the ball across field and came up with nothing but hopefully Wilshere solves that for us. "Lima, on the other hand, is a dynamic and aggressive impact player who started in the majority of his 17 NRL games for Manley last season. "He has that physical toughness and mental toughness that we missed on some occasions last year." The new recruits will run through pre-season training down under and arrive in Britain shortly after Christmas. Wilshere is a national hero in his Rugby League obsessed homeland of Papua New Guinea on the strength of making the top grade in Australia. He has been a teammate of fellow Wolves signing Leikvoll this year at St George Illawarra but has previous experience at Perth Reds, Penrith Panthers and Mel- bourne Storm, where he was a teammate of ex-Wolves players Tawera Nikau and Paul Mar-quet. Wolves skipper Lee Briers will remember Wilshere well from the 2000 World Cup. Wilshere, who has captained the Kumuls, scored a try and two goals in PNG's 22-8 defeat to Wales in the quarter-finals tie at Widnes. He has been representing his country for the past seven years, amassing eight Test appearances, and points to his try in the 54-12 defeat to Australia two years ago as being a career highlight. Wilshere was skipper when PNG defeated France 34-24 in the second Test in June, 2001. Lima has spent the past three seasons at Manly. This year he made 17 appearances in the top flight and scored four tries and has been one of Manly's most consistent forwards. Wolves' squad men will not all be strangers to him. He was a teammate of Graham Appo's at Canberra Raiders in their 1998 Grand Final winning year. Lima, who has not yet gained any representative honours, also had a spell with Sydney City from 1995 to 1996.

Lima and Wilshere careers to date.Warrington Wolves have signed John Wilshere from St George on a two year deal commencing Tetley's Super League IX. Wilshere, a fullback or wing is 1.85m and weighs in at 93kg. John's former clubs include Penrith Panthers (2002), Melbourne Storm (1998) and Pert Reds (1997) where he made his debut. His international honours are playing for Papua New Guineas from 1997 - to date. Tests: 8 Tests for PNG 2000 - 2001, World Cup for PNG 2000 Junior Club: Waterford Demons, Brisbane Previous Clubs: Perth Reds 1997, Melbourne Storm 1998, Penrith Panthers First Grade Debut: Perth v. Canterbury at Belmore, July 13, 1997 (Rd 15) Head Coach, Paul Cullen commented on his latest signing, "John possesses natural speed, great footwork and great hands, he adds another x-factor to our back line and offers International and NRL experience." Lima On his Way, Warrington Wolves have signed Manly Warringah Sea Eagle front rower Danny Lima, 28 on a 2 year deal. Lima has been described as one of 'Manly's most consistent forwards in recent seasons'. Lima's previous clubs are Sydney City (1995-96), Canberra (1998), Northern Eagles (2001 - 2002) and has made 17 appearances for Manly in the 2003 season scoring 4 tries. Danny made his first grade debut in 1995 for Sydney City v. Bulldogs and has made 52 appearances in his NRL career scoring 5 tries. Head Coach, Paul Cullen commented, "Danny is a very powerful, very dynamic and very experienced prop forward. He instantly adds further steel to the Warrington pack and expands our ever-increasing options for next season. He is hardened by his years in the NRL and provides a go forward that we simply didn't have last year." Source wolfmail.

Wolves have offered their under 21s top try scorer Varkulis a contract and were awaiting a response. As far as the futures of Paul Wood and Wainwright are concerned, no imminent announcements are expected. Cullen said: , "Wood has been given time off until after Christmas following on from finishing his Great Britain duties at the weekend. "Wainwright is in discussion about his long term future and further role within the club infrastructure in an educational or a coaching capacity." Full-time squad as it currently stands: Daryl Cardiss, John Wilshere, Graham Appo, Nick Owen (from Academy u21s), Ben Westwood, Dean Gaskell, Brent Grose, lan Sibbit, Lee Briers, Gary Hulse, Nathan Wood, Jamie Durbin, Mark Hilton, Chris Leikvoll, Danny Lima, Warren Stevens, Jerome Guisset, Matt Sturm, Jon Clarke, Mark Gleeson, Darren Burns, Mike Forshaw, Paul Noone. Players in negotiations: Paul Wood, Mike Wainwright, Richard Varkulis.

26th November.Open Day A Success Warrington Wolves opened the doors to the Halliwell Jones Stadium for the first time for their fans to come and have a look around the new facilities and giving them the opportunity to purchase a season ticket before the Earlybird deadline expires on Monday 1st December. The response to the Open Day was overwhelming with more than four thousand fans coming through the doors between 2-8pm yesterday. The fans were able to walk around the pitch, terracing and seats to get a feel for the view on a matchday. The Halliwell Jones Stadium will open for business on Saturday 21st February when Wolves take on Wakefield Trinity Wildcats live on Sky, 6:00pm kick off. Community and Marketing Manager Sean Mellor stated, "The excitement of the Warrington Public on seeing the Wolves' new home has been reflected in their eagerness to snap up season tickets. With less than a week to go before the Earlybird Season Ticket deadline and three months to go to the Tetley's Super League IX home opener at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, sales are already at record levels." Warrington Wolves Youth Development Team of youngsters worked hard selling £1 raffle tickets for the new home shirt for Tetley's Super League IX to the fans as they came through the entrance raised and amazing £630.00. The shirt was won by Mr Hatton of Orford. In spite of purchasing several tickets, Mr. D Tingle was unsuccessful. It's true cos I was there , and it is a tidy stadium with ample disabled facilities, including safe areas for people in wheelchairs in case of fire it is a truly well thought out facility.

20th November .PAUL Cullen is convinced that Great Britain will soon be beating the Aussie's and he is tipping his young guns at Warrington Wolves to play their part. Wolves' head coach believes .That the difference in class between Australia and Great Britain is smaller than it has been for a long time and he has picked out four players in Warrington's ranks with the talent to get an Ashes win. Paul Wood, lan Sibbit. Ben West wood and Dean Gaskell are Great Britain stars of the future as far as CuJlen is concerned and he would love nothing more than to see them mixing it with the Aussies, who have not lost an Ashes series for 33 years. Cullen said: "Great Britain may have blown their bid to win the Ashes at the weekend but the current 2-0 series scoreline is flattering to the Australians. "Both games could not have been much closer and once the disappointment of the two defeats has ebbed away then" Rugby League fans in this country will begin to realise how much progress we have made. We have narrowed the gap immensely in the last few years and I'm sure a Great Britain Test series victory over Australia is not too far away. "The amount of young talent in this country is one of the main reasons for that belief. "I have been privileged to work with the England A squad as John Kear's assistant coach for the European Nations Cup. "I loved every minute of it and I was extremely impressed with the strength in depth of the squad. "There were a lot of quality players in there. One of them was lan Sibbit and there are other youngsters at Warrington Wolves with big futures ahead of them. "Ben Westwood has huge potential and the same can be said about Dean Gaskell. "Paul Wood, on the other hand, is already in the Great Britain fold and he will be itching for a chance to play in the third and final Test on Saturday. "He has been training intensely and I am sure he will give a good account of himself if selected. "Paul has great pace and is very sharp around the ruck but it is not for me to decide whether or not he should play on Saturday." That job belongs to Great Britain coach David Waite, who may be tempted to give his younger squad members a chance to shine in the third Think! Road Safety Test at the McAlpine Stadium in Huddersfield, kick-off 6.15pm.Source Warrington Guardian.

Now that the Ashes are out of the Lions' grasp, the onus should surely be on building for the future and that may mean Mike Forshaw losing his place. The 33-year-old loose forward, who has joined Wolves on a one-year deal, has vowed to hang up his international boots at the end of the series but Cullen is convinced that he still has a lot to offer the game. Cullen said: "Mike has proved in the first two Tests that he is still an international class player. He is as fit and enthusiastic as he has ever been and I'm looking forward to working with him. "His energy on the edge of the pack is something that will make us a better side next season. It will add extra spice to the way we want to defend. "I identified some weaknesses and frailties in our ranks last year and the new players we have brought in and the ones we are looking to bring in will help us put them right".

A SHAKE-up has taken place among the board of directors at Warrington Wolves with the club's first woman director among the casualties. Both Pauline Quayle, who joined the board in 1999, and former council finance director Peter Carey departed following a top level meeting last week, to be replaced by Lance James, from one of the major shareholders JLJ Holdings, and Steven Broomhead, chief executive of the Northwest Development Agency. Lord Hoyle, chairman of the club, said the changes had come about in a bid to greater reflect the interest of the shareholders on the board. He added: "That is not a reflection on the two people who have departed and we thank them for their service through what has been very difficult times and they will always be welcome at the new stadium." Club chief executive Andy Gatcliffe said the changes to the board were part of a restructuring in the club| that happens in many businesses from time t(J time. He added that Lord Hoyle would stay on as the independent chairman of the club. He told the Guardian: "We are aiming to reflect the shareholding of the club on the board and a major share holder, Lance James, from JLJ Holdings, has joined. "And to gain further independence Steven Broomhead who is recognised as being a leading light in the town, the region and beyond has also joined. "We say the sincerest thanks to Pauline and Peter for their work, particularly with the trials and tribulations that were involved in getting to the new stadium." Mrs Quayle was brought in by former chief executive Peter Deakin and is the boss of Chartwel Insurance Brokers on Wilson Patten Street. Mr Carey was brought on board as an independent and sat on a mini-board that led the search for a new coach after Darryl Van de Velde left in 2001.

LIFE members of Warrington Football Club will still be entitled to watch the Wolves for free in their new home as part of a compromise deal agreed by the club. But the row with fans is likely to continue after the board revealed that life members of Wilderspool will still be expected to pay for their 2004 season ticket. Many life members were outraged after the Wolves announced that they expected them to pay for a season ticket in the Halli-well Jones Stadium earlier this year, forcing the club into this week's compromise. A statement from the board said: "The board of directors has given this issue a great deal of consideration and while it is fully recognised that the payment of £105 in 1975 was a lot of money, the life membership only related to the life of Wilderspool and will not therefore be continued at the new stadium. "Some of the life members of the Wilder-spool Centre have stated that they in fact paid monies in later years directly to Warrington Footbal Club and in regard to this, the club can confirm that life membership will be continued at the new stadium on the provision of documentary evidence." A number of supporters paid for life memberships back in the 1970s when the club was in financial turmoil, but some had memberships with the club and others with the Wilderspool stadium itself, hence this week's different agreement. Source Warrington Guardian

17th November.The Halliwell Jones Open Day Warrington Wolves will be holding an Open Day at the new Halliwell Jones Stadium on Monday 24th November, Open Day will run from 2.00pm to 8.00pm. This will be the first time that our fans will have had the opportunity to see the excellent new facilities and meet the Warrington Wolves players. Season Tickets are available for purchase, please note the Earlybird Season Ticket deadline is Monday 1st December 2003. Wolfware will be closed from 12 noon on Monday afternoon due to the staff being relocated to the Halliwell Jones Stadium for the Open Day. For more information please contact 01925 635338.

11 November .Warrington Wolves - The Halliwell Jones Stadium At the Warrington Sports Holdings Board meeting on Monday 10 November 2003, the shareholders unanimously agreed to continue their financial support for the Club and confirmed that all revenue received in the first 3 years at The Halliwell Jones Stadium would be used solely for the benefit of the Club. It was also agreed that a long term lease would be put into place, to give future security for Warrington Wolves and that this, together with the financial support, will ensure that both the first team squad development and the Club's further plans would be delivered. Lord Hoyle, Chairman, commented, "The above coupled with the number of national and local companies who have expressed a wish to sponsor the Club, plus the record season ticket sales, means that the future for the Wolves is extremely bright and hopeful and underlines the Directors' desire and determination not only to provide a first class stadium, but also a Super League team of which Warrington will be very proud."

European Nations Cup Final Rugby League's first ever European Nations Cup final takes place at Wilderspool Stadium on Sunday 16th November, Kick off 2.00pm. England 'A', who will be led out onto the pitch by Wolves coach and Assistant England 'A' coach Paul Cullen, take on the Gaelic flair of the French. England Coach John Kear commented on Paul leading his team out, "As Assistant Coach, he has played a significant part in our campaign this Autumn and we are delighted to be able to honour him this way, at what has been his home stadium as a player and a coach for many seasons". "I hope many Warrington fans can make it to the stadium to both show their appreciation of Paul Cullen and cheer on all members of the England 'A' team". The French, who include hard hitting prop Jerome Guisset amongst its ranks, will be a tough opponent for the cream of the young Super League players. A select French side, led by Guisset, gave the Australian national side a run for its money in October. Lining up against his French team mate will be Ian Sibbit, with the pride of England to play for you can be sure that there will be no love lost at Wilderspool for those 80 mins for the two. Who will be Europe's Champion Nation? Be there and be part of Rugby League history. Ticket prices Adult Ground £10, Concession £5 Bevan Stand Adult £12, Concession £6 Call the Ticket Hotline 01925 235005 Ticket Offer Monday's Rugby Leaguer & League Express contains vouchers supplied by the European Rugby League Federation to gain cut price admission to this Sunday's European Nations Cup Final between England and France at Wilderspool. Two vouchers are available: Kids for a Quid This voucher entitles under 16s to gain ground entry to the match for just £1. Flexi Family Ticket This voucher entitles family admission to the Bevan Stand for £10 per adult (max 2 per voucher) and £1 concessions.

6th November. It looks like Paul Cullen and England A could be in the final of the European Nations Cup Final at Wilderspool on November 16th KO 2pm, unless Wales spoil the party by pulling off a win against England on Sunday at Headingley. Should France beat Scotland in Narbonne on Sunday they will be in the final also.Wire forward Jerome Guisset helped France beat Ireland in Dublin 26-18 Wires Dean Gaskell was in the Irish team, Guisset picked up an injury in that game and the club are waiting for the results of a scan on a suspected hamstring tear, Gaskell also picked up a shoulder injury and he is being assessed by the Wire medical team.

Wire began training on Monday last to prepare for the new season, only those on international duty overseas players and injured players were missing, these included Lee Briers who underwent surgery on Wednesday on his slow to heal wrist injury, he had bone grafted from his hip to rebuild the scaphoid in his left hand. He is expected to be out for a least the next 4 months.