may2006

28th May. Warrington 46 Castleford 28. A Queer game as 91 year old Ces Waller, he will be 92 on Wednesday remarked at the end of the game, Ces it would seem has watched Warrington since 1929 and attended the Wire v Halifax game at Odsall only getting in at half time due to the problems getting to the ground pre motorway, and I should imagine he has seen a few as he put it queer games, Cas scored first through Michael Shelton, Fa'afilli hit back and Warrington sort of took command, but it seems these days never underestimate a supposedly weaker opponent , Cas always threatened but Wire always seemed to do just enough to keep ahead not as convincing as last time they mt but proably more intersting, since we won at least. Lee Briers is at No 3 in the Wire players to score 1000 points or more ( 1699pts). Coach Paul Cullen "There was a lot more fight in them today than there was last time we played but we weren't at our best. "If you rattle up 60-odd points against a team then they're going to come back and have a bit of a go, and to be fair, they did. "Last time there were points where, once we'd got them over, they had no answers, but they came back and had a bit of a fight. You can see they've not given up on their season."

Scorers.Warrington (26) 46 Tries: Fa'afili, Swann, Clarke, Barnett, Grose 2, Wood, Briers Goals: Briers 7 Castleford (6) 28 Tries: Shenton 2, Lupton, Bird, Sculthorpe Goals: Huby 3, McGoldrick .

Cullen: Reardon was exceptional Coach Paul Cullen believes Stuart Reardon is on the verge of regaining his Great Britain jersey with great performance over Castleford Tigers in Round 15 of the engage Super League. Paul commented, "Lee Briers' thought process is well in advance of the vast majority of players in Super League, and to be honest, you now have to start putting Stuart Reardon in the same bracket. "He was exceptional today. He's probably the strongest returner of a kick in Super League. He's very, very dynamic."

Teams Warrington: Reardon, Fa'afili, M. Gleeson, Grose, Barnett, Briers, Sullivan, Wood, Clarke, Hilton, Swann, Wainwright, Westwood. Replacements: M. Gleeson, Grix, Pickersgill, Lima. Castleford: Platt, Pryce, Shenton, Bird, Blanch, McGoldrick, Lupton, Ward, Henderson, Nutley, Sculthorpe, Manu, Huby. Replacements: Fa'aoso, Handforth, Viane, Whitaker. Referee: R Laughton (Barnsley) Attn 9,508.

Back to Winning Ways. Both Wolves Academy sides picked up victories over their Castleford counterparts this afternoon. Gary Chamber's Senior Academy side made short work of the Tigers with a 12 try mauling at Wilderspool, whilst dave Elliot's Junior Academy picked up a hard-fought 33-28 at Weldon Road The Senior Academy dominated their game, punching massive holes in the Tigers defence with tries to Riley, Penny 2, Jerram, Archer 2, Roper, Harrison 2, Bracek, Hull and Cornelia. The kicking of Stephen Roper shone through with 10 conversions and a personal points haul of 24 for the day. Steven Kirk grabbed the consolation point for the beaten Tigers. The game was slightly marred by second-rower Tom Haughey being stretchered off with a neck injury. The Wolves running out 68-4 victors at the final hooter.

27th May.A Champion Inspires Former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Evander Holyfield visited the Wolves players at the Halliwell-Jones Stadium and gave them some inspirational words for the second half of the season. The 4 times former Champ was in town on a whistle-stop tour of the area as he tours the country with speaking appointments, but found time to stop off and talk with the Wolves players and coaching staff. "It was absolutely inspirational, the players were awestruck, he commands a presence but was a gentleman and was very professional.", commented Paul Cullen, "We sat down and asked him questions, fired them at him left, right and centre and he handled them exceptionally well. You can see why he has not only been physically the toughest man on the planet, but mentally the toughest too." Evander Holyfield with the Wolves players"Evander is all about mental toughness, he's not much bigger than me in height, he's had to fight bigger, tougher men all the way through his career. We like the underdog at Warrington, we've been there many times and understand the mentality." "Of all the Wolrd Champions I don't think we could have brought anyone with a better example of the Warrington spirit to talk the Warrington players than Evander Holyfield because he's done it the hard way, just like we are trying too."

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Improvement Needed Senior Academy Coach Gary Chambers is looking for improved performances from his charges as they face the Castleford Tigers this Saturday at Wilderspool, kick-off 3pm. With injuries to first team forwards Steve Pickersgill has been called into first team duty,with Andy Bracek 18th man for the Super League fixture. Chris Riley, Kevin Penny, Matty Blythe, Antony Jerram, Harry Archer, Sam Gee, Stephen Roper, Matty Bryers, Michael Johnson, Rick Jones, Danny Colquitt, Ben Harrison, Andy Bracek, Chris Hull, Craig Cornelia, Kyle Neale, Danny Aboushakra . source wolfmail.

26th May.18-Man Squad Coach Paul Cullen has named his 18-Man squad to face Castleford Tigers in round 15 of the engage Super League this Sunday at the Halliwell-Jones Stadium and also speaks of the blow to the team losing Paul Rauhihi.

Paul Wood reckons the power of positive thinking has turned round the Wolves' season - and put him back in contention for a Great Britain spot. In recent weeks, his side have beaten Bradford and Leeds and pushed St Helens close. And Wood's own impressive form has seen him drafted into the Great Britain squad for next month's one-off international against New Zealand. And all that after Warrington were written off at the start of the season as under-achievers. "I think some people not connected to the club were panicking about our form because of one or two results," said Wood. "But we just stayed calm. It's easy to say it now, but we always knew what we could do. "We have a lot of good leaders at Warrington on and off the field, so we stayed relaxed and things have been working out for us. It was just a case of being positive." It's great being involved with Britain but I'm trying not to look too far ahead. I need to keep focused on my form with Warrington. name here That recent run of results has got many pundits tipping Paul Cullen's side to make a big impression on the play-offs at the end of the season. And Challenge Cup hopes are high, too, after a quarter final draw paired them with National League side Hull Kingston Rovers. Wood is also hoping this could finally be his year for full international honours after a disastrous first attempt to win a GB cap. Three years ago he was named in the Lions squad for a test series against Australia, before injury hit. "I took a tackle in a warm up game against New Zealand A and did my shoulder," he says. "I was pretty upset at the time but you have to get used to the fact that these thngs happen. "I decided to stay positive, you can't get depressed. I was only 21, so I felt my time would come again." Last year he shone for England, being named International player of the year for his country. But now he's hoping to take the step up for Great Britain against New Zealand at Knowsley Road at the end of June as welll as the Tri-Nations tournament down under in the Autumn. "It's great being involved with Britain, meeting all the other players and learning from them. But I'm trying not to look too far ahead. I need to keep focused on my form with Warrington. "At the moment, playing well for the club is the main thing .Original Source Dave Woods BBC Sport.

25th May.Rauhihi out for 3 months, Wire have been rocked by a long term injury to club captain Paul Rauhihi. The 32-year-old New Zealand test prop has been ruled out for a minimum of twelve weeks after specialists inspected damage to a disc in his back. Rauhihi, who was finding top form in the primrose and blue jersey will have to endure a frustrating spell on the sidelines as Warrington hope to continue their fine engage Super League form and progress further in the Powergen Challenge Cup. Head Coach Paul Cullen commented: "Obviously this is huge blow to the camp, but we hope to have Paul back in August, similarly to the case of Rob Parker he will return at an important stage of the season. Together they will offer us a lift on and off the field." On a positive note Chris Leikvoll returns to action this week after a successful trip to the dentist and Mike Wainwright is expected to feature against Castleford Tigers on Sunday after resting a back injury. Rauhihi who was signed from North Queensland Cowboys in May last year had his introduction to the Engage Super League interrupted by a hamstring tear. Sadly for The Wolves The Kiwi has again been halted in his progress on the field. Rauhihi, who will meet his New Zealand coach Mike McCleannan on Sunday to discuss the setback , said:"It’s massively disappointing and I’m a really down, I’m targeting a return in August. Whilst I’m injured I’ll be there in the stands watching the boys." His battle back to fitness will be aided by the fact he is clearly a very fit athlete with a burning desire to succeed with Warrington. Before joining The Wolves he was consistently amongst the leading props in the NRL for meterage and offloads. He was named Dally M prop of the Year in the NRL 2004 and captained New Zealand in the Tri Nations later that year. The Kiwi gave Warrington fans a glimpse of what he could do on the field in stunning victories over Bradford, Leeds, Castleford and Catalans. wolfmail

Team News Coach Paul Cullen has named his initial 20-man squad to face the Castleford Tigers in Round 15 of the engage Super League at the Halliwell-Jones Stadium on Sunday, Kick-off 3pm.

22nd May. CC Draw Warrington Wolves have been drawn away at LHF Healthplan National League One leaders Hull Kingston Rovers in the Quarter-Finals of the Powergen Challenge Cup. The game will played Live on BBC on Sunday 4th June, Kick-off 2.05pm. The last time the clubs met in the Cup was in 1989 also in a Quarter-Final at Craevn Park, with Warrington taking the victory 30-4 before being beaten by Wigan at Maine Road.

The Wolves have been given 1,500 tickets for the South Stand at Craven Park, plus 200 seats for the Roger Millward Stand.

Ticket Prices are: Standing (East, South or West Stands) Adults - £12, Children - £7, Concession - £8 Roger Millward Stand (Covered Seating) Adults - £14, Children - £7, Concession - £10 Tickets will be available for purchase by Friday from the WolfWare shop, whilst the game is not all ticket fans are advised to purchase their tickets early to guarantee entry.

Warrington 46 Whitehaven 2. Warrington eased into the Challenge Cup quarter-finals with an easy victory over Whitehaven. They led 24-2 at half-time courtesy of tries from Logan Swann, Paul Wood, Martin Gleeson and Brent Grose. They continued in the same vein in the second half with Mark Gleeson, Jon Clarke, Briers and Michal Sullivan all crossing. Lee Briers landed six goals for Warrington, while Haven's only points came from a Carl Rudd goal. Paul Cullen was happy with a proffesional display although the last pass sometimes was not as good as expected, he mentioned Lee Briers for special praise after being taken off he wanted to come back on and added 1 try and 6 goals.Added Cullen"All I'm thinking about is next week's game against Castleford and we'll now prepare for that game. "We weren't at our best and our final pass at times let us down, but we were professional and did the job. "Credit to Whitehaven. They came here and defended bravely and were a credit to themselves."

Scorers. Warrington: (24) 46 Tries: Swann, Wood, Martin Gleeson, Grose, Mark Gleeson, Clarke, Briers, Sullivan Goals:L Briers 6, P Noone Whitehaven: (2) 2 Goals: Rudd.

Teams. Warrington: Reardon, Fa'afili, Martin Gleeson, Grose, Barnett, Briers, Sullivan, Wood, Clarke, Hilton, Swann, Noone, Westwood. Replacements: Pickersgill, Grix, Mark Gleeson, Lima. Whitehaven: Broadbent, Calvert, R Jackson, Eilbeck, Maden, Joe, Duffy, M Jackson, Sice, Tindall, McAvoy, Hill, Rudd. Replacements: Walsh, Chambers, Barker, Lebbon.

18th May.What's the Odds? Betting Tipster to Radio Merseyside's Rugby League Hour Mike Oxley thinks that the return of Jon Clarke will the see the hooker looking to make an early impact. "With Warrington giving Whitehaven a start of around 34 on the Coupon, I would be tempted to only have a speculative punt on first tryscorer at best. My pick would be Jon Clarke at 12/1 to score the first try. After his ban Clarkey will be itching to get back on the park and show the Warrington faithful what he is made of. I think Warrington at 8/1 to win the Challenge cup is too big a price to miss with Betfred. With Bradford or St Helens guaranteed an exit this round, Warrington could literally have a bye to the final with a favourable draw."

Duffy: Briers is on Fire Former Warrington half-back John Duffy is looking forward to coming back to the town and pitting his wits against the in-form Lee Briers as the Wolves take on Whitehaven in this Sundays Powergen Challenge Cup clash.

17th May. CC Team News Coach Paul Cullen named his squad to face Whitehaven in the 5th round of the Powergen Challenge Cup at a pre-match press conference at the Halliwell-Jones Stadium.

Also in the squad are Chris Riley as a utility back, Andy Bracek and Ben Harrison cover for the forwards.

Powergen Challenge Cup Fifth Round Warrington Wolves vs Whitehaven RL Kick-Off 4pm at The Halliwell Jones Stadium A host of old friends will become rivals on Sunday afternoon as Warrington Wolves take on Whitehaven RL at The Halliwell Jones Stadium. The Cumbrian NL1 side will make the trip to Cheshire for the fifth round of the Powergen Challenge Cup and their will be a sense of familiarity on the pitch and in the dugouts. Wolves coach Paul Cullen, who coached the Cumbrian side before returning to Wilderspool will be looking forward to welcoming his former employers, while Warrington’s Cumbrian born Senior Academy Coach Gary Chambers will be plotting the downfall of his brother Craig who is expected to take the field for Haven. Commenting on the draw Paul Cullen said "This will certainly be an exciting fixture for all concerned. Wolves supporters can rest assured that we will be giving Whitehaven the respect they deserve and I do not intend to rest any players for this game. I know quite a lot about the Whitehaven squad including many of the players I have worked with in the past. This promises to be a traditional cup tie for all the supporters." The two teams have only ever met twice before in the Challenge Cup, once in 1970 when Warrington took the victory 20-4 and in 2004 in the Quarter-Final stage with the Wolves again taking a victory, 42 points to 10. wolfmail.

13th May. St Helens 34 Warrington 22. This was definately a game of 4 halves Wire started well but fell apart in the second half of the first half when they let St Helens in for two late tries. Wire came out strong in the second half and quickly closed the gap on Saints with some sterling attacking play and some good defence,Richie Barnett earned a penalty try when he was bundled off the ball when it would have been impossible not to score, the half ended with Wire on the Saints line with 1 minute to go when a pass that could have drawn the game instead went into the hands of Ade Gardner who had a clear run to the line .Warrington head coach Paul Cullen: "We'll take a lot of confidence from that performance and I thought the second half was outstanding. "To be that far behind at half-time (26-4) and come back the way we did takes some doing. "We're very disappointed in the dressing room with our discipline lapses that cost us in the first half."

Teams. St Helens: Wellens, Gardner, Lyon, Pryce, Long, Fozzard, Cunningham, Cayless, Gilmour, Wilkin, Sculthorpe, Roby, Hooper, V. Anderson, Graham, I Hardman, Clough, Webster. Warrington: Reardon, Fa'afili, M. Gleeson, Grose, Barnett, Briers, Sullivan, Rauhihi, M. Gleeson, Leikvoll, Wainwright, Swann, Westwood. Replacements: Noone, Wood, Bracek, Hilton.

Scorers. St Helens (26) 34 Tries: Gilmour (2), Gardener (2), V Anderson Goals: Lyon (6), Long Warrington (4) 22 Tries: Sullivan, Fa'afili, Barnett Goals: Briers (3) . Attn 13,250.

12th May.Paul Cullen has named his final 18-man squad for the clash with Super League leaders St Helens at Knowsley Road, although missing several key players through injury or suspension the Wolves are looking to continue their run of wins against a determined Saints team. Brent Grose Henry Fa’afili Martin Gleeson Stuart Reardon Lee Briers Michael Sullivan Chris Leikvoll Mark Hilton Logan Swann Michael Wainwright Paul Noone Mark Gleeson Ben Westwood Paul Wood Danny Lima Richie Barnett Paul Rauhihi Andy Bracek

Injured: Chris Bridge – Expected to return next week versus Whitehaven in the Powergen Challenge Cup, he failed a fitness test this week with an ankle injury. Rob Parker – Out for two months with double fracture of his cheekbones, this week he underwent surgery to insert two plates in his face. Toa Kohe-Love – Out for a month after an operation to solve cartilage problems in his knee. Simon Grix – Out for one week after sustaining head injury against Catalans Dragons.

Day of Reckoning? Betting Tipster to Radio Merseyside's Rugby League Hour Mike Oxley thinks that the Wolves are ready to beat the Saints on their own turf. "The day of reckoning has come for the Wolves, in recent years the saints have got the better in the close encounters between the two sides. But in recent weeks you can argue that Warrington are in the best form of the two, with recent victories over Bradford and Leeds. Are Warrington ready to complete the hattrick of wins over the top three teams of the super league? My answer is yes, Warrington are competing consistently at the highest level to beat the Saints on their own patch. As well as betting them on the handicap with a +8 start, I would have a small wager on the 11/4 available over 80 minutes as well." wolfmail.

11th May. Andrew Johns.When asked if he could play in the UK at any time and rumours suggested Hull and a link with the coach there Andrew Johns said if he was to play anywhere it would be at Warrington.

Warrington have not beaten arch rivals St Helens for 5 years, and coach Paul Cullen has asked his squad to step up a gear on Friday night and do to Saints what the Wire have done to Bradford and Leeds in recent weeks.Chris Bridge is expected to return in place of Simon Grix who was concussed during the Catalan game. and could fail the mandatory RFL concession test.

10th May. Warrington are to appeal against the one match ban imposed on Jon Clarke when he was adjudged to have made a dangerous tackle in the recent game against Catalan Dragons.Latest lost appeal .

9th May.Record number of Supporters ! The Catalans Dragons broke another record last weekend, this time by hosting over 2,500 Warrington supporters at the match Saturday night! A special congratulations goes out to Jim Coyne and Dave Stanway who actually spent the 6 days leading up to the game cycling across country to be at the match. The two men departed Halliwell Jones Stadium in Warrington in the early hours of Sunday morning the 30 th of April and reached Stade Aimé Giral at 7.00am Saturday morning prior to the match. This enormous effort was made not only to travel to the match but to raise funds for cancer research. Well done to Jim, Dave and their support driver Alban Molyneux. Source Catalan Dragons

Team News Paul Cullen names his initial 20-man squad for the clash against League Leaders St Helens this Friday at Knowsley Road. The team was announced before it was learned that Jon Clarke had picked up a one match ban for a dangerous tackle during the Catalan game.

7th May. Rob Parker could be out of contention for up to 8 weeks after suffering a shattered cheekbone in the win against Catalan Dragons yesterday.

6th May. Catalan 16 Warrington 44 .Warrington stay in the top four in Super League with a seven-try win in France.Lee Briers certainly appeared to have a point to prove after missing out on international recognition when he wasn't named in a 36-man party for the XXXX Test with New Zealand. He set up the opening four tries for the Wire and then grabbed a score of his own in the second half to go alongside his eight successful kicks. Brent Grose was the first to benefit from Briers' kicking skills as he gathered up a grubber kick on the left to opening the scoring. Mike Wainwright also got on the scoresheet thanks to the skipper's boot and he then showed his ability with ball in hand as he dummied his way past two defenders before sending Logan Swann over the line.A Briers penalty got the scoring underway after the interval and he was then back to his tricks with the ball at his feet as his well-weighted kick set up Simon Grix. Alex Chan attempted to stop the former St Helens player with a late tackle that only resulted in the New Zealand forward being shown a yellow card. Warrington took full advantage of the extra man almost immediately with Ben Westwood's excellent run laying on a deserved try for Briers. The forward also laid on a score for Paul Wood before going over himself from close range as not even a late consolation for the Dragons from Murphy could take the shine off an impressive Wire display.

Catalan Tries J Murphy 2, J Fakir Goals: M Dobson 2: Warrington Tries: B Grose, M Wainwright, L Swann, S Grix, L Briers, P Wood, B Westwood, Goals: L.Briers 8. HT 12 - 18. Attn 5,877

Teams: Warrington: Reardon, Fa'afili, M. Gleeson, Grose, Barnett, Briers, Grix, Leikvoll, Clarke, Rauhihi, Wainwright, Swann, Westwood. Replacements: M. Gleeson, Wood, Parker, Lima. Catalans Dragons: Frayssinous, Murphy, Wilson, Hughes, Verges, Rudder, Dobson, Fellous, Rinaldi, Guisset, Fakir, Jampy, Hindmarsh. Replacements: Berthezene, Chan, Beattie, Touxagas.

4th May. Toa Kohe-Love will need an operation on his knee problem, he is expected to be out for three weeks after a cartlidge operation, also Chris Bridge and Michael Sullivan will not be flying to Perpignan. Paul Cullen expects both to be fit to face St Helens. Suggested 18-man squad: Stuart Reardon, Henry Fa'afili, Martin Gleeson, Brent Grase, Richie Barnett, Lee Briers, Simon Grix, Jon Clarke, Paul Rauhihi, Chris Leikvoll, Logan Swann, Mike Wainwright, Mark Gleeson, Ben Westwood, Paul Wood, Paul Noone. Danny Lima, Rob Parker.

3rd May. Cullen praises Fa'afilli. "Henry has taken our player of the month award for all the early months of the season so far," said Cullen. "That's because of his efforts in the gym, on the training field, on the park and off the park. "You have to take an holistic approach to your work and Henry is the ultimate professional. I think we are up there punching with the big boys Paul Cullen "When you play at the top end of this competition you have to make sure everything is in order and nothing can catch you out." Back-to-back wins against Bradford and Leeds have inflated optimism amongst Warrington fans and the side are currently fourth in the Super League table. But Cullen believes things can get even better. "The problem at this club used to be winning games. We're a side that hide in the anonymity of the bottom four, but we've corrected that," he said. "I think we are up there punching with the big boys and there is more to come in the way we prepare and the way we train. "It can get better, but you have to be on your toes because any side can pop up and surprise you at any time."

1st May. Warrington 44 Leeds 16 The scoreboard. Warrington recovered from a poor start to take a deserved and convincing win against a shell-shocked Leeds. Leeds led through Lee Smith's try but Wolves scores from Henry Fa'afili, Paul Rauhihi, Jon Clarke, Richie Barnett and Rob Parker left them stunned. A fantastic display by a Wire team that really up for this game few handling errors and good set completion set the Wire up for a great win.Wolves coach Paul Cullen: "The effort was fantastic - this was a decent day's work. "On its own it's a massive win. But to do that off the back of the win over Bradford takes some doing." Richie Barnett Try an unusual view.

Teams :Warrington: Reardon, Fa'afili, M. Gleeson, Grose, Barnett, Briers, Grix, Leikvoll, Clarke, Wood, Wainwright, Swann, Westwood. Replacements: Kohe-Love, Rauhihi, M. Gleeson, Parker. Leeds: Mathers, Donald, Walker, Senior, Smith, McGuire, Burrow, Peacock, Diskin, Bailey, Lauitiiti, Jones-Buchanan, Ellis. Replacements: Millard, Poching, Scruton, O'Neill.

Scores Warrington: (28) 44 Tries: Fa'afili 3, Rauhihi, Clarke, Barnett, Parker 2 Goals: Briers 6 Leeds: (6) 16 Tries: Smith, Burrow, McGuire. Goals: Goals: Burrow, Smith. Attn 11,753.

Fancy a Flutter? What's the odds on Henry Fa'afili bagging the first try on Monday? According to the latest odds the Wolves curent leading try scorer is 12/1 to touchdown against Leeds Rhinos at the Halliwell-Jones. Betting Tipster to Radio Merseyside's Rugby League Hour Mike Oxley sees the Round 12 game like this: "After last weeks walkover against Bradford. Warrington need to show that they are genuine top 4 material, And a decisive victory over a Leeds team who in recent weeks have stuttered and have missed influential captain Kevin Sinfield will go a long way to cement them in the top four. I would also have a speculative punt on Martin Gleeson for first tryscorer at 12/1, who has shown in recent weeks that he has got his tryscoring prowess back."

Others :Chev Walker 14/1 Stuart Reardon 16/1 Richard Mathers 16/1 Lee Briers 20/1 Rob Burrow 16/1 Ben Westwood 25/1 Ali Lauitiiti 16/1 Logan Swann 25/1 Gareth Ellis 20/1 Michael Sullivan 25/1 Jamie Peacock 20/1 Jon Clarke 33/1 Shane Millard 20/1 Mike Wainwright 33/1 Chris Feather 25/1 Paul Noone 33/1 Matt Diskin 33/1 Mark Gleeson 33/1 Willie Poching 33/1 Paul Wood 40/1 Nick Scruton 40/1 Paul Rauhihi 50/1 Ryan Bailey 40/1 Danny Lima 66/1 Rob Parker 66/1 Chris Leikvoll 80/1

Well what happened?	Chris Bridge.	Richie clears the line.
Fa'afili try.	Swann takes the pass.	Wire Pressure.
Richie goes in.	Westwood Tackles	Briers Kicks.

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