September 2007
18th September. Kevin Penny's remarkable first season in Super League got even better when he was named in the initial Great Britain train-on squad. The 19-year-old winger, who gave up a promising basketball career for rugby league, was named in the Super League Dream Team on Monday after making just 12 full appearances for the Wire. And now he is among 11 players chosen by Great Britain coach Tony Smith from clubs eliminated from the Super League play-offs to prepare for the Gillette Fusion Test series against New Zealand, which starts next month. He is joined by his Wire team-mates Martin Gleeson, Adrian Morley, who captained Britain against France in the summer, Jon Clarke and Ben Westwood.
Henry Fa'afili ended home and away part of the season as Super League's top try scorer after scoring at Salford on Friday.
14th September.Salford 24 Warrington 36 Coach Paul Cullen "We are disappointed not to have made the six. Had it gone our way what we would have done next week is anyone's guess. "But you have to commend the bravery of all 34 players. We had 10 players out and Salford had 11 and that is a lot of damage to personnel at the back end of the season. "It was not the best game of rugby but for us it was our last 17 standing. "Lee Mitchell has come straight from the under 18s and he is a big strong unit and he played 80 minutes in the second row which is a big ask for his age."
Scorers.Salford:Tries: Barnett 2, Turner, McGuinness 2 Goals: Wilshere (3) Warrington: Tries: Fa'afili, Bridge, Westwood (2), Mitchell, Rauhihi Goals: Briers (5) .HT 16-20
Squads. Salford: Saxton, Hodgson, McGuinness, Littler, Barnett, Wilshere, Ratchford, Korkidas, Alker, Nash, Brocklehurst, Finnigan, Turner. Replacements: Dorn, Gower, Highton, Adamson. Warrington: Grose, Riley, M. Gleeson, Fa'afili, Penny, Bridge, Briers, Rauhihi, Clarke, Leikvoll, Westwood, Mitchell, Anderson. Replacements: Grix, Blythe, Bracek, Harrison. Attd 5,152
13th September. Paul Cullen, has Paul Rauhihi after a ban, believes the determination of his players to overcome injuries during a tortuous season is worth a place in the play-offs. "Absolutely," he said. "Steve Pickersgill and Ben Harrison were on the bench last week and played with injuries that ought not to have allowed them to be in that situation. "It was very brave of them to put their bodies on the line like they did just to get out in a shirt and give what they had left available. We literally didn't have anyone else. Chris Leikvoll isn't running through the week and neither is Ben Westwood. "There are a number of others that we are not putting out on the training field, we're just trying to save everything for game day. "To push Vinnie Anderson out in the final game of the season is a clear indication that we have not given up the fight. It's very important to make the play-offs for our confidence and to reward the players for their hard work. "We have been battered and bruised right from round one and to still be in the fight for the six is quite remarkable. "We want to finish our season on a positive high note and hopefully that's going to be in the play-offs." Anderson said "I hope I can make an impact," he said. "I'm not going to be trying to ease myself in even though it's my first game back. It's the end of the season so I've got to jump straight in and do a job. "I can't wait to play because it's been a long time. I went into hospital on Friday and they gave me a couple more injections and I'm feeling much better." If Wolves make the play-offs they will travel to the third-placed side, which will be either Bradford or Leeds, next.
Head Coach Paul Cullen has named his 18 man squad to face Salford City Reds in Round 27 of the engage Super League XII at The Willows on Friday: 2. Henry Fa'afili 3. Martin Gleeson 5. Brent Grose 6. Chris Bridge 7. Lee Briers 8. Chris Leikvoll 9. Jon CLarke 10. Paul Rauhihi 12. Ben Westwood 13. Vinnie Anderson 19. Steve Pickersgill 20. Simon Grix 21. Andrew Bracek 22. Ben Harrison 24. Chris Riley 26. Kevin Penny 27. Matty Blythe 29. Lee Mitchell
12th September. Adrian Morley's appeal against the one match ban as unsuccessful and he will miss the game against Salford on Friday
11th September.Adrian Morley, who was sent off against St Helens on Friday, was given a one-game ban and fined £300 by the RFL. He will now have to sit out the game against Salford next Friday.
10th September. Head Coach Paul Cullen has named a 19 man squad to face Salford City Reds in Round 27 of the engage Super League XII at The Willows on Friday: 2. Henry Fa'afili 3. Martin Gleeson 5. Brent Grose 6. Chris Bridge 7. Lee Briers 8. Chris Leikvoll 9. Jon Clarke 10. Paul Rauhihi 11. Adrian Morley 12. Ben Westwood 13. Vinnie Anderson 19. Steve Pickersgill 20. Simon Grix 21. Andrew Bracek 22. Ben Harrison 24. Chris Riley 26. Kevin Penny 27. Matty Blythe 29. Lee Mitchell .
Rob Parker and Mark Gleeson will not play again this year after confirmation today that Parker has suffered a fractured cheekbone and Gleeson a dislocated elbow.
8th September. St Helens 36 Warrington 16. St Helens retained the Super League leaders' shield after a comfortable win over Warrington, combined with Hull's victory over Leeds. Francis Meli went over for a hat-trick of tries for the impressive Saints. Two Lee Briers goals gave the Wolves an early lead but it was one-way traffic after that and their cause was not helped when Adrian Morley was sent off. Lee Gilmour, Ade Gardner, James Roby and Leon Pryce also went over with Paul Wellens kicking four goals. Watched on by Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez, St Helens recorded their 28th win in 29 Super League games against Wire, whose place in the top six is under serious threat. Warrington coach Paul Cullen (on his team's latest injuries) "Rob (Parker) has got a suspected fractured cheekbone and Mark (Gleeson) has sustained an elbow injury. "We came here to play but we are bitterly disappointed that we've conceded three tries - one to a bomb and two where they've pushed their way over from dummy half. "That lost 18 points and is bitterly disappointing." "Rob Parker has gone for an X-ray on a suspected fractured cheekbone and Mark Gleeson has gone with a minimum of a dislocated elbow, but he has gone for further X-rays on it.
Teams: St Helens: Wellens, Gardner, Gidley, Talau, Meli, Pryce, Wilkin, Fozzard, Cunningham, Cayless, Gilmour, Bennett, Flannery. Replacements: Roby, Graham, Clough, Fa'asavalu. Warrington: Grose, Penny, M. Gleeson, Fa'afili, Riley, Bridge, Briers, Leikvoll, M. Gleeson, Morley, Westwood, Bracek, Clarke. Replacements: Parker, Pickersgill, Harrison, Mitchell
Scorers :St Helens: (18) 36 Tries: Gilmour, Meli 3, Gardner, Roby, Pryce Goals: Wellens 4. Warrington: (10) 16 Tries: Penny, Martin Gleeson Goals: Briers 4 .Attn 11,746
5th September.Head Coach Paul Cullen has named his 18 man squad to face St Helens in Round 26 of the engage Super League XII at Knowsley Road on Friday: 2. Henry Fa'afili 3. Martin Gleeson 5. Brent Grose 6. Chris Bridge 7. Lee Briers 8. Chris Leikvoll 9. Jon Clarke 11. Adrian Morley 12. Ben Westwood 14. Mark Gleeson 15. Rob Parker 19. Steve Pickersgill 21. Andrew Bracek 22. Ben Harrison 24. Chris Riley 26. Kevin Penny 27. Matty Blythe
Paul Rauhihi has put pen to paper and signed the contract the Wires offered him Paul Cullen was delighted to keep 'Rah' in his squad for the coming year: "He will provide us with the experience and guile we need next year. We feel he's got at least one more year left in him. He overcame a very serious back injury last year that stole his first season but he's been relatively injury free for the vast majority of this year. He is an important player for us and we are pleased he will be with us for next year's campaign" "I think there's another season left in him and he's got a role to play both on and off the field. At the moment he is fit, training very well and making a very decent contribution. "Next year when we bring Louis Anderson into the back row, we'll play him alongside Vinnie Anderson and Benny Westwood and possibly push Adrian Morley into the front row - hopefully alongside a fully fit Paul Wood. "I'm sure Paul Rauhihi will make a very big contribution.'' Chris Bridge is expected to play against St Helens tomorrow . Cullen said. "As we've seen this year, when we've got a fully fit Chris Bridge he's a very dynamic attacking player. "Although Jon Clarke did very well at stand off and we scored four tries down our left edge against Huddersfield, we're a better balanced side with Chris Bridge at stand off and Jon Clarke back in the middle. "That's not to discredit Jon, who I think has done an exceptional job for us all year, but Chris Bridge is a fantastic runner of the ball."We can't go to Saints and try to defend against them, we've got to try to outscore them and outplay them. "Next year we're going to have the added bonus of Lee Briers, Michael Monaghan and Chris Bridge fighting for the half back positions. The bottom line is that you've got to get Chris Bridge in your team somewhere." Matty Blythe could make his debut for the Wire in the same game.
On the loss of Chris Leikvoll Paul said to the Warrington Guardian, "I'd love to keep Chris," Cullen said. "He's been fantastic for us both on and off the field. He's been very good in assisting me to educate the younger prop forwards. The younger players have benefited from playing and working alongside him. "He will be a big miss but the bottom line is I can't have everyone that I want. "My priority for next year has been to bring in a half back and to bring in one of Michael Mon-aghan's quality, you have to pay the price. I defy anyone to tell me that they don't want Matt King playing at Warrington but to bring him in it comes at a cost. "Henry Fa'afili was offered a contract and turned it down. I've got Stuart. Reardon on a long-term contract and you saw with Hull that they can't afford to have Motu Tbny and Shaun Briscoe (bound for Hull KR) on big contracts, both at full back."
Paul Wood, it has been confirmed by the club that Paul will require a full shoulder reconstruction.
4th September, Paul Rauhihi has been offered a 1 year deal with the Wire .He was found guilty of a dangerous tackle on Paul Jackson against Huddersfield and got a 1 game ban plus a £300 fine. Adrian Morley was found to have no case to answer.
2nd September.Head Coach Paul Cullen has named his 20 man squad to face St Helens in Round 26 of the engage Super League XII at Knowsley Road on Friday: 2. Henry Fa'afili 3. Martin Gleeson 5. Brent Grose 6. Chris Bridge 7. Lee Briers 8. Chris Leikvoll 9. Jon Clarke 10. Paul Rauhihi 11. Adrian Morley 12. Ben Westwood 13. Vinnie Anderson 14. Mark Gleeson 15. Rob Parker 19. Steve Pickersgill 21. Andrew Bracek 22. Ben Harrison 24. Chris Riley 26. Kevin Penny 27. Matty Blythe 29. Lee Mitchell.
1st September.Paul Wood has joined Wire's ever growing list of injured players when he was was rushed to hospital with a serious shoulder injury during Wire's home defeat to Huddersfield on Friday night .Wood suffered a dislocated shoulder during the first half of the match but Wire are concerned he may have suffered a fracture.