January 2008
27th January. Salford 18 Warrington 22. Ben Westwood sent Martin Gleeson over for the opening try after just four minutes.Chris Bridge added the goals. Stuart Littler then scored for Salford and John Wilshere converted to level at 6-6 at the end of the half. Adam Sidlow and Phillip Leuluai both scored after the restart as the Reds went ahead 18-6 lead with 25 minutes left, three tries in a nine-minutes from Andy Bracek, Jon Clarke and Paul Rauhihi and two goals from Chris Bridge with 20 minutes left to play Chris Hicks came on ,
Scorers Salford City Reds Tries: Littler Sidlow Leuluai Goals: Wilshire 3. Warrington Wolves Tries: Gleeson Bracek Clarke Rauhihi Goals: Bridge 2.Attn 2000 est.
26th January Speaking to the Warrington Guardian. Paul Cullen said "I've been asked many times whether this is the best team or squad I've ever had. Only time will tell whether it is or not. "But it is the most balanced team and that was the main focus of my recruitment process. "We may have been one-dimensional, not by design but almost by default because Lee Briers demands so much ball and so does Martin Gleeson. advertisement "When we get to the dummy half position the ball goes to our right-hand side because they're calling the ball more than anyone else. Hopefully we now have that same strength of call and commitment from other positions on the field. "That left combination of Kevin Penny, Matt King, Louis Anderson and Michael Monaghan hopefully takes the pressure off and adds more dimensions than continually using Lee Briers, who wants the ball all the time."Balance for me is the key phrase. We don't always have to hit the same player. The same player, Lee Briers, doesn't always have to kick every ball and call every play and start every attacking move. "Matt King will want as much ball as Martin Gleeson and Michael Monaghan will want as much ball as Lee Briers. Louis Anderson wants as many carries as Benny Westwood. It gives Jon Clarke at nine and Vinnie Anderson at 13 a great option. "We've got to have more strings to our bow. We think we've recruited sufficiently well to be able to deliver that."He added He said: "That is a team that can go forward. A front row of Morley, Paul Rauhihi, Jon Clarke, whether Paul Wood or Rob Parker push themselves into that starting process or we rotate those four front-line prop forwards, only the season will tell. There's great support in that with the Pickersgills, Braceks, Harrisons, Coopers and more. "We believe we have a pack of forwards that can go forward."
.Head Coach Paul Cullen has named his 20-man squad for tomorrows reversed friendly against Salford City Reds at The Willows, Kick off 3pm: 1. Chris Bridge 2. Paul Johnson 3. Martin Gleeson 4. Matt King 5. Kevin Penny 6. Simon Grix 7. Michael Monaghan 8. Adrian Morley (Captain) 9. Jon Clarke 10. Paul Rauhihi 11. Louis Anderson 12. Ben Westwood 13. Vinnie Anderson 14. Mark Gleeson 15. Andy Bracek 16. Rob Parker 17.Steve Pickersgill 18. Ben Harrison 19. Chris Hicks 20. Chris Riley Lee Briers is rested due to a slight back spasm, while Stuart Reardon and Paul Wood have not yet received full medical clearance following the shoulder injuries they suffered in August 2007. Entry is only £10 for adults and £5 for juniors and concessions.
25th January.Salford City Reds V Warrington Wolves, Sunday 27th January Kick Off 3pm - fixture confirmed. Following a successful pitch inspection, Warrington Wolves V Salford City Reds will be played at the Willows this Sunday, Kick Off 3pm Entry is priced at £10 for adults and £5 for concessions/Juniors. Anybody that has pre-purchased a ticket for this fixture when it was scheduled for The Halliwell Jones Stadium can redeem their ticket at the Salford ticket office on Sunday (refunds for the difference between ticket value and ground entry will be issued) or if supporters cannot make the rearranged fixture, tickets can be refunded at Wolfware. Team news will be available tomorrow on Warringtonwolves.com with Paul Cullen set name his strongest possible 20 man squad.
24th January.Warrington Wolves V Salford City Reds, Sunday 27th January Kick Off 3pm - change of venue. The Wolves V Salford City Reds fixture this coming Sunday will now be played at The Willows the home of Salford City Reds, subject to a 12 noon pitch inspection, tomorrow (Friday), at Salford. Unfortunately the Halliwell Jones Stadium pitch has spent much of the last week waterlogged due to the recent heavy rain, leaving the club with no choice but to take's Sunday's final trial game to the Willows. With the Super League XIII opener against Hull FC only two weeks, the protection of the playing surface is of paramount importance as the club begin this year's Super League title assault. Once final confirmation is received from Salford City Reds tomorrow a further announcement will be made regarding ticketing and entry prices. Source Wolfweb
THE RFL have decided that Louis Anderson has no case to answer after he was put on report for a late tackle during the friendly against Wigan.
22nd January.Wolves v Salford - Game update Due to the current inclement weather and further to the pitch inspection for the reserve football on Tuesday, an assessment will be made on Thursday in conjunction with Salford as to the playing surface condition at The Halliwell Jone Stadium. With engage Super League XIII only 3 weeks away the clubs priority is in maintaining as good a playing surface as possible for the home opener against Hull FC on Friday 8th Feb, kick off 7:30pm.
18th January.Louis Anderson will not be joining his brother on the training trip tp Lanzarote, He said: "The boys who have been to Lanzarote before have been telling me all about it but I'm not going because my wife's due this week, so that is the priority. "It's our first child and it's exciting times - a new country, a new team and a new addition to the family. "My wife's told me to be ready to change nappies. I've smelt some nappies before from my nephews and nieces at Vinnie's house and it doesn't seem too pleasant, but I'm willing to do it."
15th January. Morley made captain.The 30- year old former Eccles Junior takes over the captaincy from Lee Briers, who has decided to step down from the role after five years as team captain.Wolves coach Paul Cullen said the appointment of Morley was an obvious choice. "His seniority and his international record was a major factor in my decision process," he said. "He has all the right attributes: the way he lives his life, his attitude at training and his attitude on the field is simply first class." Morley added: "It's a real honour to captain the side. It's something that I'm really looking forward to and I'm excited to take up the challenge." Hooker Jon Clarke, who earned his first GB cap against New Zealand last year, has been appointed vice-captain.
Chris Bridge is expected to start the game against Hull as Fullback.
14th January.I was speaking to Kevin Penny this morning , he had just come from the Spire Cheshire Hospital, I asked him how his hand was coming along , he said he had just had an xray and the hand is coming along very well, he is looking forward to having Matt King as his centre come the new season.
If you missed yesterday's game, you can catch all the action on Channel M this week! Also, Head Coach Paul Cullen speaks about the passing of friend and team mate Mike Gregory on Wednesday (16th) ITV Granada Reports at 6.00pm. On Channel M.Code XIII prepares itself for a brand new series.With Wire v Wigan For those of you who cant catch the first show, it will be repeated Wednesday at 11:00, Thursday at 11:00 and 23:00, and Friday at 13:30, brought to you exclusively by Channel M. Channel M is available on free to air in Manchester, Virgin Media channel 878 in the Greater Manchester area, and nationally on Sky Channel 203. For more information go to www.channelm.co.uk and follow the link to the Code XIII page , or email codexiii@channelm.co.uk.
13th January. Warrington 30 Wigan 22. Paul Johnson made an impressive comeback as Warrington beat Wigan 30-22 in Sunday's pre-season friendly Lee Briers scored 14 points in the game against Wigan, in his testimonia. New Zealand Test forward Anderson, playing alongside older brother Vinnie for the first time since their days with the Warriors in Auckland, was both hero and villain for the Wolves."It was good prep and, all in all, a very decent day's work," said Warrington coach Paul Cullen. "It was a great chance for the young players to get some more game time, and the new guys slotted in quite sweetly. "We won't be making any dramas about the win, though. It was a good performance and keeps us going in the right direction."
Matt King on his first game said, "It's good to get the first one out of the way," he said. "I was pretty nervous coming into the game. "Playing my first game for a new club after four and a half years was a pretty nerve-wracking thing. But the more footie I play, the more I'm going to feel like it's home. It's going to be a lot of fun I should think.""In Australia we're a little bit more focused on our defence but over here there's a definite emphasis on attack. "That suits my game and I think I'll enjoy it. It really is a better spectacle for the fans. 30-22 is a pretty healthy scoreline. I think everyone enjoyed the game."
Scoring , Louis Anderson try 4-0 Briers goal.6-0 Bridge try .8-0 .Briers goal 10-0.Briers goal 12-0.Briers try 16-0. Briers goal 18-0. Wigan try Tompkins 18-4 Richards goal 18-6 HT 18-6. Wigan try Prescot. 18-10, Richards goal 18-12. Grix try 22-12 Briers goal 24-12King try 28-12 Briers goal 30-12 Wigan try Leuluai 30-16.Richards goal 30-18.Wigan try Goulding 30-22. FT 30-22. Attd 6,534
10th January.Head Coach Paul Cullen has named his twenty-one man squad to face Wigan Warriors on Sunday 13th January 2008 at The Halliwell Jones Stadium, kick off 3.00pm:
Warrington Wolves revised 20 man squad Chris Bridge, Chris Riley, Matt King, Paul Johnson, Lee Briers, Michael Monaghan,Steve Pickersgill , Mark Gleeson, Paul Rauhihi, Louis Anderson, Ben Westwood, Vinnie Anderson, Rob Parker, Ben Harrison, Andy Bracek, Matty Blythe, Lee Mitchell, Simon Grix, Mike Cooper, Adam Neal (U18'S).
Wigan Warriors 21 man squad Darrell Goulding, Pat Richards, Trent Barrett, Thomas Leuluai, Mickey Higham, Iafeta Paleaaesina, Phil Bailey, Sean O'Loughlin, Liam Colbon, Andy Coley, Harrison Hansen, Michael McIlorum, Paul Prescott, Joel Tomkins, Ben Kavanagh, Eamon O'Carroll, Thomas Coyle, Nicky Stanton, Sam Reay, Andrew Thornley, Sean Ainscough.
9th January.Press release.Lee Briers interview This coming Sunday Warrington Wolves take on Wigan Warriors at The Halliwell Jones Stadium in the Lee Briers Testimonial Match, Kick Off 3pm. Lee Briers has been an integral part of the Wolves side since joining in April 1997 from St Helens. The 29- year old halfback has represented both Wales and Great Britain has amassed over 2000 points in Wolves colours during his career, leaving him only 350 points behind Steve Hesford at the top of the all time point-scoring list. Warringtonwolves.com caught up Briers and got his thoughts on his testimonial year and the game on Sunday:
Looking back to 1997, did you still see yourself playing for Warrington ten years later?
I never envisaged that I would leave, however, there were other offers on the table at various points in my career at Warrington from both Rugby League and Rugby Union clubs, but I’ve never wanted to leave.
Is it fair to say the set-up at Warrington Wolves in 2007, is very different to the Wilderspool based club that you joined?
There are still a few faces in the office that have remained constant as well as Paul Cullen and Gary Chambers who were around then. There is far more people on board nowadays, and for the better, the club needed it and the move to The Halliwell Jones Stadium has been behind the growth.
When you signed you were bought as a replacement for the recently departed Iestyn Harris, did you feel under pressure being only 18 years old and having such responsibility?
I think the only responsibility I had was that I was 18 and I needed to learn quick as I hadn’t played much first team rugby. In terms of Iestyn’s departure, I don’t think I felt any pressure from that; the only pressure was the pressure I put on myself to learn as quick as I could and to guide people around the park. Don’t forget I was only eighteen and their were guys in the squad that were in their thirties and I had to come in and tell them what to do, I was a bit shy at first but it didn’t take me long to get involved.
Looking back over your time at the Wolves, what highlights stand out for you?
The World Club Challenge in 1997 was a great experience, going over to Australia and New Zealand for four weeks was brilliant. We only just missed out on the quarterfinals as well. It was just a massive experience, for me it was all about the learning curve, playing against the best could only help your game; it went along way in to making me in to the player I am.
What was the lowest point in your Wolves career?
2002 was a terrible time for everybody at the club. Being picked at fullback at the start of the year was a joke really; some of the ideas at the time just didn’t work. However once Paul Cullen came on board things really picked up.
Your testimonial year draws to a close in April; do you feel it’s been a success?
It was unknown territory for me and my committee, we had never done anything like this before, it took a lot of hard work, more so for the committee they have worked really hard and at times its been a struggle. I can’t thank them enough as well as all the people who given up their time to appear at events and all the fans that have filled nearly every event I’ve had, I just want to thank every one of them from the bottom of my heart. They pay their hard earned money to watch us each week and support my events; I have nothing but admiration for them all. It’s the supporters that make rugby, they didn’t have to spend their money but they have done and I just can’t thank them enough.
What kind of game can we expect against Wigan on Sunday?
It’s going to be a full-on trial game. Even though it’s got the headline of a testimonial underneath it, the game is going to be a full on Wigan v Warrington clash. I’m also delighted that I will be playing alongside the new signings and the guys who have been on international duty with Great Britain. Looking purely at my testimonial I would have been lying if I had said that I wasn’t bothered who was playing. I am really excited we’re putting a team out what we feel can go on and win Super League.It’s going to be the first time anyone has seen the team, it will be great for the supporters and great for us to get back, remember our last serious game was against Salford in September that we won but didn’t get to the play-offs. We need to get back on the horse if you like and lay the platform for the rest of the year.
After a disappointing 2007 is it fair to say you are looking at 2008 with renewed optimism?
We are always optimistic at the start of a season, obviously with missing out last year, I know we had injuries but I’m sick of people going on about the injuries we had a squad to compete in Super League and we let ourselves down, that’s the be all and end all of it. This year we will need a bit of luck but we’ve got a strong squad and there’s no excuse, everybody gets injuries. We need to put all that behind us and start afresh and we can do that from Sunday against Wigan.
Please note their will be one minute’s applause prior to kick off in honour of Mike Gregory.
6th January Barrow 16 Warrington 54. Chris Bridge was in excellent form as he kcked 7 goals scored a try and had a hand in 5 more, Blythe, Murphy ,Roper 2, Andy Bracek 2, Johnson, Mellor and White were other scorers. HT10-24 attn 885
Wire squad.Bridge,Riley,Blythe,Walker,Murphy,Grix Roper, Pickersgill,Gleeson,Cooper,Mitchel,Bracek,Harrison, Subs,Johnson,Simon,Meller,Neal,Cullen,Thompson,Reynolds,White.
4th January Briers Testimonial Derby Clash Come and support Lee Briers' Testimonial game in style by joining us for hospitality in the Prime Time Lounge on Sunday 13th January. The Wolves will take on the Warriors for Lee Briers' Testimonial Game on Sunday 13th January 2008 at The Halliwell Jones Stadium, Kick-off 3pm. This pre-season game is set to be an exciting Derby clash with Paul Cullen having indicated that he will field the strongest team available in this fixture as part of his preparations for Super League XIII. It is likely to be a chance to see new signings Matt King, Michael Monaghan, Chris Hicks and Louis Anderson as well as acknowledging the 10 years loyal service of Lee Briers. The players will take to the pitch in a specially commissioned testimonial shirt for this game. Why not enjoy this one-off fixture in style for just £30, by joining us in the PrimeTime Lounge for an afternoon of hospitality. You will get to enjoy a Guinness Braised Beef & Mushroom pie, fat chips and seasonal vegetables, entertainment throughout the afternoon, bar access and a padded seat in a prime location. For more information on the above contact Roy/Alex Chicken on 01925 818064, roy.chicken@btinternet.com Please see details below for other ticket prices:
Tickets are priced at:-
North Adult £16.00
Concession £7.00
Family £35.00
South Adult £13.00
Concession £5.00
Family East Adult £14.00
Concession £6.00
Family £30.00 ce
West stand will be closed.source Wolfweb
4th January. Paul Cullen will persevere with Chris Bridge at full back as competition for the spot with Staurt Reardon .he said: "Chris Bridge looks like he needs more games at full back. "He looks fit and strong but he was caught out of position on too many occasions against Leigh. "It looked like a lot of our players needed that game and need quite a few more before we can start thinking about the way we want to use them for the season coming. "Some just didn't compete to the level that we expect of them. "The vast majority of that side - apart from senior players like Lee Briers, Rob Parker and Paul Rauhihi - will double up against Barrow because it looks like they need the run-out."