Featured Guest Writer: Wire Fanatic – The Joys And Nightmares Of Being A Wire Fan!

Jun 20, 2006 League Freak Featured Guest Writers 0

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I’ve been supporting the Wolves now since the middle of Super League VII in 2002. I got into it through a work mate of mine, who asked me to tag along to a game. It was versus St Helens. Me being a newbie didn’t know the rivalry we had with the Scousers. We lost…..but on the other scale I got severely hooked on the game that is Rugby League.

Needless to say that 2002 was not our best season, almost getting relegated in the process. I became such a fan that I even travelled to The Shay in Halifax where after 80 nailbiting minutes, we beat the Blue Sox and survived.

Cue my first full season in Super League VIII and after 28 rounds we finished 6th and managed to bag our first ever playoff place thanks to a very emotional victory over Wakefield at the last ever league game at Wilderspool, our home for the last 100+ years! The scene for the playoff game was the JJB Stadium against the Crust Munchers….and yes, we got beat. Nightmare!

Super League IX was a new era for us, what with the opening of the Halliwell Jones Stadium. Our first season at our new home didn’t go down very well, finishing 8th and 9 points off the final playoff place. However, we did reach the Challenge Cup Semi Final, but got beat by Wigan, ironically, at the Halton Stadium, home of our hated rivals, the Widnes Vikings.

Hopes were high for Super League X, and what a season it was. Beating our nearest and dearest rivals Widnes 3 times, including a 60-16 drubbing that sent them packing to National League 1. Also two victories over Bradford, running St Helens close twice, including a damaging 1 point loss at Knowsley Road…..the closest we’ve run them there for god knows how long, and also a club record run of 13 games without defeat!

However, the biggest story of Super League X, and the biggest in Warrington for a eon, was the signing of arguably the greatest player ever to play the game of RL, Andrew “Joey” Johns!! His first game against Leeds created the biggest buzz in Super League for a long time, a packed out crowd and the pictures being beamed right back to Australia. He was instrumental in a fantastic victory and picked up the Man of the Match award.

We secured our best league placing in the Super League era in the final game by beating Hull at the KC Stadium and finished 4th. Unfortunately the dream was short lived, as Hull came to our place in the playoffs and kicked our butts. But they got their buts kicked in the next round, losing 71-0 to Bradford. That was sweet!! LOL!

And now we arrive at the present, Super League XI. This has been a pretty up and down season, having lost 3 times to Salford, and going on a run that saw us only win 3 of our last 11 games and get knocked out in the Challenge Cup Quarter Final by NL1 runaway leaders, Hull KR. Bizarrely enough we are still in the final playoff place in Super League. It helped that we beat Quins last night, though it didn’t help that it was another nailbiter. If you have a heart condition, for god’s sake don’t support Warrington, as it’s not good for the old ticker.

And that’s it in a nutshell basically. Hopefully we have some good times ahead, and I pray that we have the ability to pick up some silverware. We’ve picked up Adrian Morley for next season on a 4 year deal…..I’m wondering if he can get through the whole season without being banned!! 🙂

It’s been a rollercoaster ride of emotions over the last 4 and a half years……but I wouldn’t change it for the world!! Warrington is now in my blood, and it will stay there forever more!!

Thanks for reading folks, hope you enjoyed!

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• Warrington Wolves

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