Warrington Wolves correspondent/sports writer
@warringtonnews
. Co-host
@onsportpod
. Rochdale AFC fan. Passable Michael 'Bully Boy' Smith lookalike. Views my own
We interrupt this holiday for a bit of personal breaking news...
Despite the prospect of a lifetime of sport-dominated weekends, my wonderful other half has decided that I will do. Absolutely over the moon!
#SheSaidYes
💍
It appears you can now buy South Stand tickets at
@WarringtonRLFC
for Tonga v Samoa for £25 as opposed to £40.
Thank goodness - would be a travesty if this game is played in front of a half-empty stadium
One last one from me tonight - let's put some respect on Dec Patton's name tonight. Apart from the kick he put out on the full (which I'm sure he would have been harangued for if Wire lost) he was outstanding. A real coming-of-age performance from him
Sam Burgess made this point in his post-match but...seven penalties overall, no cards, game allowed to flow. Well done to both teams and also, well done Aaron Moore. This was more like rugby league and I'm here for it👏
Found this picture from
@BridgewaterPE
's semi-final against
@WadeDeaconPE
extremely powerful.
An absolutely excellent show of sportsmanship. I hope this young fella's parents are very proud of him!
@Schools_RL
@TheRFL
🗣 "I'm a Warrington lad so today meant a lot to me and my family"
Not sure
@dannyjoewalker
could have scripted his England debut any better - scoring a try in his hometown 🙌
More from the
@WarringtonRLFC
hooker 👇
I've not seen my Mum, who is battling Alzheimer's, for seven weeks. Its killing me, but I'm playing the game. Cannot tell you how infuriating pictures like this are. Please please please stay at home
Understand Warrington are in pole position to sign London Broncos half-back Oli Leyland for 2025. Deal not done yet but Wire are now firm favourites to secure the 23-year-old ahead of a clutch of SL clubs 👇
Hull KR 20 Wire 6 at the break. An absolutely horrific half and in the end, Wire are probably fortune not to be further behind. That first 20 minutes was probably the worst I have seen in my six years covering the club
Wire 30 Leeds 0 at the break. The place is rocking - THIS is what people came to see! Inspired stuff from Wire. Best half of rugby under Daryl Powell? Has to be surely
Catalans 14 Wire 16 FT! A last-gasp Matty Ashton try sends Wire into the quarter-finals. Two victories in Perpignan in just over a month - however they come, that takes some doing!
Brace yourselves for the "lol he won a world title before Wire won Super League" or "lol typical Wire bottlejob" tweets whichever way tonight goes...
It's coming people, they can't help themselves 🤣
Sam Burgess: "We're in the final, but just being in it isn't good enough. Wigan are winning everything at the moment so let's try and take it off them"
Major breaking news for
@theyellows
as manager
@paulcardy4
agrees a new contract with the club
More here and player news to follow. Strap yourselves in, Town fans...
Catalans 8 Wire 16 FT - what a win that is. I'd wager at that being Warrington's best Super League victory in quite a few years. Defended heroically and took their chances when they came. This is some group. Reaction to follow
Amid a poor collective performance and result, genuinely feel yesterday was Joe Bullock's best game for
@WarringtonRLFC
156 metres from 17 carries, no missed tackles, errors or penalties conceded, got through a fair bit of work. Good showing from him
Daryl Powell gives update on Stefan Ratchford, Daryl Clark and Billy Magoulias ahead of Wakefield Trinity clash
One of them will be out for a month
READ:
Castleford 0 Wire 38 it finishes. Six out of six and this was the most dominant of the lot. Put simply, Wire were way too good for their hosts. Full reaction to follow
THEY'VE DONE IT!!!!
@theyellows
win on penalties!!!
Dan Atherton saves Jordan Hunter's penalty! Town win 6-5 on penalties and are through to the play-off final!!
Full reaction to follow
You don't see many four-year deals thrown at teenagers who haven't made their debuts, but there is a lot of excitement about Arron Lindop at
@WarringtonRLFC
Whenever I saw him for the academy or reserves, he lit the field up. Excited to see what he can do at first-team level
Hull KR 10 Wire 18 it finishes - what a result that is for Wire. They really, really toughed that out when it looked like they were flagging at times in that second half. Four out of four...
Blake Austin has NOT been given a penalty notice for his yellow card against
@hullkrofficial
The
@wolvesrl
man is clear to face
@Giantsrl
in their next game
Just spent a great hour in the company of Gary Chambers, Rich Marshall and Tyrone McCarthy at the
@WarringtonRLFC
youth department - excited to bring you more in-depth stuff about what they're doing there over the coming weeks and months.
Didn't get a "demoralised" vibe...
Jamie McDonald has returned to
@theyellows
, who have also recalled Evan Gumbs from his loan spell at Runcorn Linnets. Both set to be in the squad that travels to Mickleover tomorrow
No Josh Thewlis for
@WarringtonRLFC
today - he's remained in England following the birth of his first child on Thursday evening. A shame for him to miss out but a massive congratulations to him and his family 🥳👶
Leeds 8 Wire 34 FT - say what you like about the opposition but it cannot be understated how impressive a result that is for Wire in context. A superb response from last week's setback. Reaction to follow
Spent a good portion of the afternoon down at
@WarringtonRLFC
chatting to Gary Chambers - a few pieces to come on Sam Burgess, his new role as director of rugby and the more immediate short-term future
I honestly can't help but feel uplifted whenever I've been in his company...
🗣 "It's not just me that's given a chunk of my life to it - my family has too"
You could forgive
@ChairmanWTFC
for being a little philosophical after watching
@theyellows
take his chairmanship to a new high yesterday 👇
Catalans 10 Wire 36 it finishes. Stunning result and performance from Wire for their third straight Magic Weekend win. Wardle, Mikaele among others excellent but Matty Nicholson...a finer debut you'll struggle to see. Full reaction to come
Thomas Mikaele is on his way to
@WarringtonRLFC
after Wests Tigers confirmed his immediate release. Announcement of a 2.5 year deal expected in the next day or so
Saints 10 Wire 24 FT - whoever is or isn't in the opposition team, that is a superb Warrington win in the circumstances. This group truly does have each other's back. Reaction to follow
🗣 "He'll go down as one of the great players in Warrington Town's history"
@theyellows
boss
@MarkBees30
was effusive in his praise for the departed Bohan Dixon and admits losing the midfielder is "a big blow" 👇
Seen the outrage on here and Facebook and watched the footage back. Can't believe this is actually having to be said but throwing bottles is NOT okay. Fair play to Sam Powell for giving the assailants the spray of a lifetime!
- 2am phone calls and daily catch-ups
- Things he wants to see for the rest of 2023
- A clear vision for the team's style of play
Months before he officially takes up the head coaching role, Sam Burgess is making his mark at
@WarringtonRLFC
👇
'By the time that you watch this I will no longer be here'
A poignant final message from the Leeds Rhinos legend and MND campaigner recorded before his death for a special BBC documentary 'There's Only One Rob Burrow'
@BBCOne
@BBCiPlayer
Full statement on Brown's injury looks likely to be made tomorrow.
Before talk of replacements, salary cap dispensations etc starts, I feel desperately sorry for Kev Brown on a personal and professional level.
Really hope he recovers fully from this.
Further to reports of Wire's interest in him, Brad Dwyer is on the verge of a return to Warrington Wolves 👇
Understand a deal to bring him back for 2024 is now close to completion
An encouraging start to
@WarringtonRLFC
's Challenge Cup Final ticket sales - I'm told that, after less than 48 hours of sales, the number sold already exceeds the total that went in 2019 👇
Wigan 14 Wire 12 FT. An embarrassing Challenge Cup exit against a Wigan side who played with 12 men for 73 minutes. They can have absolutely no complaints
Must admit
@WarringtonRLFC
playing both Hull clubs twice and Catalans three times before they face either Wigan or Saints makes the fixture list look ever so weird
BREAKING:
@theyellows
have confirmed a new two-year contract for manager Mark Beesley and his assistant Dave Raven, keeping them at the club until the end of the 2024-25 season 📝👇
Aside from the two points, one thing
@WarringtonRLFC
will have really wanted from tonight is to come out unscathed injury-wise...and as things stand, Sam Burgess believes they have
If you were to look up "a Sam Burgess player" in some kind of rugby league dictionary, you'd probably find a picture of Luke Yates staring back at you. Tough, intense, gets through mountains of work. On paper at least, it's a signing that makes a lot of sense for
@WarringtonRLFC
Plenty of seats around the press conference table every week if you want to come and get these quotes yourselves guys, rather than piggybacking off mine and
@DrewDarbyshire
's work 😡