Well it's here, our 1st Super League home game since we beat the Saints 18 - 10 last September in the play off semi final. Our opponents this week are Castleford Tigers whom we beat twice last season but lost to in the Magic weekend. Our wins were 56 -12 at the HJ in March & 26-42 at Cas in July. Our loss at Magic weekend was 14 - 34. This loss at Newcastle was a disgrace because we stormed to a 14 -0 lead but then let Castleford score 34 unanswered points. I along with other Warrington fans was fuming with our team that day. I can only put the capitulation down to our Lad's thinking the job was done.
For Fridays game Castleford will not have the services of Denny Solomona who scored 6 tries against us in 2016, nor will they have Luke Dorn who has retired from the game. Although Castleford have lost 2 great players they have recruited well with Zak Hardaker, Greg Eden & Rangi Chase all joining the Tigers for 2017, these are quality players with Hardaker & Chase being former Man of Steel winners. Another player Castleford who deserves a mention is prop Andy Lynch, Andy will be 38 later this year & to be playing professional RL at his age is a credit to the player & how he has looked after his body. In the Warrington camp Tony Smith is able to recall Dom Crosby who missed the Broncos game but Toby King still misses out with a hamstring problem from the Catalans game. Other absentees from the Wire squad are Captain Chris Hill, Steph Ratchford & Ben Currie. No news is currently available when any of these players will be back but its rumoured on the internet forums that Hilly could well be another month.
Mr Smith has named his 19 man squad & from that 19 I would go with:
Gidley
Russell
Atkins
Evans
Lineham
Brown
Patton
Cooper
Clark
Simms
Savelio
Hughes
Westerman
Crosby
Dywer
Philbin
Westwood
With Matty Blythe & Harvey Livett to miss out.
After Kurts Gidleys full back performance against Brisbane he has to start at No 1 which means Dec Patton to partner Kevin Brown in the halves. Harvey Livett has all the makings of a future star and he would do a great job for us so perhaps TS will go with Harvey on the bench & let Philbin drop out with Ben Westwood interchanging with our props. But for me we need the size of both Westwood & Philbin on the bench, so for now Harvey doesn't make it. Earlier I mentioned the perennial Andy Lynch, well at Wire we've got Ben Westwood who will be 36 in the Summer. When Super Ben does hang up his boots I think I will don a black armband & go into official mourning. I hold Ben in the same high esteem as I do my all time Wire favourite Dessie Drummond.
So to the game itself, the bookies are making Warrington slight favourites and giving Cas a 4 point start on the coupon. Whilst with no handicap Wire are 8/13 & Castleford 11/8. For me the decisive battle will be in the backs, I think Warrington have the strongest pack in Super League & we will not lose the game there. But will our backs be a match for Eden, Chase, Gale & Hardaker? Theres no reason to suggest that Brown, Gidley & Patton won't carry their Brisbane form over into this game & if they do I think Warrington will win & by a greater margin than the bookies are suggesting. Kev Browns kicking game will be key. A good kicking game is vital & it is an area where the game can be won or lost. I remember losing to Huddersfield a few seasons ago & Danny Brough's kicking had us start nearly everyone of our sets from our own 10 metre line. On Friday we need to do the same to Castleford. A facet of Tony Smith's Warrington team is how we pressure the opposing kicker, Mr Smith has gone on record saying that when Westerman charged down the Broncos kicker early in Saturdays game not only did we get a try but the Broncos were hesitant to kick for the rest of the game & this directly impacted on the Bronco's game management. So expect some charge downs from us. The problem with charges downs is as we all know it can give the opposing team the ball back and another sett of 6. I for one am not a fan of this tactic because we seem to give the ball back more often than we gain it, but I can see Mr Smith's point that it will affect the kickers psyche.
Thats all from me, I'll be in the Kings Head before the game & the East Stand during the game. I just hope I'm not in the doldrums after the game.
Oh quick footnote, Castleford have sold over 1,000 tickets for the game so its looking like a good attendance is on the cards.
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