Key Warrington Wolves talking points before Leeds Rhinos trip

Sam Burgess takes his side to Headingley to see if they can rebound from their Easter loss to Catalans Dragons as they take on Leeds Rhinos?

So will it be Wire bouncing back or going back-to-back?

Our Wire reporter Matt Turner has picked out five key pre-match talking points to discuss ahead of the game here...

Can Wire push back against adversity?

Off the back of a defeat and with front-line players missing in a key area, this was precisely the kind of situation that has sunk Warrington Wolves in recent years.

An internal and external criticism of the team before this year has been their inability to handle adversity, whether that was during matches or from week-to-week.

This week, we will see a test of whether or not that attitude is really starting to change under Sam Burgess, who has been open with his admission that his challenge in coaching the team is more of a mental one than a technical one.

There is no doubting the individual talent within their team, but can they batten down the hatches when storms arrive and remain standing?

They may have lost to Catalans at the weekend, but the way in which they refused to knuckle under after their nightmare starts to both halves offer some form of encouragement on that front.

That level of spirit combined with fixing up what went wrong will give them the best possible chance.

Catalans celebrate amid dejected Wire players on Saturday (Image: SWPix.com)

Was last week’s horror start just a blip?

It is hard to imagine a start to a game being worse than the one Wire had on Saturday.

Within 13 minutes against Catalans, they were 18-0 down and had Paul Vaughan in the sin bin – a mountain to climb with not even a quarter of the game gone.

And given they had only conceded two tries in the first quarter of matches this year before the weekend, it certainly was not true to form.

So was this just a blip, or the start of something more concerning?

Friday will provide us with some more evidence on that front but against a Leeds side that is capable of running hot enough to put the top sides on the ropes in spells, a similarly poor start could end up being equally as terminal.

Wire were 18-0 down against Catalans inside 13 minutes and also conceded another two tries in the opening stages of the second half (Image: SWPix.com)

‘Next man up’

That is the mentality Burgess is trying to foster within his squad as they battle with the ebb and flow of availability throughout the year.

Having everybody fit at any given time is rare, so those on the fringes have to be ready to step in and so far, they have been with the displays of Adam Holroyd and Leon Hayes being the prime examples.

With their front-row stocks severely depleted by the absences of Paul Vaughan, Zane Musgrove and Joe Philbin, that “next man up” mindset will certainly be tested.

The likes of Joe Bullock – more on him shortly – and Max Wood will get their chance to step up, while the return to fitness of Matty Nicholson is certainly timely.

The loss of Vaughan in particular will be keenly felt but this is a chance for those around him to show his presence, while hugely important, is not the be all and end all.

Paul Vaughan is among the players missing for Wire on Friday (Image: SWPix.com)

Can Bullock take his chance to shine?

There are a fair few Wire fans who are scratching their heads about Bullock’s lack of game time under Burgess.

An injury-hindered pre-season did not help his cause but even following his return to fitness, it appears he is down the pecking order.

With the aforementioned trio of props unavailable, however, it appears as though Burgess will turn to the fair-haired giant at Headingley for just his second Warrington appearance of the season to go with two on loan at Hull FC and a dual-registration run-out for Widnes Vikings.

It is a golden chance for Bullock to show his worth to the head coach and prove he can be relied upon as a solid performer.

And with his contract with the club in its final year, Bullock will know he has to take any chance to show what he can do and secure his future either at Warrington or elsewhere.

Joe Bullock's only Warrington appearance this year came against London in Round Five (Image: SWPix.com)

Stop the Rhinos from clicking into gear

Leeds’ start to the season has been a solid if slightly puzzling one.

Their Super League record is identical to that of Warrington – four wins and two defeats from six games – but it feels as though Rohan Smith’s side are yet to click fully into gear.

That appears to be especially the case in attack with only the bottom three sides – Hull FC, Castleford and London – managing fewer than their 19 tries so far.

The attacking talent they have at their disposal means it will surely come together at some point and it is the job of The Wire to ensure that must wait at least another week.

2022 Man of Steel Brodie Croft has been brought in to boost Leeds Rhinos creatively (Image: SWPix.com)