WARRINGTON Wolves have won the Challenge Cup four times at Wembley – in 1950, 1974, 2009 and 2010. Here the Warrington Guardian picks the best side from those four cup-winning teams. This is the best of the best, this is the Warrington Wolves Wembley Dream Team...
1 Derek Whitehead (1974) Whitehead won the Lance Todd Trophy in 1974 after kicking seven goals from all angles and distances and being impeccable at full-back. He kicked two more goals in the 14-7 defeat to Widnes 12 months later.
2 Brian Bevan (1950) Bevan failed to score in the 1950 final or the drawn 1954 final or in the replay. No matter. He is still the first name on the team sheet. After scoring 740 tries in 620 appearances how could you leave him out?
3 Matt King (2009 & 10) The giant Australian was outstanding in the back-to-back wins and was only denied a try by the video referee in the 2009 final. Twelve months later he helped to set up tries for Ryan Atkins and Chris Hicks .
4 Alex Murphy (1974) Murphy played at stand-off in the 1974 final, kicking two drop goals and generally running the show, but slots in at centre in our Dream Team, just as he did for St Helens against Wigan in the 1966 final.
5 Chris Hicks (2009 & 10) The Australian scored the first hat-trick at the new Wembley against Leeds in 2010, taking his tally to four tries in two finals. Overall he scored 71 tries in 82 Warrington appearances. Awesome.
6 Lee Briers (2009 & 10) Briers kicked a drop goal against Huddersfield in 2009 to bang the final nail in their coffin before producing one of the best performances of his career against Leeds 12 months later to win the Lance Todd Trophy.
7 Gerry Helme (1950) The brilliant scrum-half became the first man to win the Lance Todd Trophy twice, against Widnes in 1950 and against Halifax in the 1954 final replay at Odsal. Simply the best.
8 Adrian Morley (2009 & 10) ‘Moz’ captained the side to victory against Huddersfield in 2009 and Leeds in 2010 after two typically barnstorming displays. One big hit on Eorl Crabtree in 2009 will live long in the memory.
9 Michael Monaghan (2009 & 10) Monaghan started at scrum-half in 2010 but is best remembered as the outstanding hooker and Lance Todd Trophy winner against Huddersfield. Famous for his runs from acting half.
10 Garreth Carvell (2009 & 10) The giant prop had already been in Hull’s Challenge Cup-final winning team against Leeds in 2005 before collecting two more winners’ medals in double-quick time with Warrington.
11 Harry Bath (1950) The gifted Australian became the first overseas captain to lift the trophy at Wembley in 1950 and collected a second winners’ medal in 1954. Needed a pain-killing injection before the 1950 final but still scored a try.
12 Mike Nicholas (1974) The only Welsh-born player in our Dream Team, Nicholas scored Warrington’s second try in the 1974 final and was a leading contender for the Lance Todd Trophy after a mighty shift.
13 Harold Palin (1950) The only Warrington-born player in our Dream Team, ‘Moggy’ opened the scoring in the 1950 final with a drop goal before adding four more place kicks to push Gerry Helme all the way in the man-of-the-match ballot.
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