WARRINGTON Wolves’ Challenge Cup cruise at Dewsbury Rams will probably be remembered more by players than supporters.
It was certainly not a classic to watch, Wolves’ first contest at The Tetley’s Stadium being over within minutes if not before a ball had been kicked with the Championship club fielding a heavily depleted squad that included three young debutants.
No doubt for some of the Dewsbury players – and especially their try-scoring back rower Joel Farrell – in years to come they will have tales to tell their grandchildren of the night they went head to head with international stars like Joel Monaghan, before his groin injury, Ben Westwood and Chris Hill.
The game came to life in scoring spurts, in particular the opening 20 minutes of each half, and Wolves were guilty of perhaps being a little bit giddy at other times as the error rate crept up – though there was some disruption too with injuries to Monaghan and fellow winger Gene Ormsby leading to two reshuffles.
Teenage scrum half Declan Patton will not forget his first senior try, coming from one of three first-half power blasts by England prop Hill that highlighted the gulf in brutality and quality between a top Super League club and part-time hopefuls at the same time as reminding all of his meteoric rise from those days at the lower level with Leigh.
There were two spectacular finishes at the start of the second half from Kevin Penny that would not look out of place on a reel of the season’s best tries, such was his acrobatic agility to get the ball down by the corner post despite defenders’ attempts to barge him into neighbouring Batley.
And it was a memorable return for effervescent hooker Brad Dwyer, stepping into the void at hooker only two training sessions after his loan recall from London Broncos and earning the plaudits of first-team coach Richard Agar as ‘probably close to being our best player’.
The 22-year-old’s trademark ‘show and go’ score put Wolves on their way to the quarter finals in the sixth minute but the outcome never looked in doubt.
MATCH FACTS
Dewsbury Rams...10 Warrington Wolves 52
Rams: Will Forsyth; Dalton Grant, Callan Beckett, Sam Dunn, Greg Scott; James Glover, Brad Delaney; Matthew Haggerty, Ryan Wright, Byron Smith, Scott Hale, Toby Adamson, Joel Farrell. Subs: Joe Mclocklan, Rob Spicer, Ryan Hepworth, Makali Aizue.
Wolves: Kevin Penny; Joel Monaghan, Chris Bridge, Ryan Atkins, Gene Ormsby; Dec Patton, Richie Myler; Chris Hill, Brad Dwyer, Ashton Sims, Ben Currie, Ben Westwood, Ben Harrison. Subs: James Laithwaite, Gareth O’Brien, Anthony England, G King.
Scoring: Dwyer try, 6mins, 0-4; Delaney penalty goal, 11mins, 2-4; Atkins try, 14mins, 2-8; Sims try, 16mins, Bridge goal, 2-14; Currie try, 20mins, Bridge goal, 2-20; Patton try, 22mins, Bridge goal, 2-26; Farrell try, 31mins, Delaney goal, 8-26; Penny try, 42mins, 8-30; Penny try, 46mins, Bridge goal, 8-36; Bridge try, 51mins, 8-40; Myler try, Bridge goal, 8-46; Currie try, 64mins, Bridge goal, 8-52; Delaney penalty goal, 79mins, 10-52.
Penalties: Rams 11 Wolves 6
Referee: Matt Thomason
Attendance: 1,771
Top man: Chris Hill
INTERESTING NOTES
Dec Patton’s first senior try
Brad Dwyer’s first appearance of 2015
Wolves’ first trip to The Tetley’s Stadium
Chris Bridge’s 250th career appearance
First time Joel Monaghan failed to score in six games
Seventh Challenge Cup meeting, Wolves have won five
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