One of a pair of tries from Alan Hunte in a Warrington Wolves home win against Leeds Rhinos during the year 2000
AN upturn in fortunes returned to the rocky road as the year 2000 progressed.
The plan was simple enough; coach Darryl Van de Velde had the clout to recruit world-class talent if chief executive Peter Deakin could put bums on seats to pay for it.
And that would set up the club perfectly in its bid to win planning approval for a club-saving new stadium on the former Tetley Walker brewery site on Winwick Road.
Despite three of the highest-profile signings made by The Wire – Allan Langer, Andrew Gee and Tawera Nikau – and an initial surge in season-ticket sales – the club underachieved in both areas.
New arrivals, from left, Allan Langer, Steve Blakeley, Andrew Gee, Tawera Nikau and Neil Parsley
Behind the scenes and unknown to nearly all outside the club’s walls, Van de Velde and Deakin were not seeing eye to eye, finances were an issue again, and concern was growing that these difficulties could play into the hands of those lobbying against the stadium campaign launched and backed by Warrington Guardian.
When unity was needed, the club could have done without a sit-in protest from fans after the team’s humiliating 44-24 home defeat to rock-bottom Huddersfield-Sheffield Giants but those frustrations were understandable when the season was in freefall.
At least it had been kept in-house that Deakin, the pied piper of the stadium project, had resigned weeks before and was working his notice until the development’s approval was gained.
A few weeks later, councillors inside the Town Hall, where the front lawn was rammed with Warrington fans calling for a ‘yes’ vote, did give a thumbs up but referred the £8million stadium and Tesco superstore development to Government decision makers – a sticking point that would add to the financial stresses.
Although Deakin left to take up a new role with Sale Sharks, the sit-in protest appeared to have done some good as The Wire ended the campaign with six wins from eight.
Among it all, there were some high points on the field.
Tawera Nikau salutes the crowd after a home win
A Challenge Cup semi-final appearance was the first for 10 years and a first defeat of the season was inflicted on mighty Bradford after a second-half comeback, inspired by Australian Test legend Langer.
There were just not enough performances like it.
Allan Langer sticks the boot in
Gary Chambers and Andrew Gee look for familiar faces in the crowd after success against Leeds
Legendary Australian Test scrum-half Langer came out of a brief retirement to wear the primrose and blue along with his long-time Brisbane Broncos colleague Gee, one of the world's toughest prop forwards, while New Zealand international Nikau chose to leave behind Aussie Grand Final winners Melbourne Storm in favour of Wolves.
With England half-back Steve Blakeley moving to Wilderspool from Salford and French international second rower Jerome Guisset joining from Canberra Raiders, all the pundits were predicting a top-five finish for Warrington.
Steve Blakeley tears up the Leeds defence
Unfortunately, the team failed to live up to the hype, despite getting their season off to a magnificent start with thumping Challenge Cup wins over NFP sides Hunslet Hawks and York Wasps.
The opening round of Super League saw London Broncos thrashed 48-18 at Wilderspool, with Alan Hunte grabbing two tries, and a week later Hunte was again the hero, his last-minute touchdown giving the Wolves a thrilling win away to Salford City Reds in a televised Challenge Cup quarter-final.
Allan Langer's first try for the club, at home to London Broncos
There was now a real belief that the Wolves were in for a season to remember, but two successive defeats by the Bradford Bulls - 58-4 at Odsal in Super League and 44-20 in the Challenge Cup semi-final at Headingley - proved that the Wolves squad was still not ready to consistently challenge the sport's big four of St Helens, Wigan Warriors, Bradford and Leeds Rhinos.
With confidence naturally low after the Bradford games, Wolves slumped to two more defeats, at home to Hull FC and, agonisingly, away to Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, where a last-minute error by Dean Busby gifted the home team their winning try.
Celebration time for Alan Hunte after a score against Leeds
Ian Knott is manhandled by the Leeds defenders Chev Walker, Andy Hay and Keith Senior
Danny Nutley is held as Leeds' Adrian Morley leaves a trailing attacker
Tawera Nikau looks to be away
Francis Cummins clutches Allan Langer and Kevin Sinfield makes a grab
Successive wins at home to Leeds - with promising young centre Ian Sibbit scoring two tries - and away to Halifax Blue Sox seemed to put Wolves' season back on track, only for derby defeats at home to St Helens and away to Wigan to once again expose the side's weaknesses.
A narrow win away to Huddersfield-Sheffield Giants and successive defeats away to Salford and at home to Castleford Tigers created further gloom for Wolves.
But if there was one thing you could rely on in Super League V it was Warrington's unpredictability, and on May 28 Wilderspool witnessed a remarkable game as Wolves overturned an 18-point half-time deficit to beat the mighty Bulls 42-32 - the Challenge Cup winners' first defeat of the season.
An away win over London, in a roadshow game at Newport RUFC, gave Wolves another lift, but their season then nosedived in spectacular fashion.
Wolves lost six of their next seven matches, culminating in a humiliating 44-24 defeat by rock bottom Huddersfield-Sheffield at Wilderspool in a rollercoaster game which had seen on-loan winger Rob Smyth race in for four tries in the first half-hour of his Warrington debut.
Wolves addressed their problems and went on to win six of their final eight games to finish sixth - their highest placing in four seasons.
The end-of-season play-offs resulted in a Lancashire derby at Old Trafford, with St Helens and Wigan contesting the Grand Final.
Saints hung on for an exciting 29-16 win despite a brave second-half rally from the Pie Eaters.
Allan Langer pins down the leg of St Helens half back Sean Long
For Warrington, though, it had proved to be another disappointing season in which there had been some notable departures.
Blakeley quit Wilderspool in favour of his former club Salford after only a few months, and Jon Roper went on loan to London and Salford before being released at the end of the season.
Steve Blakeley lines up a kick
Also released in an end-of-season clear-out were:
Veteran former Great Britain winger Mark Forster, who was deemed surplus to requirements in the year of his double testimonial. The former Woolston Rovers junior departed having scored 191 tries in an incredible 458 appearances.
Mark Forster on his way to a try at Wakefield
Mark Forster represented Ireland in the World Cup at the back end of the year 2000 and was joined in the squad by Brisbane Broncos loose forward Kevin Campion, who was initially signed by Wolves for 2001
Aussie hooker Danny Farrar, who chose to retire from the game after three hard-grafting years at Wilderspool.
Danny Farrar says goodbye to the fans at the end of the season
England prop Mark Hilton, whose once-promising career sadly continued to be disrupted by serious injuries.
Jerome Guisset, who enjoyed his year in England but chose to return to his native France.
Off the field, long-serving assistant coach Paul Cullen left to take over the reins at Whiteheaven, while in November Andy Gatcliffe - a business partner of club shareholder Biill Holroyd - was appointed chief executive.
SEASON'S RESULTS:
Challenge Cup:
Feb 13: Hunslet Hawks 4 Wolves 46
Feb 27: Wolves 84 York Wasps 1
Mar 12: Salford City Reds 20 Wolves 22
Mar 25: Bradford Bulls 44 Wolves 20
Super League:
Mar 5: Wolves 48 London Broncos 18
Mar 19: Bradford Bulls 58 Wolves 4
Apr 2: Wolves 16 Hull FC 32
Apr 9: Wakefield Trinity 28 Wolves 24
Apr 16: Wolves 44 Leeds Rhinos 10
Another try celebration against Leeds from Alan Hunte, with Lee Penny keen to join in
Apr 21: Halifax Blue Sox 20 Wolves 30
Apr 24: Wolves 34 St Helens 47
May 1: Wolves 16 Wigan 42
May 7: Hudds-Sheff Giants 38 Wolves 28
May 14: Salford City Reds 31 Wolves 12
May 21: Wolves 26 Castleford Tigers 37
May 28: Wolves 42 Bradford Bulls 32
Jun 4: London Broncos 18 Wolves 28*
Jun 9: Hull FC 26 Wolves 12
Jun 18: Wolves 16 Wakefield Trinity 32
Jun 23: Leeds Rhinos 28 Wolves 24
Jun 30: St Helens 50 Wolves 20
Jul 7: Wolves 34 Halifax Blue Sox 12
Jul 16: Wigan Warriors 26 Wolves 4
Jul 23: Wolves 24 Hudds-Sheff Giants 44
Jul 28: Castleford Tigers 18 Wolves 32
Aug 6: Wolves 32 Salford City Reds 18
Aug 13: Wolves 41 Hull FC 10
Aug 20: St Helens 58 Wolves 18
Aug 25: London Broncos 16 Wolves 32
Sep 3: Wolves 20 Wigan Warriors 50
Sep 10: Wakefield Trinity 26 Wolves 18
Tawera Nikau on the attack in the final game of the season
Danny Nutley on his way to a try in the final game of the season against Salford
Toa Kohe-Love breaks free in the final game of the season against Salford
Sep 17: Wolves 38 Salford City Reds 10
*Played at Newport RUFC
SUPER LEAGUE TABLE:
P W D L F A Pt
Wigan Warriors 28 24 1 3 960 405 49
St Helens 28 23 0 5 988 627 46
Bradford Bulls 28 20 3 5 1004 408 43
Leeds Rhinos 28 10 0 11 692 626 34
Castleford Tigers 28 17 0 11 585 571 34
Warrington Wolves 28 13 0 15 735 817 26
Hull FC 28 12 1 15 630 681 25
Halifax Blue Sox 28 11 1 15 630 703 23
Salford City Reds 28 10 0 18 542 910 20
Wakefield Trinity 28 8 0 20 557 771 16
London Broncos 28 6 0 22 456 770 12
Hudds-Sheff Giants 28 4 0 24 502 1026 8
SQUAD STATS 2000:
App T G Dg Pt
David Alstead 0+3 0 0 0 0
Steve Blakeley 4+6 1 9 0 22
Lee Briers 23+9 17 93 1 255
Lee Briers, only Alan Hunte scored more tries that year
Dean Busby 6+14 2 0 0 8
Chris Campbell 7+1 2 0 0 8
Gary Chambers 0+13 2 0 0 8
Will Cowell 5+2 1 0 0 4
Danny Farrar 31 7 0 0 28
Danny Farrar making hard metres for Wolves
Mark Forster 14 5 0 0 20
Andrew Gee 31 4 0 0 16
Mark Gleeson 0+1 0 0 0 0
Jerome Guisset 12+19 7 0 0 28
David Highton 0+9 0 0 0 0
Mark Hilton 6+16 0 0 0 0
Alan Hunte 31 19 0 0 76
Ian Knott 24+7 9 0 0 36
Ian Knott charges in
Toa Kohe-Love 26 16 0 0 64
Allan Langer 32 12 4 0 56
Steve McCurrie 30+1 17 0 0 68
Steve McCurrie on a charging run against St Helens
Tawera Nikau 31 3 0 0 12
Paul Noone 8+5 2 0 0 8
Danny Nutley 27 1 0 0 4
Try time for Danny Nutley in the final game of the season against Salford
Neil Parsley 1 1 0 0 4
Lee Penny 30 16 0 0 64
Mike Peters 2+12 1 0 0 4
Jon Roper 18+1 6 17 0 58
Ian Sibbit 10+4 6 0 0 24
Ian Sibbit,a promising young talent
Rob Smyth 4 5 0 0 20
Jamie Stenhouse 3 3 0 0 12
Warren Stevens 0 0 0 0 0
Paul Wood 0+2 0 0 0 0
A young Paul Wood making his debut against Hull FC
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