WARRINGTON Wolves have the chance to match a piece of club history on Saturday – something Daryl Powell says would be “awesome.”

A victory over Hull FC at The Halliwell Jones Stadium would make it seven victories in as many games to start 2023 and would equal their best ever opening to a Super League campaign.

That came back in 2016, when they won their first seven fixtures in a campaign that saw them go onto lift the League Leaders Shield and reach both major finals, only to lose the Challenge Cup Final to Hull FC at Wembley and the Super League Grand Final to Wigan at Old Trafford.

Tony Smith – the man who masterminded that campaign – is back at his old stomping ground at the weekend as Hull’s head coach as he tries to put a halt to his former club’s unbeaten start.

After a dismal year in 2022, however, Powell is just happy to have consigned those ghosts to history in the opening six weeks of the campaign.

“The start was always going to be important for us this year for obvious reasons,” he said.

“We’ve got that and now it’s about kicking on and being super-consistent.

“To be able to achieve that mark in the club’s Super League history would be awesome. We want to chalk that one off then continue it.

“The things we’re delivering have been excellent so we want to keep that going and if we do, we’ll give ourselves the best possible chance.”

The highlights of 2016’s record start included a 12-10 opening-day win at a Leeds Rhinos side who won the Treble the previous year, Chris Sandow’s on-the-hooter drop goal to secure a comeback victory at Salford Red Devils and the Good Friday win over Widnes Vikings at a sold-out Halliwell Jones Stadium.

Ironically, the first team to beat Warrington that year were Hull FC, who triumphed 26-24 in an Easter Monday clash at what was then the KC Stadium.

Warrington Wolves’ winning start to 2016 season

Round One – Leeds 10 Wire 12

Round Two – Wire 38 Hull KR 8

Round Three – Wire 34 Wakefield 16

Round Four – Salford 30 Wire 31

Round Five – Catalans 20 Wire 30

Round Six – Wire 56 Castleford 12

Round Seven – Wire 28 Widnes 10