Catalans Dragons vs Warrington Wolves, Challenge Cup talking points

Given their current status as Super League leaders, they set out on the road to Wembley as one of the favourites to make it to August's final - and it would be the first time they have done so since they last won the competition back in 2019.

However, their prospects come under serious examination this weekend given they were handed a trip to Perpignan to face Catalans Dragons in the sixth round.

Here, our Warrington Wolves reporter Matt Turner picks out five key talking points ahead of the game at the Stade Gilbert Brutus...

The toughest start to latest Challenge Cup journey

Warrington’s relationship with this competition over the past 15 years or so has been a fruitful one with six Wembley visits, four of which saw the trophy come home.

However, they will no doubt want to put the most recent history with the Challenge Cup behind them and avoid a second consecutive first-hurdle exit.

In order to do that, they must overcome arguably the toughest draw they could have been handed.

If they do make it through and all the way to Wembley, nobody could accuse them of taking an easy route.

Super League’s leaders against one of the sides chasing them down – this should be tie of the round (more on that later).

Wire have not reached the Challenge Cup Final since winning the competition in 2019 (Image: Mike Boden)

A much more difficult task

Winning in Perpignan is, of course, something The Wire have very recent history with.

That 20-14 Super League victory last month was certainly memorable, but repeating the trick will be much tougher this time around due to the players Catalans will now be able to call upon.

Mitchell Pearce, Sam Tomkins, Manu Ma’u, Michael McIlroum and new signing Matt Ikuvalu – all players who missed out on Wire’s last visit but look set to be available to Steve McNamara on Saturday.

Having said that, Daryl Powell will also have a few more players to choose from this time – at the very least, they should be able to have a proper bench rotation given the availability of all of their middle-unit players.

Wire won 20-14 in Perpignan last month (Image: Joe Richardson/Warrington Wolves)

Does Gil Dudson come straight back in?

The Welsh international prop is available again having completed the five-match suspension handed down to him for the punch on Tom Johnstone that saw him sent off in the league fixture between the two.

Despite the reservations of plenty of supporters, don’t be surprised to see him thrown straight back into the mix.

With Josh McGuire likely to be needed in the back row for the foreseeable future, Powell needs all the men he can get in the middle and it would not be a shock to see him start in the front row alongside Paul Vaughan, with Joe Bullock reverting to the bench.

All eyes will then be on Dudson to keep his cool as he returns to the scene of the crime – a ground upon which he has seen red both literally and figuratively on his last two visits.

Gil Dudson is available again after suspension (Image: SWPix.com)

Powell’s dummy-half decision

Choosing between Wire’s two top-class hookers will no doubt be a “horses for courses” decision as the season goes on.

For various reasons, however, it is a call Powell has not really been forced into making this year – until now.

Both are fit and a restocked middle unit reduces the need for Clark to pitch in at loose forward, so how does the head coach use his dummy-halves?

With rain forecast in Perpignan on Saturday, Walker’s superior kicking game may give him the edge for the starting role with Clark coming off the bench for the championship rounds as he did to good effect against Hull KR last time out.

How will Daryl Clark and Danny Walker be used? (Image: SWPix.com)

TV shame

As previously mentioned, this clash between the sides currently running first and fourth in the Super League table is – in the eyes of many – the pick of the sixth-round ties.

And yet for the vast majority of supporters both neutral and otherwise, it will remain unseen as it was not chosen for TV coverage.

Of course, there are significant logistical hurdles to clear in order to broadcast the game from France and these are believed to have been insurmountable for the BBC, who showed initial interest in choosing the game before settling on Castleford Tigers vs Hull FC for their Sunday afternoon slot.

As such, the only way to actually watch this game is to get yourself a plane ticket and a hotel to be there in-person – something not many are able to do.

For a game that looks set to be a cracker, that seems like a real shame.