A Super start for the Warrington Wolves in 2019 was anticlimactic, bundled out in week 1 of the playoffs. Here’s our look at their 2019 campaign.
Super League Record
Wins: 16
Losses: 13
Competition Points: 32
Super League: Playoffs
Challenge Cup: Champions
Warrington Wolves Player of the Year: Daryl Clark
What was good about their season?
The Challenge Cup. Ending a seven year wait for a final win back in August. Pulling off the shock victory against St Helens and ending the 2019 champions hopes of a treble. The win was Steve Price’s first trophy as head coach of the Wolves and made a disappointing season slightly better for those in the Primrose and Blue.
The Wire started the season on fire, only losing two of their first ten. A run that included an impressive 63-12 victory over Hull FC. Something that showed what could have been for the 2019 Wolves.
What was not so good about their season?
From June the wheels on the Wolves season fell off. From being a handful of points behind St Helens, to being 18 behind at the end of round 29. They only won two league games from June 29th till the end of the year (London and Wakefield). This led to the Wolves limping home to fourth and then losing in the eliminator play off game.
Losing Kevin Brown a week before the start of the year left a big hole in the Wolves attack. Relying heavily on Dec Patton and Blake Austin for the majority of the season, meant that whenever their two half backs were injured, their attack dwindled. Although they did win at Wembley without Blake Austin. Something that could change in 2020 with the addition of Gareth Widdop.
Who was their best player in 2019?
For me it’s Joe Philbin. Although there have been some great performing players such as Daryl Clark, Stefan Ratchford and Jack Hughes; Philbin has been incredible. He was the only Irish international to make the Great Britain squad this autumn. Consistently performing in every game he played, the loose forward has made 259 carries for an average gain of 7.67 metres.
He will go down in Wire folklore as he scored the winning try against Hull FC in the Challenge Cup semi-final and then the opening try in the Final against Saints. In a pretty average season for the Primrose and Blue, Philbin has shown that the future could well be bright for the Wire.
