Championship leaders Toronto Wolfpack travel to the Halliwell Jones Stadium to take on Steve Price’s inform Warrington Wolves, with a place in the Quarter Final of the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup up for grabs.
SQUAD NEWS
Warrington Wolves
Steve Price has named a unchanged squad from last week’s victory over Leeds Rhinos, with Bryson Goodwin recovering from a head knock he sustained in the first half of that match.
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However, Dom Crosby (ankle) and Toby King (hamstring) are still out, with Ben Pomeroy being made to wait for his first outing since returning to the club.
The Wolves are on red hot form, currently sitting third in Super League, and on a nine-game winning streak across both league and cup.
Warrington Wolves 19-man squad: Sitaleki Akauola, Ryan Atkins, Kevin Brown, Mitch Brown, Josh Charnley, Daryl Clark, Mike Cooper, Bryson Goodwin, Chris Hill, Jack Hughes, George King, Tom Lineham, Harvey Livett, Ben Murdoch-Masila, Declan Patton, Joe Philbin, Stefan Ratchford, Tyrone Roberts, Ben Westwood.
Toronto Wolfpack
Paul Rowley has made one change to his 19 man squad from their 62-14 victory against Swinton Lions, with Greg Worthington replacing Andy Ackers.
Toronto have shown why they dominated League one last season.The Wolfpack are currently 11 games unbeaten, and sit top of the league.
This game will be a really test for the Canadian’s men, as they show if they have the abilities to compete with one of the countries best teams, in a game that could signify whether they have what it takes to compete with Super League.
Toronto Wolfpack 19-man squad: Bob Beswick, Ryan Brierley, Jack Bussey, Andrew Dixon, Jake Emmitt, Adam Higson, Sam Hopkins, Liam Kay, Olsi Krasniqi, Darcy Lussick, Josh McCrone, Gareth O’Brien, Cory Paterson, Nick Rawsthorne, Adam Sidlow, Ashton Sims, Chase Stanley, Blake Wallace, Greg Worthington.
HEAD TO HEAD
This is the first ever meeting between Warrington and Toronto. With both teams on serious winning streaks, this match promises to be an intriguing encounter.
The Wolves entered the cup in the fifth round and beat Bradford 54-6. In contrast, Toronto entered the cup in the fourth round and defeated Kells 56-6 and in the fifth round and Barrow 16-12 in the round of 32.
With the battle of the packs looking to be a mouthwatering tie, could Toronto pull off a giant killing, or will the Wire show the Super League dominance, and move one step closer to a Wembley final?
KEY BATTLE- Stefan Ratchford v Gareth O’Brien
The battle of the full backs- In the Wolves’ corner is Stefan Ratchford. The fullback has been in blistering form of late, with more than a few assists in recent weeks, and taking over the kicking duties when needed.
In his seven seasons with the club, Ratchford is showing now more than ever why he has deserved call ups to Wayne Bennett’s England side.
In the Canadian’s corner is former Wolves man Gareth O’Brien. He made the move from Salford to the Championship outfit earlier this season, and has gotten back to the form that saw him guide Salford to one of their best ever Super League season last year.
Although, it could be said that he still shows inexperience, there is no doubting his raw talent, and that talent is something that the Wolfpack will be looking to use in this game.
Both players bring threats from anywhere on the park, and their kick returns are certainly something to be admired. This battle is one that I’m sure will be critical to who comes out on top.
THE IMPORTANT DETAILS
Date: Sunday 13th May
Venue: The Halliwell Jones Stadium
Kick-off: 3:30pm
Referee: Ben Thaller
WHO WILL WIN?
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