10:04am Thursday 11th March 2010
By Christopher Terris Taylor
WARRINGTON Wolves are giving three key men every chance to prove their fitness for this weekend’s beefy clash with Bradford Bulls.
Both sides are in winning form and Wolves are looking for the return of Lee Briers, Richie Myler and Richie Mathers to give themselves the greatest chance of making it five wins from six this year.
Briers (ankle), Myler (bruised toe) and Mathers (groin) missed Wolves’ defeat of Crusaders at the weekend, while Briers was also sidelined for the previous week’s success at Huddersfield.
They came through a light training session on Tuesday and were being put through their paces as the Guardian went to press in a bid to prove themselves fit for selection.
Wolves coaches Tony Smith and Jimmy Lowes acknowledge the tricky hurdle Bradford will present in what should be a spicy encounter at The Halliwell Jones Stadium on Saturday, kick off 5.30pm.
The Australians in the teams have past connections in the NRL, while Warrington’s Chris Bridge, David Solomona, Ryan Atkins, and Adrian Morley, along with Bradford’s Stuart Reardon and Danny Sculthorpe, have played for both clubs.
Also Smith and Lowes – a Bradford league and cup winner – have been singing the praises of former England colleague and Bulls coach Steve McNamara.
The pair have both worked with the former Bradford, Hull and Huddersfield back rower, who has been charged with the task of taking Bradford back to the heady heights of Grand Finals and World Club Challenges, and believe his team will make it difficult for Wolves at the weekend.
Smith said: “Steve is a very good British coach, he’s working hard and doing a great job in rebuilding the club.
“I admire what he’s doing as I think he’s done a tremendous job so far and they will be a hard task.”
Lowes added: “I think he has a team that he is happy and settled with.
“He’s a fantastic coach and long term I think he will be the man there.
“But hopefully that will start a week on Saturday and not sooner!”
McNamara watched his side overcome a 20-point deficit at home to league leaders Wigan last week, manufactured by new Australian import and one-time Wolves target Matt Orford at half back.
Lowes is acutely aware that Wolves will have to make sure Orford – a former teammate of Warrington’s Michael Monaghan, Chris Hicks and Matt King – is not given the same chance to shine when he lines up at the Halliwell Jones.
He said: “Wigan slipped off him a bit and gave him too much space and you can’t do that with players like him.
“You can’t switch off from good players for a moment and that’s what we’ll have to do to handle him.
“We’ve got to be on him for 80 minutes and try to control him as best we can.”
Smith is wary that Bradford have plenty of players who could inflict damage.
“They have a lot of quality players across the park and will have a lot of confidence after knocking off Wigan last week,” he said.
“Langley, Menzies and Halley at the back are all playing hard.”
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