Warrington are the Carnegie Challenge Cup Final winners of 2009. I felt it was deserved too with most of the damage being done in the first half when the Wolves opened an 18-6 advantage.
Richie Mathers grabbed the first try after just seventy seconds and shortly after Huddersfield saw a try disallowed for double movement at the other end, Shaun Lunt was the unlucky man, but he wasn’t to be denied a couple of minutes later when latched onto the end of a midfield break.
Brett Hodgson converted and everything was level before Warrington struck for their second try when Michael Monaghan touched down and within minutes the Wolves had their third try when Monaghan, Lee Briers and Chris Bridge all combined to get Chris Hicks over the line. He improved the angle by keeping just inside the deadball line. With Bridge showing good form with the boot Warrington were 18-6 up and although the frenetic nature of the game calmed after Matt King saw a try disallowed by the video referee for ball-stealing, it was Huddersfield that scored through Brett Hodgson after a sweeping move to Leroy Cudjoe and just when the defence thought they had him, an offload instead found the fullback.
At 18-10 the Yorkshire side needed the next score but it was Warrington that claimed it through Vinnie Anderson after 59 minutes when the makeshift stand-off supported an offload to score that all important try that opened a fourteen point advantage.
Bridge then missed a penalty and in the last ten minutes David Hodgson scored a cracking try to set up a tense finish but Huddersfield’s poor handling and decision making in the absence of Kevin Brown (injured after half an hour), told and Briers added a cheeky drop goal to confirm victory by 25-16.
It’s actually 35 years since Warrington last won the cup and I decided afterwards to look back at 1974 to see what else was happening that year. For starters petrol cost 42 pence PER GALLON, the average house price was £10,990 and films out that year included the controversial “Exorcist”, “Papillon”, “Serpico” and “Blazing Saddles”.
How times have changed eh?
That said well played Warrington. Front rowers Adrian Morley and Garreth Carvell were immense while Monaghan claimed the Lance Todd Trophy, only the third (or was if fourth?) overseas player to win the Cup Final Man-of-the-Match and Lee Briers wrote his name into Rugby League and Warrington immortality.
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