HAVING overcome a stubborn Hull KR to book their place in the semi-finals, Warrington Wolves head coach Sam Burgess bemoaned the six-day preparation his side faces before their clash with Leeds Rhinos.
Warrington secured a trip to Headingley after pulling clear of the Robins on the hour mark, but the fact Wakefield Trinity – who finished below the Wolves – will have an extra day’s rest before their semi-final against Wigan Warriors was something Burgess could not fathom.
“It is unbelievable,” said the Warrington boss. “How do you get a six-day turnaround when you finish third whereas four and five get an eight-day turnaround?
“The game needs to be better; it is just unacceptable. It doesn’t make any sense.
“Nobody challenges it, nobody is held accountable, so I am putting it out there so everybody knows about it.
“We have talked about it, we have asked about it, but they have done nothing about it.
“We have had that many five-day, four-day and six-day turnarounds… it will be business as usual.”
Regarding the game itself, Burgess explained he was always confident his side would get the result, as he looked ahead to their next game and insisted they had evolved since their defeat at the same stage in 2024.
“I always felt in control of the game,” he said. “I am very proud of the team – it was a bit of a tricky game.
“We defended well and created some great chances which we didn’t quite execute on, which we will take forward with a bit more precision needed.
“We have matured as a group in the last three years. Last year was tough and taught us a lot of things.
“We understand what it takes, the game will be tight… we have to be at our best, but we are ready to take that step.”