Fan Panel: A Warrington perspective on tonight’s game with Huddersfield

Peter Thomas has his say on Friday’s game.

The Wire had a weekend away from Super League due to an early entry into the Cup. Poor old Huddersfield will have wished for one too if they’d known what was coming at the hands of St Helens. Quite simply they were battered.

Whilst Warrington won against League 1 opposition Bradford and took their winning run to seven games in a row, Huddersfield capitulated against Saints, leaking 60 points in the process. The result on Friday, therefore, should be quite easy to predict then surely? Don’t be so certain.

Huddersfield will have a point to prove after last weekend and there’ll be a lot of pride at stake. For Warrington, yes they continued their winning run, but there were changes to the squad which may disrupt continuity, and the win also cost the Wire Ben Currie who hobbled off with an injury to his troublesome knee that kept him sidelined for most of last season. That sight was a worry.

The Wire ran in 10 tries of their own against the Bulls and conceded only one in reply, but remember, this is a League 1 side, so it should have been expected. Yes they were great in attack, Charnley got 4, and there were good performances all round. You can’t judge that game as an indication of Friday’s result.

Remember also that the Giants have already beaten Warrington once already this year, though it was early in the season, in poor conditions and perhaps too early for Price to have impacted as coach. The teams that met on that day have travelled different paths since and I thoroughly expect the Wire to make it eight in a row.

With returning squad members following rotation, key players such as Brown and Clark should be well rested and keen to return to action. Key man for the Giants would have been Brough, but I’ll discipline has cost him his place for the next few weeks due to a suspension – with his kicking always a worry, it’ll be one less thing for Warrington to be concerned with. A Brough free Giants are always less threatening.

Yes Huddersfield took the spoils early in the year, but whilst they have struggled since, Warrington themselves have gone from strength to strength and are putting themselves forward as contenders. I expect a Wire victory, with a healthy margin to back it up.

Score Prediction: Warrington 34-8 Huddersfield