IT’S fair to say that Warrington Wolves underperformed in 2025 drastically.
After a relatively successful 2024 in which the Wolves reached the Challenge Cup Final and made the top six Super League play-offs, they crashed and burned last season.
Although Sam Burgess’ side did once again reach Wembley to play in the prestigious Challenge Cup Final, they lost to Hull KR in heartbreaking fashion.
From then on, the wheels fell off and the Cheshire club went on a losing run that saw them finish well outside the play-offs.
George Williams, who will leave the Halliwell Jones at the end of the 2026 Super League season for NRL side Dolphins, has tried to give a reasoning behind that demise.
“That’s the million-dollar question. We struggled last year and I definitely don’t want to make excuses but the Challenge Cup took the wind out of us, we lost in bad fashion and everyone knows that,” Williams told League Express.
“We lost momentum after that. We had some bad injuries and we never really got going again.
“The players have since taken ownership of that and we’ve had some good honest meetings.
“That’s why I think the group is really hungry and determined to be better.”
So what, if anything, has Burgess changed this time around?
“Sam has been the same. He’s locked in at the minute, he’s a man on a mission.
“When your boss is on a mission, when he speaks you listen. He’s a great leader of men.
“When he’s locked in, everyone follows suit pretty quickly.
“He has a good balance. When he’s serious and talking with some stern words you’re listening but he was a player not long ago and he gets the dressing room. He has a laugh when he can.”