SHEFFIELD EAGLES 6 WARRINGTON WOLVES 34
KASEY SMITH, Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington, Friday

A STRONG second-half showing saw off a spirited Sheffield side as Warrington booked their place in the Challenge Cup fourth round.

Warrington’s long-standing – perhaps unfair – reputation for falling short when silverware is on the line has only been reinforced in recent seasons, with defeats in the final of this competition in 2024 and 2025.

Sam Burgess handed out five debuts, with the Warrington boss hoping that this year he has assembled a squad capable of challenging for and winning trophies.

Though one of the five debutants, James Bentley, could not have had a worse start, pulling up barely a minute into the game and giving Kelepi Tanginoa an earlier-than-expected first outing.

The head coach further demonstrated his confidence in the club’s emerging talent, handing the number one jersey to Cai Taylor-Wray following Matt Dufty’s departure. He was one of the standouts for Warrington, with his pace and elusiveness set to be an asset for the Wolves this year.

Trusting in youth has been a hallmark of Burgess’ tenure as evidenced by Tommy Rhodes making his professional debut off the bench, while in previous years he has handed players like Oli Leyland and Arron Lindop their first taste of top-flight rugby, and it more than paid off in this encounter.

Championship Sheffield boast a proud legacy in this competition, most notably their 1998 Wembley win over Wigan. This time, however, there would be no repeat of that magic, as Warrington proved simply too strong.

The well-drilled Eagles matched Warrington for long periods by completing high and kicking to the corners and they made sure Warrington were denied a simple stroll to victory.

Warrington opened the scoring when Toby King powered over from a lofted pass by Williams which stemmed from a costly mix-up on the right wing, giving Josh Smith a clear run upfield, and the Wolves made them pay with the game’s opening score.

Taylor-Wray extended Warrington’s lead, springing into action to dive under the posts after Williams’ clever change-of-direction pass opened the door.

With a slick show-and-go, Kai Morgan – last seen with Salford in Super League – slid over for Sheffield, Jordan Lilley converting, keeping the Eagles firmly in the contest.

But Warrington soon reaffirmed their authority, and it was a well-worked shift which saw Albert Hopoate put one on a plate for Josh Thewlis who dived over in the corner, just before half-time.

Taylor-Wray grabbed a second, coming right after Tanginoa steamrolled Lilley to break through, before the second-rower sent the fullback racing clear with him too quick for the desperate, onrushing Eagles tacklers.

Warrington turned the screw, and it was Hopoate who seized the moment to score on debut after a gap emerged when Josh Hodson flew off the line.

Late on, 16-year-old Rhodes – who had just been brought on – calmly strode through to score under the posts, sealing a perfect debut, putting the contest beyond doubt and becoming Warrington’s youngest ever try-scorer in the process.

While tougher challenges lie ahead for Warrington, the early signs are promising, particularly with a crop of exciting young talent emerging.

GAMESTAR: Cai Taylor-Wray proved tricky and his pace saw him break through on a number of occasions.

GAMEBREAKER: Taylor-Wray’s second try knocked the stuffing out of Sheffield.

MATCHFACTS

EAGLES
1 Matty Marsh
2 Joe Brown
3 Josh Hodson
4 Kieran Gill
5 Billy Walkley
6 Kai Morgan
7 Jordan Lilley
22 Masi Matongo
17 Harry Bowes
10 Martyn Reilly
11 Connor Bower
12 Joel Farrell
15 George Griffin
Subs (all used)
9 Corey Johnson
8 Conor Fitzsimmons
20 Lewis Peachey
23 Alex Foster

Tries: Morgan (30)
Goals: Lilley 1/1

WOLVES
1 Cai Taylor-Wray
2 Josh Thewlis
3 Toby King
4 Albert Hopoate (D)
26 Josh Smith (D)
6 George Williams
7 Marc Sneyd
16 Liam Byrne (D)
9 Danny Walker
21 Luke Thomas
12 Sam Stone
20 James Bentley
13 Ben Currie
Subs (all used)
33 Tommy Rhodes (D)
17 Jordy Crowther
34 Kelepi Tanginoa (D)
22 Joe Philbin

Tries: King (15), Taylor-Wray (21, 53), Josh Thewlis (36), Hopoate (60), Rhodes (69)
Goals: Sneyd 5/6

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 0-10, 6-10, 6-16; 6-22, 6-28, 6-34

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Eagles: Jordan Lilley; Wolves: Cai Taylor-Wray

Penalty count: 3-4
Half-time: 6-16
Referee: Scott Mikalauskas
Attendance: 2,908