Your Favourite season watching Wire and Why ? : Sun Jan 01, 2017 5:23 pm  

1994 - The Jonathon Davies season.

I'd been watching Warrington for 6 seasons previously so when the signing of Jonathon Davies was announced I was bowled over basically because Wire had signed a quality player instead of letting one go..!
I did feel that Davies was going to make a difference to us but I never dreamt of the Quantum leap that actually took place...
Not only did Davies produce magic moments a plenty but he kicked goals that were being missed in previous seasons and the affect he had on other players was immense.. We finished joint top that season and I still despise Russell Smith to this day...
Highlights in bullet point form...

Davies Magic tries - Leeds,Halifax (cup) away.. Halifax home .
Kelly Shelford outstanding form.
Gary Chambers should have played for GB that year.
Saints away at Knowsley road in the Regal Trophy the best and most raucous away end atmosphere I've ever been in.
The final game of the season v Sheffield, the noise was deafening we were champions for 1 night, no mean feat v Lindsay's money laden Wigan machine who normally had the title wrapped up with weeks to spare..

Re: Your Favourite season watching Wire and Why ? : Sun Jan 01, 2017 6:40 pm  

Not a season, but a year.
1986.
The Pollutant Bowden had been "let go", so we promoted Barrow and Boyd, when the season was ambling to a non-existent end.
We still had a few games from Blake to enjoy.
Boyd Tamati Jackson
Johnno
Andy Greg, before his poaching
The Premiership run in, including Ronnie Duane's try
Bishop's 5 dgs v Wigan
The final.
Losing the first 2games of the next season, then going unbeaten for the remainder of the year, including Wigan (h), Leeds (a, listening to it on the radio, and shaking my head in disbelief) and walloping the Pollutants in the JPS semi.

Ohhh, and Mark Roberts.....

In fact, the only black point of the year, was the RFL'S disgraceful decision not to give us a game against the touring Aussies. We'd've given them a game, alright.

Re: Your Favourite season watching Wire and Why ? : Sun Jan 01, 2017 6:52 pm  

MikeyWire wrote:

Saints away at Knowsley road in the Regal Trophy the best and most raucous away end atmosphere I've ever been in.

100% agree, MW.

Blowing a gale all day, and we "blew them away" live on Grandstand. I remember getting my ugly mug on the tele, stood right in the middle of the crowd, and having complete strangers coming up to me in the Time Square that night, saying they'd seen me.
A FANTASTIC atmosphere, and a great game. Superb.

Re: Your Favourite season watching Wire and Why ? : Sun Jan 01, 2017 7:09 pm  

My choice is easy..........2011. How good were we that season, we blew everyone away & played fantastic Rugby. Beating Saints & Wigan away within a few weeks were my particular highlights.

I know 2011 is a relatively easy option to choose with it being so recent and still in everyones memory, but what a season it was.

Re: Your Favourite season watching Wire and Why ? : Sun Jan 01, 2017 7:19 pm  

1973/74 When we won virtually every trophy on offer. Fantastic achievement,
with plenty of great games.

Re: Your Favourite season watching Wire and Why ? : Sun Jan 01, 2017 7:29 pm  

Agree with Lefty, that end of 1985/6 season run in culminating with the play-off romp against Halifax was superb.
On a more recent note, 2012 (I think) when the rugby was absolutely sensational, a joy to watch. In football parlance "it was like watching Barcelona"

Re: Your Favourite season watching Wire and Why ? : Mon Jan 02, 2017 2:52 am  

lefty goldblatt wrote:

Not a season, but a year.
1986.
The Pollutant Bowden had been "let go", so we promoted Barrow and Boyd, when the season was ambling to a non-existent end.
We still had a few games from Blake to enjoy.
Boyd Tamati Jackson
Johnno
Andy Greg, before his poaching
The Premiership run in, including Ronnie Duane's try
Bishop's 5 dgs v Wigan
The final.
Losing the first 2games of the next season, then going unbeaten for the remainder of the year, including Wigan (h), Leeds (a, listening to it on the radio, and shaking my head in disbelief) and walloping the Pollutants in the JPS semi.

Ohhh, and Mark Roberts.....

In fact, the only black point of the year, was the RFL'S disgraceful decision not to give us a game against the touring Aussies. We'd've given them a game, alright.

Yes, and the 2nd Phil Blake period plus John Woods of 1988-89!
All we had to do was to draw Saints or Widnes in the semi and we'd would have beat Wigan at Wembley.
It was not to be...Pies got us when we were weakened.

Even though we went Wembley the year after....but for the spell of Greg Mackey....everything just went slowly downwards until Davis gave us a lift...but after him...that was the longest worst period of haunting doldrums.

Re: Your Favourite season watching Wire and Why ? : Mon Jan 02, 2017 9:50 am  

Wire Weaver wrote:

1973/74 When we won virtually every trophy on offer. Fantastic achievement,
with plenty of great games.

This one, unashamed glory hunter and had a season ticket every year since

Re: Your Favourite season watching Wire and Why ? : Mon Jan 02, 2017 1:06 pm  

Wire Weaver wrote:

1973/74 When we won virtually every trophy on offer. Fantastic achievement,
with plenty of great games.

There's only been two seasons when we've been so good I've actually felt sorry for the opposition. That was one, the other was 2011.

Re: Your Favourite season watching Wire and Why ? : Mon Jan 02, 2017 4:49 pm  

I can't really remember 73/4 so will omit that from my choice, as I will 1986 as I didn't go to too many games.

But 2011 is my favourite year as we ran riot against most teams and were fantastic to watch - about a dozen times we scored over 40 points.
Real power in the front with Morley / Carvell / Wood, strings pulled by Briers and Monaghan and the backs tearing it up with King, Bridge, Monas and Hodgeson.

2010 and 2012 are up there too but not quite at the same level.

Arguably - on the same level - 93/94. The MOS Davies year - finishing 3rd but only on goal difference.
None of us expected it really, and to finish so close was really impressive - especially against a strong Bulls side. Wigan were not at their peak and I think they went downhill under Dorahy through the year but considering they had over half the GB team in their ranks we did really well but we didn't kick on the next season due to funds and that was it for a long time.
Griffiths was assistant coach and he introduced the 'sliding defence' iirc which was new at the time and I think we went on a winning run of about 8 or 9 matches at the start of the season. It took a long time for the opposition to work it out. (And we lost 8-6 at home with Cullen being pulled up for using the knees in a tackle - very dubious penalty, but with Botica they were never going to miss that kick - even if it was made easier by Cullen being penalized 10m for mouthing off at the ref. Yes I remember it well.....)