It’s make or break in the cup for Warrington

It is coming up to that stage of the season where the games are getting bigger, and the margins between success and failure get smaller and smaller. For Warrington, Friday night represents the biggest game of the season so far, a season which started well but has badly stuttered in recent months with a run of results that have frustrated the fans and have seen us move down the table and away from the 1st place finish that seemed so achievable at one point. The Challenge Cup represents a break away from the league campaign however, but it’s a do or die match.

Warrington may have been frustrated by recent results, but the same can be said for Widnes, who have had a terrible run of results after a bright start themselves. Form would tell you that it’s a good time to play our bitter rivals, but it never seems to work that way in a derby and you imagine that Widnes will be more motivated for a cup quarter final than the have been in their recent Super League matches. Still, ten losses in their last twelve matches surely must have a negative impact on performances.

Had Kurt Gidley not made that crucial kick vs Catalan to win the game, Warrington themselves could be going into the match in a very negative mind frame. Every time Warrington look like getting back to early season form, there is a slip up on the pitch and a slip down the table. Inconsistency is always a huge concern when going into a cup match, and Warrington have certainly been that for a long time now, especially in bad weather which may be around during the match.

A big miss is the suspension of Aston Sims who once again has found himself in front of the disciplinary panel, but hopefully Ryan Bailey can impress and show that Warrington can cope without the Fijian international. Aside from that we have a very strong team which should be more than enough for the struggling Widnes. We have already beaten them twice this season but neither of those matches mattered nearly as much as this one does.

The prize for the winner is a spot in the semi-final. The bragging rights in a derby match means that each set of fans will be hoping they can stop the other team from progressing any further in the competition, as well as getting through themselves. It’s a match where losing isn’t an option, and a semi-final place is a must for Warrington. They are playing a team low on form and at home, if it was any other team it should be a clear victory, but Widnes may have something to say about that on Friday night.

Warrington fans will wake up on Saturday morning either optimistic about having a great year, or pessimistic that it will once again fade to nothing. It’s the fine lines that big players thrive on, and hopefully in this squad we have the players who will be ready to step up to the plate for their team.