Wizards spell of success

WARRINGTON Wizards will be looking to emulate their Carnegie Challenge Cup-winning neighbours Warrington Wolves by casting their own magical spell at the Co-operative Finals Day on Sunday September 26.
The Wizards will not have far to travel for their biggest match in six years, the RLC National final at Halliwell Jones Stadium, the first of three major finals kicking off at 12.30pm at the home of Warrington Wolves.
After beating reigning champions Bramley Buffaloes in the play-offs, the Wizards progressed direct to the Grand Final six years after their last appearance at this stage when they lost to Coventry Bears.
In their former guise as Warrington Woolston Rovers they won the first Grand Final at this level against Teesside Steelers in 2003 before losing to the West Midlands club twelve months later.
Player-coach Chris Campbell, a former Super League player with the Wolves, is establishing himself as one of the brightest young coaches in the game and is delighted with his team’s success.
“We’ve had a number of years when we’ve been there or thereabouts but we’ve never made it to the big stage until now,” said the 29-year-old full-back , who is in his first year of coaching.
“To reach the Grand Final is an immense achievement for everyone involved in the Wizards but to be playing at the Halliwell Jones Stadium is fantastic.
“As tenants of the Wolves’ former home Wilderspool, our links with the Engage Super League side run deep and we have a number of former Wolves players in our ranks. We’ve followed their success over the last year or so with a great deal of interest and there’s a real carnival atmosphere in the town especially given the exciting brand of rugby that they play. Now it’s our turn to get in the spotlight.
“We hope the Wolves fans will turn out in force and join our own loyal band of supporters at the Finals Day. The lift they can provide the lads could be a big factor.
“Whoever we play in the Grand Final will present us with a very stiff challenge. If it’s Bramley again then we will have to be at our very best to repeat our play-off success. The Buffaloes have effectively dominated the competition for the last few years despite not necessarily winning every Grand Final but they are holders and bring a lot of heritage and, indeed support, to the competition.
“Huddersfield Underbank will also be tough opponents and they have a number of quality individuals in their side. They reached this stage last year before losing to Bramley and although we’ve twice put them to the sword in the regular season, you can bet that will count for absolutely nothing come the big day.”
Combining coaching and playing for the first time has been a test for Campbell but it has its advantages as he explained: “I’ve enjoyed every second of this season. Whether it’s playing or coaching from the sidelines, there are benefits to being a player coach in the sense that you are in there with the team experiencing the ebb and flow of games and being able to influence the action.”