After four years in charge of Warrington, Steve Price left the club as head coach at the end of last season and has returned home to his native Australia. He leaves the Wolves following a very successful period in the club’s history.
Daryl Powell now picks up the reins and will be looking to build upon what Price achieved. He is sure to bring new ideas with him in what is a big move for the man who coached Castleford Tigers for eight years.
Unlike many rugby league coaches, Powell has experience in both codes of the game. He was the head coach of union-side Leeds Tykes between 2006 and 2008. Interestingly, he worked alongside Director of Rugby Stuart Lancaster who is now a coach at Leinster, second favourites in the rugby union betting for the European Rugby Champions Cup this season.
Lancaster later went on to coach England’s rugby union team between 2011 and 2015 so Powell will have learnt a lot from the man who went to the very top of the coaching chain in his sport. He is also somebody he can turn to for advice today.
Powell Took Castleford As Far As They Could Go
Powell helped to transfer Castleford into one of the leading teams in the Super League during his eight-year spell with the club. In 2014 his side reached the Challenge Cup in what was their first appearance at Wembley in 22 years. That season also saw the Tigers finish fourth in the regular season, their highest finish in the Super League era at the time.
The 2014 Coach of the Year had his best-ever season in 2017 at the Yorkshire club. They won the League Leaders’ Shield following a fantastic campaign. They were unable to cap off that season with victory in the Grand Final at Old Trafford as they were beaten by Leeds Rhinos.
Powell arrives at Warrington with a wealth of Super League experience. It is also the chance for him to have real success as a coach by claiming some silverware.
What Are the Hopes for Wolves In 2022?
Warrington are behind only St Helens in the betting for the Grand Final in 2022 so there will be strong hopes on Powell’s team. They were disappointing in the playoffs in 2021, losing in the opening round to Hull Kingston Rovers 0-19 in a big upset.
Peter Mata’utia and Oliver Holmes both join Powell at Warrington from Castleford. Wolves have also signed George Williams from NRL side Canberra Raiders. The scrum-half is a huge boost to the squad and a lot will be expected from him on his return to the Super League.
Powell inherits a strong squad from Price, one with which he should be able to challenge on all fronts next year. It is full of experience and includes players who may be set for a breakthrough campaign.
The 2022 Super League season begins on the 10th February, with the Grand Final scheduled for the 24th September. Powell will be hoping his new Wolves side is one of the teams involved in that game in Manchester.
