Don't give Rochdalea sniff (From Warrington Guardian)

Don't give Rochdalea sniff

WOLVES' battle-scarred head coach Paul Cullen is taking no chances for Saturday's Powergen Challenge Cup fourth round tie against lower league part-timers Rochdale Hornets.

Cullen, who has a cheek bone scar from the last time Wolves played Rochdale in 1995, is this week training his players in exactly the same way as he would prepare them for a Super League game.

He is set to make team changes that will, due to heavy competition for places, encourage top drawer performances and he says his troops should give the National League One side full respect.

Cullen adds: "Bobbie Goulding will have a side as well prepared as he can given the circumstances and they will certainly be fired up for this match.

"If we go there and we are casual, the big units that Rochdale have - and there are a lot of ex-Super League players there - will sniff out the disrespect if there is any.

"We defeated Wakefield on Saturday and left The Halliwell Jones Stadium after hitting the proteins, the ice and medics table, to go over to David Lloyds for a training session.

"The players had Sunday off but we trained flat out on Monday in a very tough and intense session so under no circumstances have we taken the foot off the gas."

Rochdale's former Super League professionals include Darren Shaw and Warrington-born Andy Leathem, who enjoyed a double-winning season with St Helens before a loan stint with Wolves during Darryl Van de Velde's reign.

Former Great Britain scrum half Goulding, many times the thorn in the side of Warrington while at Saints, Huddersfield, Wakefield, Leeds, Wigan and Widnes, is not believed to be in the running to put boots on himself for Saturday's clash, which kicks off at Spotland at 3pm.

Cullen will make changes to the side that opened the season and Jerome Guisset, Ian Sibbit, Daryl Cardiss, Warren Stevens and Nick Owen are the probables to make first appearances of the season.

Cullen says: "Any changes I make will be for guys who have picked up bumps and bruises, or those who I don't necessarily need to see play in the Challenge Cup at this stage, or those I rotate to examine options. Any changes would also be to put down some genuine challenge for positions with regards to the team against Hull the following week."

And with regards to that scar on Cullen's cheek bone, he says: "There was an ex-Wigan stand off playing for Rochdale who got me before I got him. He caught me with an elbow and I still bare the scar. I had my face split open. I'd forgotten all about that."

Hornets v Wolves preview

Last meeting: Quarter-finals of Regal Trophy, 1995/96 season. Wolves 38 Hornets 20. Wolves tries were scored by Andy Currier, two, Manoa Thompson, Paul Cullen, Paul Sculthorpe, John Hough, Chris Eckersley. Iestyn Harris kicked five goals. Mark Hilton is the only current Wolves player from that game. Away results versus Hornets in Challenge Cup (Wolves first): 1900, 0-3; 1939, 29-3. Hornets team last time out: Michael Platt; Liam Williams, Paul Anderson, Richard Varkulis, Chris Campbell; John Braddish, Lee Birdseye; Andy Leathem, Janan Billings, Lee Hansen, Andy Gorski, Rob Ball, Darren Shaw. Subs: Sam Butterworth, Andy Grundy, Tommy Hodgkinson, Mark Costello. Links with Wolves: Ex-Crosfields amateur Chris Campbell started his pro career with Wolves. Another ex-Wolves player, Andy Leathem, and John Braddish, are from Warrington. Danger man: Crafty hooker Janan Billings. Form guide - last five home games (including last season): Beat Keighley, 18-14; lost to Halifax, 14-33; beat Dinamo Moscow, 60-24; lost to Hull KR, 26-30; beat Whitehaven, 40-38. Directions to Spotland: Exit M62 J20 signposted Rochdale, Oldham A627M. At roundabout, take first exit marked Rochdale. Follow dual carriageway to set of traffic lights, get into the left hand lane. Go under the Co-op bridge. At next roundabout (with Tesco on your left hand side), get into the middle lane and take the second exit on to Roch Valley Way and signposted for Spotland Stadium. Follow this road to a set of traffic lights (with the Cemetry Inn facing). Go straight ahead on to Sandy Lane, follow the road round and the ground is on the right hand side.