WOLVES have been looking for that extra edge to be able to beat a team like Wigan and now hopefully they have found it.

Since the start of Super League Wolves have failed to win a game away to so-called big clubs Wigan Warriors, St Helens and Bradford Bulls. The other Yorkshire giants, Leeds Rhinos, are the exception as Wolves have won at Headingley twice in eight years.

Those four clubs have several things in common - big packs, big pitches, big attendances and big ambition.

Well, Warrington have now joined the big league.

It was the way that Wigan's fierce front rowers Quentin Pongia and Craig Smith man-handled Warrington's six in the play-offs last year that gave head coach Paul Cullen further promptings to go large - and in came overseas stars Danny Lima, already a crowd favourite because of his brute power, and Chris Leikvoll, who is yet to show his best but in time for Sunday's Challenge Cup semi-final he looks to have recovered from a calf injury that has niggled him since pre-season training in Australia.

In terms of playing arenas, Wolves have the longest and widest pitch in the British game at their new Halliwell Jones Stadium which means Cullen's men have adapted a style that will suit them when they come up against the fellow top sides.

As far as attendances go, Wolves' 'gates' are so far averaging 3,000 per game higher than last year.

And when it comes to ambition, there is none more motivated than Wolves' leader Cullen and all in the Wolves camp believe they can end 30 years of Challenge Cup hurt by not only reaching the May 15 final but by bringing home the silverware too.

Wigan have been Warrington's bogey side over the years.

When Warriors turned to full-time professionalism in the 1980s it gave them the extra edge and it has taken a long, long time for some clubs to catch up. Bradford, Leeds and St Helens managed to many moons ago but only now are Wolves, in their new era, showing the signs that they are getting there.

They pushed Wigan the closest they had done for 10 years when losing to an Andy Farrell drop goal in the Super League game at the JJB Stadium last season.

Wolves have not beaten Wigan away from Wilderspool in any competition since the 11-4 league win at Central Park on January 5, 1993.

The last time Warrington beat Wigan in a major semi-final or final was 18 years ago, when five Paul Bishop drop goals helped to knock the favourites out of the Premiership Trophy en route to Warrington's memorable Elland Road success over champions Halifax. Those were the days of Cullen, Les Boyd, Andy Gregory and the current Wigan head coach, Mike Gregory.

The statistics go on as Wolves have not beaten Wigan in any cup game for 16 years and not in the Challenge Cup for 29 years, when the likes of full back Derek Whitehead, centre Wilf Briggs, prop Dave Chisnall and loose forward Barry Philbin were in their prime as they helped achieve a 24-17 victory for the holders at Central Park en route to a second successive appearance at Wembley.

Warrington have previously met Wigan in the Challenge Cup semi-finals twice and lost on each occasion, the most memorable being at Maine Road in 1989 when Joe Lydon's 60-yard drop goal broke primrose and blue hearts.

Warrington Wolves' new era faces a big test on Sunday and it is time to start evening up the score.