We can wait another year for league crown (From Warrington Guardian)

We can wait another year for league crown

2:00pm Friday 12th October 2012 in News By Gareth Dunning

FOR all the success enjoyed by Warrington fans in recent memory, an appearance at Old Trafford remained elusive.

To be honest, a record of two play-off wins in 15 Super League seasons before this year was a dismal return for a club with such lofty ambitions.

So to see Tony Smith lead out his men on Saturday with some 30,000 Wire fans roaring them on was a proud moment.

And when Richie Myler crossed to put Warrington into an early lead it seemed it would be an historic title and a first league crown since 1955.

After all, Smith has a history of coaching his team to wins in the big games.

In this year alone, those fans have enjoyed a third Challenge Cup final win in four years, home and away wins over the Pies, two wins at the new home of the Saints, and a cup quarter final win in France.

And that is without looking slightly further back to beating Catalan in Barcelona’s Olympic Stadium, Wigan famously in the 2009 semi final, and Hull to lift the league leader’s shield.

In short, when it mattered, when it really mattered, you knew Warrington would one.

Apart of course from last year’s play-off semi-final when Kevin Sinfield’s last minute penalty killed off Grand Final dreams.

A year on, and here we were again, taking on the Rhinos.

In the build up to kick off, we all thought this would be different - this was our time.

But after that Myler try, it slowly drifted away.

Sure Warrington took the lead again early in the second half but there was an anxiety on the terraces as Wolves were forced into a backs-to-the-wall defensive effort.

So when Ryan Hall touched down with less than 10 minutes remaining and the irrepressible Sinfield kicked the conversion, again, the dream was over.

2012 won’t go down as the greatest year, but it came pretty close.

And having waited 57 years for a league crown, I am sure another year won’t do any harm.

Now the disappointment is wearing off, roll on February.