MICHAEL Monaghan exits The Halliwell Jones Stadium believing Warrington Wolves will have a special season next time round.

The hooker, who has retired from playing rugby league after 14 years at the top, feels Wolves’ pursuit of the holy grail – a Grand Final win – will bear fruit in 2015.

Monaghan helped win the League Leaders’ Shield, three Challenge Cups and contest two Old Trafford showdowns in his seven seasons in primrose and blue, but a first championship in the Super League era remains elusive.

“When I turned up here seven years ago I probably didn’t envisage the success we have had,” said the 34-year-old former Canberra Raiders and Manly half back.

“It’s been a good seven years and I think it’ll be the springboard for a lot of successful years. With the players they are bringing in next year, I think there’s a big chance of Warrington lifting a trophy in 2015 and I’ll take some pride in that if they do.

“Similarly too when I left Manly in 2007, they won the competition the year after and I was really proud of those boys. I have a feeling next year might be Warrington’s year.

“It’s a fairly young squad at the club and when you throw in new signings Daryl Clark, the Man of Steel winner, and Ashton Sims, who has had a great year in the NRL, I think there’s a lot of good things ahead for the club.

“I’ll really be surprised if this time next year the boys aren’t lifting the trophy at Old Trafford.”

And he feels the town’s Super League club is now unidentifiable to the one he joined.

“The club had a reputation of a bit of a party culture and as a team that had potential but never really turned up,” he said.

“But even with the losses we’ve had this year and in the losses in big games like Grand Finals we’ve not been a team that ever gave it away. It’s a club and team that the town can be really proud of and hopefully the support continues and it gets even better.”

Monaghan, who will marry his English fiancée in December, moves on to Catalan Dragons as an assistant coach.