WITH the Super League campaign parked after five rounds of action, the focus of Warrington Wolves and their rivals switches to the knockout format.

Can The Wire end their run of five years without reaching the Challenge Cup Final? Their bid to do so starts tomorrow with London Broncos' sixth-round visit to The Halliwell Jones Stadium.

The men from the capital head north still smarting from their 58-4 Super League loss to Warrington just five days ago, so can we expect something similar? Or will the Broncos pull off what would be considered an almighty shock?

Our Wire reporter Matt Turner picks out five key pre-match talking points ahead of the game below...

More of the same, please!

“If history is going to repeat itself, I should think we can expect the same again.”

A quote from the late former England football manager Terry Venables, and everyone associated with Warrington Wolves will hope it rings true on Saturday.

Just six days removed from the Super League shellacking they dished out to the Broncos in London, The Wire will be hoping to serve up more capital punishment to book their place in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals.

Given the gulf between the two sides less than a week ago, there is a danger of complacency kicking in – an attitude that not even their best will be good enough to secure victory.

Avoiding that is perhaps the biggest challenge for Warrington this weekend. If they can do that and even get close to the level they showed on Sunday, they should have more than enough.

Warrington Guardian: Wire ran in 10 tries to hammer London last weekend in Super LeagueWire ran in 10 tries to hammer London last weekend in Super League (Image: PA Wire)

Wire must expect a response from Broncos

Mike Eccles was critical of his London side’s display last weekend, but much of that probably owes to them not being allowed to perform as they’d like by a suffocating and relentless Wire performance.

He also hinted in his post-match press conference that the Challenge Cup was “not the priority” for his side.

Nevertheless, he will be expecting his players to show more than they did on Sunday – and Warrington have to expect that too.

If for no other reason than for their own professional pride, the Broncos players will head north with a point to prove and they have already shown at times this season – including on Sunday – that if they are allowed to throw the ball around and show some adventure, they can cause plenty of problems.

Warrington Guardian: A dejected London skipper Will Lovell is consoled by teammate Marcus Stock during Sunday's gameA dejected London skipper Will Lovell is consoled by teammate Marcus Stock during Sunday's game (Image: SWPix.com)

Balance of selection key

On the face of it at least, Burgess appears to have got his selection about right for this game although we will not know that for sure until the full-time hooter sounds.

Only making one change to the 21-man squad gives scope enough for a couple of personnel changes of which he has already confirmed there will be a couple while rewarding those who performed so well against the same opposition.

For example, Adam Holroyd and Joe Philbin are set to once again line up in the second row despite the return to fitness of Matty Nicholson, who is set to remain on the bench.

Danny Walker looks set to come back in at hooker and Burgess also confirmed Rodrick Tai would make his debut in the centres, with one of Toby King or Connor Wrench sitting out.

In keeping the likes of George Williams, Lachlan Fitzgibbon and Ben Currie in reserve for the – with all due respect – tougher test of Catalans Dragons next weekend, Burgess will be hoping those who may not have been in what was considered his strongest side in pre-season get the job done once again.

Warrington Guardian: Having been 18th man on Sunday, Matty Nicholson will make his first appearance of the season from the bench this weekendHaving been 18th man on Sunday, Matty Nicholson will make his first appearance of the season from the bench this weekend (Image: Joe Richardson)

Excitement over Tai debut

There has been plenty of anticipation about what the Papua New Guinean can do in a Wire shirt since his signing was confirmed.

After all, he has shown the kind of explosive pace and power he possesses on his new home ground when scoring a long-range try for his country against the Cook Islands in the last Rugby League World Cup.

Tai is the style of player supporters often tend to fall in love with and as he prepares to become just the third player from his nation to represent the club after Tom O’Reilly and John Wilshere did so in the early 2000s, he will no doubt be desperate to make an impression.

King and Wrench have emerged as Burgess’ first-choice centres, but this is Tai’s chance to change his thinking.

Start WITH London, end IN London?

That is certainly the aim as the road to Wembley Stadium begins.

It is not a particularly long road – just three wins will see them striding out under the arch in June – but it is one Wire have found particularly difficult to navigate in recent years.

They have not reached the Challenge Cup Final since they won it so memorably against St Helens back in 2019.

That was their sixth trip to Wembley in 11 years and while this is nothing compared to the 19-year gap between trips to the national stadium between 1990 and 2009, it is still too long between drinks for a club of Warrington’s ambition.

Their record since 2019 has been two semi-final defeats, a humiliating first-hurdle exit at Wakefield’s hand in 2022 and an equally painful quarter-final loss to 12-man Wigan last year.

Now, their latest bid to make it a perfect 10 Challenge Cup titles begins in earnest.

Warrington Guardian: Wire have not won the Challenge Cup or reached the final since doing so in 2019Wire have not won the Challenge Cup or reached the final since doing so in 2019 (Image: Mike Boden)