‘JUST about 600 more to catch Brian Bevan, then’, laughs Joel Monaghan after his 144th try in primrose and blue.

That hat-trick last Saturday against Catalans Dragons, the eighth of his Warrington career, puts the prolific winger on a try-per-game in Wolves’ colours.

But Monaghan, the Warrington skipper who will say goodbye to the club after tonight's clash with St Helens, insists those tries were for the fans.

“To play the last home game for the year, and me forever, I think it was a great way to go out,” explained the 33-year-old.

“I think we owed it to the fans, it was something memorable – something I will remember anyway.”

Signing from Canberra Raiders under trying circumstances in 2011, Monaghan admits he found a welcoming new home in Warrington.

“It’s been a great five years,” he said. “I came over on rough circumstances in my life.

"At the time I was worrying about not getting kicked out of a country. I came over in horrible circumstances and got taken in straight away.

“To be taken in so well by the fans, the team, the coaches and the owners is something I’m very, very thankful for.

“I played in Australia for a long time and didn’t really have any team success, to come here to what we’ve done as an organisation, Challenge Cups, Grand Finals, League Leaders, it’s very memorable.

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“Winning the Challenge Cup with Mick was pretty special and having mum and dad here will go down as something memorable, there are too many to list at the moment but it’s been an enjoyable five years.”

As fate would have it brother Michael would be there to witness Joel’s last home outing, albeit it in his capacity as assistant coach with Catalans.

And after being replaced due to injury at Huddersfield a week earlier, there was no way the younger sibling was prepared to miss out on a last hurrah at The Halliwell Jones Stadium.

“It worked out well and it was good to have him here for my last home game,” added the former Australia international.

“It was something very special and we both hold a place for Warrington in our hearts – that’s not going to change.

“It was a bit of a scare last week with a nerve thing that was making me feel it in the knee, but it was actually in the quad.

“There was no way I was missing this game. There were other players out there with niggling injuries who probably wouldn’t normally have played, but they wanted to be out there and play in the last game of the year in front of the home crowd.

“We haven’t thrown the ball around like that for a while. A few tries and to go out and play with my mates and the boys I love, to finish off like that I think was something very special.

“The roar that went up when big Roy (Asotasi) kicked the goal was unreal; I think he had one of his best games so it was a special way to go out.”

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And as for that 90-metre dash to the line for his second: "It was good until about the 30 when I felt like I was on a treadmill!" added Monaghan, who is on the hunt for a club.

"The manager is working with that, so hopefully we’ll know sooner rather than later I can just concentrate and what will be will be.

"Obviously this year hasn’t gone the way we would have hoped, but they are preparing for the future here and I wish them all the best.

"I’ll always remember my time here and keep an eye on them.

"It'll be a bit more emotional next week when I know it’s over, this week I just want to enjoy it with the boys."