Magical Monaghan's high five (From Warrington Guardian)

Winger Joel Monaghan joins illustrious group to score five in one game for Warrington Wolves

10:42am Thursday 31st May 2012 in Wolves news By Christopher Terris Taylor

JOEL Monaghan hopes his magical five-try haul against Widnes Vikings at the Etihad Stadium is enough to keep him ahead of the young teammates itching to take his place in the Wolves side.

The 30-year-old Australian demonstrated his lethal finishing to maximum effect when becoming the first Warrington Wolves player to score five tries in a match since Chris Bridge grabbed a handful in the Challenge Cup against Huddersfield Giants in 2010, with Chris Riley’s quintet against Harlequins earlier the same season being the last time it happened in a Super League game.

Monaghan joins an illustrious list of Warrington players to have achieved the scoring feat, becoming only the 13th man in the club’s history to touch down five times in a single game.

Only the legendary Brian Bevan, whose remarkable record includes scoring five tries or more on 12 occasions between 1948 and 1958, and 1930s star Tommy Thompson have gone beyond the five-star milestone.

Regardless, Monaghan’s scoring record is quickly becoming one of the best in the club’s modern era, with the heroics against Vikings taking this season’s tally to 18 tries in 16 matches – meaning that the former NRL star has scored an impressive 48 tries in just 42 appearances since joining the club at the start of last year.

But while the former Canberra Raiders and Kangaroos three-quarter star is pleased to have joined the small band of players to have completed the feat in primrose and blue, he just hopes it is enough to secure his place in the side for the time being.

“It is good to get on the back end of some class plays from our team and to get over five times is always exciting,” he said.

“But we have some young blokes really playing well and in every position we’ve got people backing up and waiting to play.

“When you are playing the way we are at the moment and we still have good players waiting to get on the field, it can only be positive for the team.”

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Wolves’ five-try wonders

Joel Monaghan...2012

Chris Bridge...2010

Chris Riley...2010

Bob Eccles...1982

Parry Gordon...1974

Terry O’Grady...1961

Brian Bevan*...1958-1968

Albert Naughton...1955

Izzy Davies...1939

Steve Ray...1933

Tommy Thompson**...1933

George Thomas...1909

Jack Fish...1900

* Bevan scored five tries or more in 12 matches. On four occasions, Bevan went on to score six tries and in two of those matches he added a seventh try ** Tommy Thompson notched six tries

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