PHOTOGRPAHER Mike Boden has been delving through Warrington Guardian's old negatives again and spotted the Wire versus Australia match at Wilderspool Stadium in 1994.
We believe the majority of these black and white pictures have never been published before. The weather was so bad on the night of the game very few pictures on the colour films used were good enough for print, so very few pictures were published at the time. But it seems these images using a modern-day neg scanner have stood the test of time.
The only colour picture in this collection has been published before.
We thought, while we're at it, you'd enjoy a reminder of how the match played out.
AUSTRALIA'S last appearance against Warrington was brutal.
The Kangaroos' highest scoring tour team arrived at Wilderspool on November 9, 1994, buoyed by a second Test 38-8 success over Great Britain at Old Trafford.
For as skilful, powerful, clinical and entertaining as they had been in earlier matches, Bobby Fulton's Kangaroos had also bullied teams off the park.
But not Warrington.
Paul Cullen, Bruce McGuire, Paul Darbyshire, Gary Tees and Mark Hilton were never players to hold back, but it was almost as if they had been given a licence to kill anything in green and gold on that wet and gloomy November night.
To be fair, they only gave as good as they got in what will go down as one of the fiercest games to have taken place at Wilderspool.
The 11,244 supporters lapped it up, although Warrington-born Fulton, Kangaroos captain and future Wire scrum-half Allan Langer and co were not quite so pleased to have been thrust into such gladiatorial actions.
A match that teetered slightly below boiling point throughout, finally spilled over in the closing stages with a brawl that resulted in Australia full back Tim Brasher (Balmain Tigers) receiving a red card from Wigan referee Bob Connolly.
Although Warrington failed to score on the night, they kept the free-scoring Aussies to 24 points and provided one of the closest contests of the entire 14-match tour.
Warrington kept the score to 0-0 in the first quarter but then three tries in 11 minutes turned the game in Australia's favour, with Wendell Sailor crossing twice.
Brasher, Terry Hill and Steve Menzies also touched down, with David Furner kicking two conversions.
Warrington: Lee Penny; Mark Forster, Iestyn Harris, Jon Roper, Jason Lee; Fancis Maloney, Greg Mackey; Gary Tees, Tukere Barlow, Bruce McGuire, Paul Cullen, Gary Sanderson, Paul Darbyshire. Subs used: Chris Rudd, Mark Hilton, Andy Bennett, Phil Sumner.
Australia: Tim Brasher (Balmain); Wendell Sailor (Brisbane), Terry Hill (Manly), Greg Florimo (North Sydney), Michael Hancock (Brisbane); Kevin Walters (Brisbane), Allan Langer (Brisbane); Paul Sironen (Balmain), Jim Serdaris (Wests), David Fairleigh (North Sydney), David Furner (Canberra), Steve Menzies (Manly), Jason Smith (Canterbury). Sub used: Glenn Lazarus (Brisbane).
Photographer Mike Boden likes the pictures for other things besides the action.
"The thing that I like are the adverts which bring back such memories of the place – Labatts Blue, Greenalls, Legh Concrete, Woolston Car Centre, Bramall Ford, and the old scoreboard lit up."
We especially like this one feature former Australian Wire half-back Greg Mackey.
His nickname was Bluey.
You can watch the match here:
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel