WOLVES enjoyed their Challenge Cup success so much in 2009, they did it all over again.
They backed up glory in the prestigious knockout with consistency in Super League to record their highest finish on the ladder to date.
Pushing for honours on both fronts took its toll though, with Wolves bowing out of the play-offs at home to Huddersfield as they failed to adjust to wet conditions.
Tony Smith’s impact in his first full season as boss was clear, with Ryan Atkins (Wakefield), Richie Myler (Salford) and David Solomona (Bradford) settling in well.
From the start, when Chris Riley crossed five times in a 58-0 hammering of Harlequins, Smith’s men looked fit, slick and keen.
While maintaining an attractive style of attack that saw Wolves top 1,000 points in a season for the first time, their defensive record was the best of the summer era too.
Only two of their first 10 games were losses – narrowly at home to Wigan and by 10 points at St Helens – and that was despite a six-match absence of key playmaker Lee Briers through injury.
A 68-16 walloping of Salford at Murrayfield in Edinburgh as part of the Magic Weekend was followed by a stunning 60-4 Challenge Cup fifth-round triumph at highly fancied Huddersfield as Wolves flexed their muscles.
Wolves were on a roll, with only two losses coming in the next 10 outings – home and away to Leeds – before a poor showing at bottom-club Catalans and the ‘annual fall’ at St Helens left some wondering if the bubble had burst heading into the Challenge Cup semi final.
No such luck for Catalans in the cup semi final, crushed 54-12 at the Halton Stadium with the help of a Louis Anderson hat-trick.
Despite having lost twice in the league to a Leeds side desperate for its first Challenge Cup success since 1999, Wolves headed to Wembley full of confidence.
Wolves’ 30-6 triumph, including a hat-trick from Chris Hicks, was their biggest win in a major final in the club’s history. Atkins also bagged a brace, while Briers earned the Lance Todd Trophy as man of the match.
With finishing third in the table, Wolves had a second bite of the cherry in the play-offs after losing their opening contest at St Helens. But Huddersfield, inspired by Australian full back Brett Hodgson, were too strong on the night and a long-range Leroy Cudjoe interception try was the final nail in the coffin to another Grand Final dream.
SEASON’S RESULTS:
Challenge Cup:
Apr 18: Wolves 48 Featherstone Rovers 24
May 8: Huddersfield Giants 4 Wolves 60
May 30, QF: Bradford Bulls 22 Wolves 26
Aug 8, SF Catalans Dragons 12 Wolves 54
Aug 28, F: Leeds Rhinos 6 Wolves 30
Super League:
Feb 7: Wolves 58 Harlequins 0
Feb 13: Castleford Tigers 16 Wolves 28
Feb 20: Wolves 20 Wigan Warriors 22
Feb 28: Huddersfield Giants 10 Wolves 14
Mar 7: Wolves 46 Crusaders 12
Mar 13: Wolves 33 Bradford Bulls 8
Mar 19: St Helens 28 Wolves 18
Mar 26: Wolves 32Wakefield Trinity 16
Apr 2: Wolves 32 Salford City Reds 2
Apr 5: Hull FC 10 Wolves 29
Apr 11: Hull KR 36 Wolves 16
Apr 25: Wolves 40 Catalans Dragons 6
May 1: Salford City Reds 16 Wolves 68 *
May 14: Leeds Rhinos 26 Wolves 16
May 23: Wolves 36 Huddersfield Giants 20
Jun 4: Salford City Reds 10 Wolves 27
Jun 11: Wolves 35 Hull KR 16
Jun 19: Bradford Bulls 28 Wolves 40
Jun 27: Wolves 30 Leeds Rhinos 37
Jul 4: Crusaders 10 Wolves 30
Jul 11: Wolves 54 Castleford Tigers 30
Jul 16: Wigan Warriors 16 Wolves 23
Jul 24: Catalans Dragons 29 Wolves 28
Jul 31: Wolves 24 St Helens 26
Aug 15: Wakefield Trinity 18 Wolves 36
Aug 20: Wolves 36 Hull FC 18
Sep 3: Harlequins 22 Wolves 36
Play-offs:
Sep 10: St Helens 28 Wolves 12
Sep 18: Wolves 22 Huddersfield Giants 34
* Magic Weekend, Murrayfield
INTERESTING NOTES:
Lee Briers scored his 100th Super League try against Salford at Murrayfield
Wolves’ best defensive record of the Super League era
SUPER LEAGUE 2010:
P W D L F A Pt
Wigan Warriors 27 22 0 5 922 411 44
St Helens 27 20 0 7 946 547 40
Warrington Wolves 27 20 0 7 885 488 40
Leeds Rhinos 27 17 1 9 725 561 35
Huddersfield Giants 27 16 1 10 758 439 33
Hull FC 27 16 0 11 569 584 32
Hull KR 27 14 1 12 653 632 29
Crusaders RL 27 12 0 15 547 732 24
Castleford Tigers 27 11 0 16 648 766 22
Bradford Bulls 27 9 1 17 528 728 19
Wakefield Trinity 27 9 0 18 539 741 18
Salford City Reds 27 8 0 19 448 857 16
Harlequins RL 27 7 0 20 494 838 14
Catalans Dragons 27 6 0 21 409 747 12
SQUAD STATS 2010
App T G Dg Pt
Louis Anderson 31 6 0 0 24
Vinnie Anderson 7+16 4 0 0 16
Ryan Atkins 34 15 0 0 60
Matty Blythe 1 1 0 0 4
Chris Bridge 19+4 12 44 0 136
Lee Briers 23 10 35 4 114
Garreth Carvell 19+4 1 0 0 4
Jon Clarke 7+4 5 0 0 20
Mike Cooper 1+13 2 0 0 8
Rhys Evans 0+1 0 0 0 0
Simon Grix 20+5 6 0 0 24
Ben Harrison 29+3 3 0 0 12
Chris Hicks 28 32 0 0 128
Micky Higham 4+22 8 0 0 32
Matt King 31 20 0 0 80
Richie Mathers 29 7 0 0 28
Tyrone McCarthy 0+3 0 0 0 0
Lee Mitchell 0+6 0 0 0 0
Michael Monaghan 30 6 0 1 25
Adrian Morley 31 3 0 0 12
Richie Myler 22+2 20 2 0 84
Adam Neal 0 0 0 0 0
Kevin Penny 0 0 0 0 0
Chris Riley 33+1 29 0 0 116
David Solomona 5+27 11 0 0 44
Alex Thompson 0 0 0 0 0
Ben Westwood 30 6 65 0 154
Rhys Williams 2+1 1 0 0 4
Paul Wood 6+24 2 0 0 8
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