UNDER normal circumstances, a player would walk out for his Testimonial match to the acclaim of thousands in the stands.
Unfortunately for Chris Hill, he will emerge for a game organised in honour of his contribution to rugby league to a near-empty Halliwell Jones Stadium.
Warrington Wolves and Leigh Centurions – the two clubs the prop has represented in his career – square off in said fixture on Friday (moved from Thursday), kick off 7pm, as they hone their preparations for the new Super League campaign.
Supporters can purchase streaming passes to watch the game, which is being broadcast both on the RFL's OurLeague platform and The Wire's official Facebook page.
⏪ @Chrishilly1987 with a crucial try last time we faced Leigh back in 2017
— Warrington Wolves (@WarringtonRLFC) March 15, 2021
▶️ Tune in to Hilly's Testimonial fixture against the Centurions this Thursday, 7pm KO
🎟️ Online passes: https://t.co/e8a8VSd4i1 pic.twitter.com/9pQ9Ipoqa1
The game could be the first opportunity to see Australian icon Greg Inglis in a Wire shirt as well as fellow new recruits Rob Butler and Robbie Mulhern.
> Check out The Wire's full 23-man squad for the game here
Pre-season matches are usually played in the freezing depths of winter but with Covid-19 having pushed the start of the campaign back into spring, Hill is hopefully of a better spectacle.
The England international, who is closing in on 300 appearances for Warrington after joining from the Centurions in 2011, admits the prospect of playing the match behind closed doors is a disappointing one but he insists it will not detract from the occasion.
"When we arranged it all last year, we thought crowds would be allowed in by now," he told the Guardian.
"It’s very disappointing but I’ve got my head around it now. It is what it is and it will be a special day regardless.
"It’s two teams that are special to me – Warrington where I’ve been for so many years and Leigh who gave me the opportunity to play at a high level.
"It’s going to be a special moment for me and hopefully plenty of people will stream it and watch it live.
"I should imagine it will be a pretty fast game. Pre-season matches are usually on a mudpit but we’re starting a little bit later and it’s drying up.
"It will be the first chance to see big Greg out there. That’s exciting in itself as he looks sharp.
"The lads are raring to go – we’ve been at it for a while now and a game under our belts will do us good.
"There will be plenty of different combinations as we’ve got a lot of strength in different areas.
"Leigh have got a lot to offer as well – they will want to roll into the season with a good game under their belts. I’m looking forward to a tough game."
Before joining Wolves, Hill played more than 150 games in the red and white of Leigh.
When it became apparent a Testimonial match may be in the offing, they were the only opponent he ever wanted.
"I’ve always said that if I got to a Testimonial, I’d want Leigh to be involved," he said.
"You don’t get too many now, they are few and far between.
"I got to about seven or eight years and Warrington and then signed a new deal which would take me to 10. Once that happened, I had it in the back of my head that it would be Leigh.
"It’s probably fallen pretty well in them coming up to Super League as I think they would have had a Challenge Cup game that weekend if not."
Streaming passes can still be bought from the official Warrington Wolves website, with all proceeds going to Hill's Testimonial fund.
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