Richard Marshall's Warrington Wolves academy Grand Final win

The former Salford head coach was confirmed to be rejoining his hometown club on Tuesday as he seeks to continue the good work done by Paul Anderson, whose departure to a full-time RFL was confirmed last week.

> More on Richard Marshall's return to Warrington Wolves can be found here

Marshall has held this position before and it was an excellent time for the Wire academy as he guided the youngsters to silverware in 2012.

Having secured the League Leader's Shield, they went on to win the under 20s Grand Final as Leeds Rhinos were beaten 36-20 at The Halliwell Jones Stadium on the same day as the first team reached their first ever Super League Grand Final on THAT night in St Helens.

As with any academy side, some never made a first-team breakthrough but the line-up included players who went on to make large numbers of first-team appearances, future internationals and one of the club's current stars.

Here's a look at the team, which included a smattering of over-age players as was allowed at the time, that saw off the Rhinos under Marshall's guidance...

FULL-BACK – JORDAN BURKE

The former Rylands Sharks junior had made his first-team debut earlier in 2012 having been called in to face Keighley Cougars in the Challenge Cup at just 24 hours' notice following an injury to Chris Bridge.

That proved to be his only senior appearance for The Wire, however, as he went on to play for the likes of Swinton Lions and Sheffield Eagles in the lower leagues.

He now works as a PCSO for Cheshire Police.

Jordan Burke made his one and only senior appearance for Wire against Keighley in the Challenge Cup in 2012. Picture by Mike Boden

WINGERS – GENE ORMSBY AND RHYS WILLIAMS

Ormsby did go on to play plenty of first-team games in a Wire jersey during the transitional campaigns of 2014 and 2015.

Having made his first-team debut on the opening day of the 2014 season at Leeds, he went on to score 12 tries that year and continued to be a regular fixture the following year.

However, the arrival of Tom Lineham for 2016 saw him pushed further down the pecking order and he left for Huddersfield midway through that season.

He finished with 29 tries in 42 Wire appearances and signed for Barrow Raiders after leaving Huddersfield in 2018.

Gene Ormsby scores a stunning try against Salford back in 2015. Picture by Mike Boden

Williams played as an over-age player and was a well-established member of the first-team squad that year, scoring seven tries in nine senior games in 2012.

In all, the Welshman went on to score 22 tries in 29 Wire games and has gone on to enjoy a fruitful career away from the club.

Following a spell playing in Australia, Williams made more than 150 appearances for London Broncos and scored 100 tries before joining current club Salford Red Devils, for whom he scored a memorable, length-of-the-field try at Wembley during the 2020 Challenge Cup Final loss to Leeds Rhinos.

Rhys Williams scored 100 tries for London Broncos and remains in Super League with Salford Red Devils. Picture by Mike Boden

CENTRES – RHYS EVANS AND JAMES SALTONSTALL

Lightning-quick Welshman Evans was voted man of the match in the Grand Final win having scored one of The Wire's six tries.

Having already burst onto the Super League scene before this point, Evans went on to make more than 100 first-team appearances for the club.

He helped them to the 2016 League Leaders' Shield and played on the wing in that year's Challenge Cup Final loss to Hull FC.

Midway through 2017, he departed for Leigh Centurions having scored 42 tries in 105 Warrington games.

From Leigh, he moved to current club Bradford Bulls, from whom he briefly returned to Super League in 2020 via a loan spell with Leeds Rhinos.

He will line up for the Bulls this year and has been named as the club's vice-captain for 2022.

Rhys Evans made over 100 appearances before leaving Wire in 2017. He has been named as vice-captain of Bradford Bulls for 2022. Picture by Mike Boden

Saltonstall won international caps for Italy – for whom he qualified to play via his Italian mother – while he was coming through the ranks at Warrington.

However, he left the club without having made a senior appearance having had loan spells with York City Knights and Bradford Bulls.

He went on to join hometown club Halifax in 2015 and remains a key part of the Panthers' side in the Championship.

James Saltonstall has gone on to have a good career with hometown club Halifax. Picture by SWPix.com

HALF-BACKS – JAMES MENDEIKA AND BOBBIE GOULDING JUNIOR

Mendeika never made the breakthrough into the Wire first team but while still with the club, he represented Ireland at the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.

The former Rylands Sharks junior went on to win eight caps and impressed on dual-registration at Swinton Lions before going on to play for Featherstone Rovers and Bradford Bulls, from whom he was released in 2017.

Goulding – the son of the legendary former Great Britain half-back of the same name – kicked six goals in the final but also never made it to the first team.

The following year, however, he did make his Super League debut at The Halliwell Jones Stadium, but for Wakefield Trinity in a 26-14 loss to Tony Smith's Wolves.

He also turned out for Dewsbury Rams and briefly for Australian side Newtown Jets.

Bobbie Goulding Junior can be seen here tackling Wire's Tyrone McCarthy during his Super League debut for Wakefield Trinity in 2013. Picture by SWPix.com

PROPS – GLENN RILEY AND BEN EVANS

Both of these front-rowers made sporadic first-team appearances before finding more joy in the lower leagues.

Cumbrian Riley spent part of 2012 on loan at Swinton Lions before making his senior Wire debut the following year.

He made 15 Super League appearances for The Wire over two seasons before moving south to join London Broncos.

From there, he joined up with hometown club Whitehaven, to whom he returned in 2020 following two seasons with Barrow Raiders.

Glenn Riley now turns out for hometown club Whitehaven. Picture by Mike Boden

Evans – twin brother of Rhys – went on to make his first-team debut in 2014 but injuries disrupted his time at the club and he left at the end of 2016 having made 22 appearances.

The 10-cap Wales international then turned out for London Broncos before crossing the channel to join Toulouse Olympique.

He moved back to England with Bradford Bulls midway through last season and will play for the Odsal side again in 2022.

Ben Evans left Wire in 2016 and now turns out for Bradford Bulls alongside brother Rhys. Picture by Mike Boden

HOOKER – BRAD DWYER

Another member of the team still to be playing in Super League, livewire dummy-half Dwyer remains a key part of the Leeds Rhinos side heading into 2022.

The Wiganer had made his first-team debut for The Wire earlier in 2012 and even scored in an Easter thrashing of Widnes that year before helping the under 20s to glory.

He then spent several loan spells away from the club at Swinton (twice), Huddersfield and London Broncos before finally making himself a more permanent fixture in the first team as back-up to Daryl Clark.

Dwyer made 88 appearances in all, scoring 16 tries, before leaving at the end of 2017 for the Rhinos, with whom he won the Challenge Cup in 2020.

Brad Dwyer made 88 first-team appearances and is a key part of the current Leeds Rhinos side. Picture by Mike Boden

SECOND ROWERS – BEN CURRIE AND JAMES LAITHWAITE

One of the last real stars to have emerged from the Wire academy, Currie remains a permanent fixture in team almost a decade on.

2012 was the year he made his senior bow and in the years that followed, he carved out a reputation as one of the game's hottest young talents.

His searing pace and prolific try-scoring stood him out and NRL clubs were said to be seriously sniffing around before the first of two horrific ACL injuries happened in September 2016.

Those injuries cost him two seasons of his career but with those behind him, he has re-established himself as a key figure and will aim to play at his third Rugby League World Cup at the end of the year.

Ben Currie remains a key member of the Wire team. Picture by Mike Boden

Laithwaite may well have gone the same way were it not for a horrific spate of injuries.

Four broken legs and a broken neck took their toll on the former Penketh High School student and forced him to retire from the game at the age of just 27 in 2018.

Before then, Laithwaite had made 50 appearances for Warrington before joining Toronto Wolfpack in 2017.

Following retirement, he now runs Woolston-based healthy meal delivery service Fuel Hub.

James Laithwaite made 50 appearances for the first team but saw his career ruined by injuries. Picture by Mike Boden

LOOSE FORWARD – MATTY BLYTHE

Another over-age player who had made nearly 50 first-team appearances at this stage, Blythe was another of Wire's try scorers on the day.

Famously versatile, Blythe went on to play 63 times for the club over two spells, scoring 12 tries.

Upon leaving in 2013, he spent three seasons with Bradford Bulls before returning to The Halliwell Jones Stadium in 2017.

However, he made just three appearances that year and announced his retirement from the sport upon his release from the club.

Nowadays, Blythe has forged a successful career in the close protection industry and is now a course leader at The Vanquish Group.

Matty Blythe briefly returned to Warrington in 2017 before retiring at the end of that year. Picture by Mike Boden

INTERCHANGES – BROOKE BROUGHTON, LIAM HULME, DANNY BRIDGE AND GAVIN BENNION

Three of the substitutes – Broughton, Hulme and Bennion – scored tries in the Grand Final win but none of the trio made it to the first team.

Indeed, the only one of the interchanges to make a senior appearance was Bridge – the younger brother of Wire icon Chris – who played three times for the first team in 2013.

He represented Ireland at the 2013 Rugby League World Cup while on Wire's books and had loan spells at Swinton, Bradford and Featherstone before joining Rochdale Hornets permanently in 2015.

While playing for Oldham in February 2020, Bridge was given a two-year ban after testing positive for cocaine but a change in the World Anti-Doping Agency's rules allowed him to resume playing for Oldham last year.

Danny Bridge made three first-team appearances before leaving Wire. Picture by Mike Boden

Upon leaving Warrington, prop Broughton appeared in the lower leagues for Doncaster, York City Knights, Hunslet and Hemel Stags.

Brooke Broughton. Picture by Mike Boden

Hulme – son of former Wire and Great Britain forward Paul – went on to play for Swinton and North Wales Crusaders and is now a teacher at Wade Deacon High School in Widnes.

Liam Hulme was a former England Academy international but now works as a teacher. Picture by Mike Boden

Warringtonian Bennion did get a brief taste of Super League with Salford back in 2018 and played for Mackay Cutters in Australia the previous year. He spent 2021 at Rochdale Hornets – his third spell with the club.

Gavin Bennion in action for Rochdale Hornets back in 2017. Picture by SWPix.com

The Leeds Rhinos team that day also featured several well-known names, including New Zealander Weller Hauraki as an over-age player.

Current Super League players such as Liam Sutcliffe, Liam Hood and Brad Singleton also lined up for the Rhinos.

Leeds team: Jimmy Watson; James Duckworth, Luke Briscoe, Alex Foster, Mo Agoro; Liam Sutcliffe, Ben White; Daniel Smith, Liam Hood, Richard Moore, Aaron Brown, Weller Hauraki, Brad Singleton. Subs: Sean Casey, Colton Roche, Thomas Minns, Matty Syron

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