They're alright Wire fans. And that's from a Wigan fan. The reaction is OTT. Points deductions and playing behind closed doors? Give over.

The idiot element of our support only seems to come out for a big game, or a game where there is a day on the sauce on the cards and there's no football on.
But I think you could say that for a lot of RL clubs. I've been to a number grand finals (2 of which didn't involve Warrington) and witnessed some shocking stuff.
I could also write a list of nasty stuff I've witnessed since I started following RL in 1989 involving most clubs in Super League and the Championship.

Trouble at the Challenge Cup final is an absolute certainty. I don't think we'll take as many fans as we normally do because we've been in a lot of finals recently which makes the novelty wear off for the types of people who don't go to games regularly, but like to jump on the bandwagon occasionally. Given our habit of losing finals all the time making them not particularly enjoyable once you actually get there though, combined with the fact we are guaranteed to lose this one, I reckon plenty of occasional fans just won't bother. I don't want to go and considered not doing, but as someone who does go regularly all season I can't not.

By 5.30pm when the Widnes game is on I'll be back in central London watching the football in the pub, but I can be absolutely certain I will have a look on here on the train home a few hours later and see plenty of reports of trouble. Saints fans will be celebrating their win, Widnes fans will be celebrating our defeat, and plenty of Wires fans will be unhappy and react to it. There is zero chance of these things not happening. I wont be involved and I can't do anything about it so it isn't going to cost me any sleep, but it's definitely one for the angry typists on here to look forward to.

Hope you are wrong mate, and the final is contested in the spirit of the game, and all the supporters of all teams, come together as usual in harmony, and good will.

I've seen some outbreaks of fights at loads of finals I've been to, some involving Wires and some not. On pretty much all occasions the narrative on RL social media has been to blame people not wearing colours (like me) or people who like football (like me). Funnily enough though, I wasn't involved on any occasion but have witnessed grown men in face paint, grown men in jester hats, and on one occasion a grown man in a full wolf costume, firmly in the thick of it. I don't know if they liked football or not because I didn't stop and ask them, but their RL allegiances (as I said, sometimes Wires, sometimes not) were plastered all over them.

I've always found Warrington a friendly enough place to go to, although as a Wakey fan I suppose I don't follow a team the Wire would regard as a rival. I've sat in Warrington pubs pre-game and not had a jot of bother, nor when making my way from the ground afterwards.

I'm in no way condoning the Catalan spectacle, but it was a bit like modern biff: more heat than flames. It looked bad because of the standing on seats trying to get in and general clamour but there wasn't much actual fighting. But once a club gets that hooligan tag, it attracts people who like the tag, and it only takes a couple of isolated idiots with stones to further tarnish it.