As Wigan won the cup eight years in a row, I'm not suggesting that Warrington are on a par with them. But, can the Wolves go on to win the cup year after year and become the modern-day Wigan of the 1980's and 1990's?

Three wins in four years, may sound impressive, but when you have a level playing field anyone can win, that’s just easy. It wasn’t like that when Wigan won. Try manipulating financial domination for a decade, and then you’ll know what winning is. Wigan had the best 13 players in the country of who the lowest paid was on more than the highest paid at any other team. That’s greatness, that’s where we want to be.

Rubbish. That's not anymore a sign of greatness than winning it now is, that's spending more than everyone else. If a team wins it 8 years in a row now under a salary cap then that is far more impressive than a team who spent, ultimately, beyond their means. That's not to diminish Wigans achievement, but don't pretend that somehow its now easier to be dominant in the cup. Warrington deserve great credit for their recent cup successes. As Saints did for winning it 3 years in a row.

Think you may have missed the sarcasm in 1905's post.

I certainly think they should be given that old worn out title "The Cup Kings".

The Widnes fans will love that

It depends what people accept as domination, being a full time professional era the odds of a team winning 8 times in a row is pretty slim. Only 2 teams have managed back to back wins, and only one team has managed a hat trick of wins in the professional era.
I suppose 3 wins in a row could be classed as domination in this era, the problem is the challenge cup and the superleague play offs are too close together which might cause a split on which is the main objective to focus on.

aye, but they'll tell you, that they were world club champions in 89, something wire have never done.

Never mind that it nearly killed their club in the long run.

I sincerely hope that no team, including my own Wires, ever again wins the cup ( or SL ) eight times in a row, or even four or five times in a row. We need more teams in the final , and more teams winning it, to keep the general interest. Wigan's 1990s cash-fueled domination badly damaged our sport, and I don't want to see it happen again.

didn't Garry Schofield turn Wigan down for more money at Leeds? Didn't Ellery Hanley leave Wigan for Leeds for the same reason when he was still in his 20's? Can anyone remember?

It was only natural that Wigan should have dominated not just the CC but all RL competitions. The town had business men prepared to back the club financially, fans who loved the game and were prepared to turn up in thousands, a proud heritage with a production line of talent that benefited, not just Wigan but most other teams and still does today. Was it good for the game, yes it was in the same way Usain Bolt's domination of sprinting is good for athletics.

Can Warrington produce the same dominance, possibly but probably not for as long.

Hanley was 30 when he signed for Leeds.

But it ultimatly cost them their stadium

I think Wigan let Hanley go because they thought he was past his best (he was but still a very good player) and because they wanted Offiah.
I'm not sure about Schofield.
Wakey appeared in four finals in the sixties, 3 wins and the Watersplash lottery. There's bound to be a dominant team in any particular era. Widnes in the early eighties. In fact I reckon the '89 Widnes side would have stopped Wigan's run had they got there. But they had a player sent off in the semi and lost to Saints. The sending off was laughable to say the least but that's RL.
Leeds went four times in the seventies lost two back to back and then won two back to back.
The Hull clubs were also quite dominant in the eighties but true to form FC have still never won it at Wembley - theylost in '80 (Hull KR) won at Elland Road in '82 and lost in'83 (Fev





) and '85 (Wigan one of the best finals ever for neutral)

You can't take comfort in that. The game is about glory and trophy hunting and Wigan are now well back in the hunt, probably stronger than ever.

More recently Saints won it four times in five years, 2004,2006/7/8.

S57

Not ' taking comfort ' , just pointing out the flaw in the history

Might be a consequence not a flaw.

It was the financing of the new stand, which went way over budget that ultimately cost them.


It would have probably happened anyway regardless of the success as the stadium was looking very tired in the mid nineties.

Hull FC groundshare at the KC, without the run of success Wigan had.

I know which recent history I'd rather have.

but Warrington have Bentham so could easily dominate in years to come

bentham is from Oldham and supports leigh!!

he just did his referee training in warrington

No it will change when the Pensioners all retire.

Leeds paid £250k for a 30 year old Hanley in '92, that's circa £500k in today's money

Thats very true but he did score 106 tries in 104 games which is bloody impressive for a forward, just a shame we didnt win anything in his tenure.



I agree with this. Wire are bringing through some good players at the moment but none capable of replacing Hodgson, Morley, M. Monnaghan and Briers who will probably be gone by the end of next year. They cant go and buy top class aussies anymore because of the salary cap over there now.

If any team is to dominate like Leeds have over recent years I think it is more likely to be Wigan than Wire!!

I suspect Wire may fall into the same trap Leeds have by hanging onto players a year too long and have a lot of players leaving at the same time.

Wigan's record of consecutive CC wins will never be beaten. Superleague teams are more evenly matched now.

Wire need to win it next year to be on a par with St Helens winning it 4 times in 5 yrs. 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008.

Can't half tell.