Wigan
Saints
Widnes

Always look forward to Wigan games first but the Widnes games were always tasty but with them being out of SL takes the edge away somewhat but I do miss the derbies and we need them back in SL, when I'm sure the rivalry will resume.

Would be nice to get one over Saints one day though

Thats because Widnes were in the lower league, however as soon as they came back the pies loose out big style

I did too, but I'd have that the other way round. Always felt that the 'proper' local rivalries were Wire Widnes and Wigan Saints.

Though this probably stems from going to St Gregs and having to endure the tedium of Penketh-based Widnes fans at school.

That time we annihilated them in the JPS semi at Central Park over Xmas remains my favourite ever Wires match.

Oof. Well.

Widnes
Wigan
Saints

I really don't like any of 'em, though.

Watching Wire since a kid and its always been Pies.But Will always remember the Regal Trophy semi agains Widnes at Central Park......I was 19 and couldnt stand Widness then lol

Wigan
Widnes
Saints

Even when Widnes were Champions and World Club Champions it was still Wigan we hated

Yes it was always Wigan, I can remember hoping Widnes won the league in the late 1980s because I preferred them to Wigan. Wigan have always been the benchmark for RL since I've been watching them, it felt like RL wasn't the same when they were rubbish a few years ago. The Pies should always be strong like the Aussies in cricket, that makes it worth something when you beat them.

We might hate wigan more than anybody else, but they hate saints and leigh more. Widnes definitely hate us more than any other club. Personally, i have cheered for wigan in games against both saints and widnes in my time so i cannot say they are our biggest rivals. Also, i have wanted wigan to win certain WCC games, but have never cheered saints in any of theirs.
In conclusion:
1. Widnes
2.Saints
3.Wigan

To me the derby I allways looked for was against Widnes being a Penketh lad from Widnesian parents.

The acid test for me was wembley in the mid 1980's. I went to the game as a total neutral; didnt like either team. Then the whistle went and I cheered Widnes all day.

1. Wigan
2. Widnes

As others have mentioned in the 80's it was Wigan by a mile to the extent that you didn't mind Widnes getting one over them.

Wigan and us are like United and City. For years the City fans were obsessed with hating United but United fans weren't that bothered about City, their no.1 enemy was Liverpool with Leeds no.2, and then whoever was their title rival (Blackburn/Newcastle/Arsenal/Chelsea). Now City have reappeared on the United radar, just like we have on Wigan which is probably why there is more tension on this forum now between the two sets of supporters.

so true!

like the older gentlemen of the forum its always been wigan. The locker cup pre season friendly was a thing of rare beauty ..it was a friendly that mattered....and it was played with pretty much full strength sides probably until John Monies era i'm guessing. when he decided getting your superstars smashed all over the place before the season started wasnt a good idea.

however I did find myself absolutely despising the widnes team of 88/89 with emosi koloto, richie eyres, the hulme brothers, martin offiah, Andy currier and the disgusting kurt sorenson.....before and after that they were just another grubby little team...

that was a great side though...tony myler, darren wright, alan tait, jonathan davies, grima, faimalo... how good was faimalo (odd job) he pumped his knees so high it must have been like trying to tackle a combine harvester..

the devaruax and moriarty joined.... dougie laughton was signing all union talent up....

also offiah was at his best at widnes... no doubt about it.

The good old days (wipes a nostalgic tear away from eye).

Walking back to the train station, and being chased across the fields of Wade Deacon school by Widness fans with sticks. Make it to the train with only minor injuries. Get on the train back to Sankey which gets pelted with bricks thrown from the bridge.

Sorensen and Boyd Fighting. (proper Biff)

The main stand catching fire.

Fond memories of Naughton Park.

You must be under 25.

When they can manage to get into SL it's got to be Widnes for me.

To be fair I'm consumed by the hoodoo Saints have over us if there was only one team I could choose to beat now it would be them.

However, growing up in the eighties and early nineties all the Wire fans at school (I didn't get into rugby until my teens) hated Wigan. When I did start going "We Hate Wigan" was one of our most popular chants. It was chanted with passion and unaccompanied by any novelty pap over the PA unlike the pathetic "We All Hate Widnes" that has come about in the last few years.

Widnes were in the first division then (it was pre Super League) but they were never regarded the same way.

Not me mate, followed the wire throughout the 70's think i must be one of the oldest on this board

, however it was always and will alway be Widnes i'm very proud to say, when we play our smellie friends it is one of the few times we see police on horse back unfortunatly and was really bad in the 70's i'm ashamed to say, yes i have been to Central Park including the Locker Cup as a lad and ended up thumbing a lift back to Warrington having missed the coach

But for me has always been and will always be our smellie friends from down the road. I think it is still the same in Widnes two from the little welcome signs we got before our semi last year.

Will be good to welcome them back into super league, for me their is no feeling like playing them at their place bring it on.

Ah the walk back to the train station. I remember the shortcut through Wade Deacon. I remember fighting my way through there only to get to the train station as the train was leaving. Five minutes later there were over 50 Widnes fans coming down the slope on the other side of the tracks with around 6 Warrington fans who have just missed the train. There was a bit of stand off as they weighed us up (probably making sure there was only 6 of us) before they started to make their way across the tracks. We had decided amongst us to stand and fight, probably take a beating but running wasn't an option and we were already tired from battling through the school. Luckily for us the police turned up before they managed to get to us and made sure we were safely on to the next train.

I think the hated of Wigan was more to do with the team than the fans, although there was always trouble against Wigan. The 89 semi final was like being at a football match from the same era. The hatred of Widnes was more because of the fans than the team. I think at the time we wouldn't run official coaches to Widnes as the windows would always go through. As much as I disliked their team they played good rugby and always wanted them to beat Wigan as they were seen as the amateur (even though they were virtually professional as well) underdog against the fully professional corrupt Wigan outfit.

i remember the walk from hilton park to the bus station being a rough one, arriving and finding i'd missed the 587 bus and the station was surounded by leigh pre chav hooligans bursting for a rumble, at age 11 it was bloody scary! i live in leigh now so it makes me chuckle, the 70's were rough a hell

Wigan
St Helens

Widnes

Widnes grew to be our biggest rivals in the 1970s when I was first watching the game. Being the only other Cheshire club, they probably merit the title. However, bank holiday tradition going even farther back was for Wire v Leigh and Wire v Wigan over Christmas and New Year, not to mention the Wardonia ( later Locker ) charity 'friendly' to open the season against the Pies. I guess we need both Widnes and Leigh back in SL if our 'derby' is not to be against Salford for all eternity.

Question for older fans: what do [iWardonia [/iand [iGillette [/ihave in common?

Are you talking Wardonia razors?