WARRINGTON captain Adrian Morley last night set his sights on completing a hat-trick of successes in the Carnegie Challenge Cup as rugby league’s community clubs set out on the road to Wembley.
Morley, who with Wolves team-mate Lee Briers made the draw for the preliminary and first-round ties at Huddersfield’s George Hotel, insists his team’s appetite for silverware has not waned following their back-to-back success.
“Call us greedy because that’s what we’re going to set out to do,” he said. “The last two years have been absolutely fantastic for the club but success breeds success.
“Once you’ve had a taste, you want more and more and we’ll be doing our utmost to win it again.
“We’d also like to do well in the play-offs.
“Our season promised a great deal all year and to go out the way we did was disappointing.
“We’ll be going out to do well in both competitions.”
Morley began pre-season training yesterday after making a quicker-than-expected recovery from a torn bicep sustained on the eve of the Four Nations Series in New Zealand, where his appointment as England captain was cruelly cut short.
“It’s coming on great,” he said. “I’m ahead of schedule. It’s normally 12-week recovery period but I started modified training yesterday.
“We go to Tenerife for our pre-season training camp in the first week in January and I hope to be full contact by then.”
Welsh champions Valley Cougars were paired with the British Army in the first round, while Scottish champions Carluke Tigers will make their Cup debut against Rugby League Conference champions Warrington Wizards.
A total of 65 community clubs are involved in the early stages of rugby league’s oldest and most prestigious knockout competition.
The 21 Co-operative Championship clubs will enter the competition in round three, along with French champions Lezignan, on the weekend of February 5, with the 14 Super League clubs joining the action in the fourth round on the weekend of May 7.
Preliminary round (to be played weekend of January 8): Pool A: Oulton v Normanton, Ovenden v Rochdale Mayfield, Millom v Egremont, Eccles and Salford Juniors v Castleford Panthers, Yorkshire Cup winners (to be decided) v Drighlington, Shaw Cross v Stanley Rangers, Lancashire Cup winners (to be decided) v Seaton Rangers. Pool B: St Albans v British Police, Loughborough University v Featherstone Lions, Northampton v Gloucester University. First round (to be played weekend of January 22): Pool A: East Leeds v Crosfields, East Hull v Saddleworth, Leigh East v Heworth, Fryston v Stanningley, Eccles and Salford Juniors or Castleford Panthers v Wigan St Patricks, Wigan St Judes v West Bowling, Skirlaugh v Oulton or Normanton, Wath Brow v Norland Sharks, Ovenden or Rochdale Mayfield v Lancashire Cup winners or Seaton Rangers, Yorkshire Cup winners or Drighlington v Hunslet Warriors, York Acorn v Milford, Shaw Cross or Stanningley v Widnes St Maries, Elland v Thatto Heath, Kells v Bradford Dudley Hill, Myton Warriors v Ince Rose Bridge, Siddal v Eastmoor, Oldham St Annes v Hull Dockers, Castleford Lock Lane v Halton Sims Cross, Leigh Miners Rangers v West Hull, Waterhead v Millom or Egremont. Pool B: Loughborough or Featherstone Lions v Kippax, Northampton or Gloucestershire University v Leeds Met University, Nottingham Outlaws v RAF, Warrington Wizards v Carluke Tigers, University of Central Lancashire v Northumbria University, Edge Hill University v Hull University, The Royal Navy v St Albans or British Police, Valley Cougars v The Army.
