Wolves confident of getting one over St Helens

Feb 14 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

PAUL JOHNSON, one of only seven players to appear in all 13 seasons of Super League, is aiming to help Warrington to a landmark victory this weekend.

The ambitious Wolves go into tomorrow’s derby against bogey team St Helens confident of finally getting one over on their arch rivals and ending a seven-year itch.

Warrington have won just one of 30 Super League derbies and have not tasted victory at Knowsley Road for 14 years.

Since the Wolves gained a 56-22 home win in 2001, Saints have remained unbeaten in 18 meetings with their neighbours, including two draws, and have won the last 12 matches.

Johnson is largely untarnished by the horrendous run of defeats, having joined the club from Bradford just over a year ago, but he is acutely aware of the record.

“I am and I can’t really understand it,” he said. “It’s just one of those things. It’s probably a bit of a mental block. But this year the team has had a general overhaul. There are all the new signings and we’ve a new captain in Adrian Morley. It’s a new start and the best team will win on Friday.”

Warrington may never have a better chance of ending their dismal run. Saints have been hit by an early crop of injuries and are coming off the back of a shock first-round defeat at Hull KR.

Already without Willie Talau, Jason Cayless and Paul Sculthorpe, who coach Daniel Anderson admits is no nearer to making his comeback from Achilles surgery, the Grand Final runners-up have been dealt two further major injury blows with the loss of Great Britain forwards Jon Wilkin and Maurie Fa’asavalu.

But Johnson believes the Challenge Cup holders’ defeat at Craven Park will have done his side no favours at all.

“They will know what they did wrong and for it to happen twice on the bounce is unlikely,” he said.

“I don’t think it’s going to make it easier that they lost last week. If anything, it will make it harder.”

Big-spending Warrington are being viewed as dark horses for the Super League title this year following the close-season signing of overseas quartet Matt King, Michael Monaghan, Chris Hicks and Louis Anderson.

Johnson, too, feels like a new recruit after making little impression in his first season at the Halliwell Jones Stadium due to a career-threatening neck injury.

“I thought I was going to have to pack in,” said the former Wigan centre or second rower, who won the Grand Final with Bradford in 2005.