Opposition Insight | Warrington Wolves
03/02/2026
By Will Russell
The Eagles travel to Betfred Super League side Warrington Wolves on Friday evening in the 3rd Round of the Betfred Challenge Cup, having seen off Whitehaven two weeks ago in the last round of the competition.
Warrington will be a tough challenge for the Eagles, who play in the league above, and they will be looking to avenge last year’s disappointment after losing 8-6 in the final to Hull KR, back in June at Wembley Stadium.
Not the best season for the Wolves in 2025, they fell to eighth place in the Super League table, losing 17 and winning only 10, a stark contrast to their third place finish in 2024.
Missing out on the top six playoff places due to a drop off in form in the second half of the season, the Wolves will be looking for an upturn in fortunes this time out.
2026 Recruitment
Looking to improve on last year, the Wolves have made a few high-profile additions to their squad. Bolstering the pack, Kelepi Tanginoa has joined the club off the back of Hull KR’s treble winning season as he makes the switch to Warrington.
Back-rower James Bentley brings more experience to the side. He arrives from St Helens where he previously helped them win the Super League Grand Final Trophy, as well as two League Leaders Shields.
A key addition to the backs, 24-year-old Josh Smith has joined the club from the Brisbane Tigers, where he was voted their Player of the Season in 2025.
One to Watch
Aside from the new signings, the Wolves boast an impressive amount of talent in their ranks.
Their end of season awards evening was dominated by two brothers, Josh and Jake Thewlis, as they picked up three awards between them. Josh scooped the Ken Kelly Player of the Year award, as well as the Players’ Player of the Year award after finishing as their top try scorer with 15 tries in all competitions in 2025.
Younger brother Jake picked up the Young Player of the Season award, as he managed 14 tries in just 18 games during a stellar breakthrough year.
Representing the forwards, Australian Luke Yates was awarded the Vice-president’s Player of the Year and was named as Warrington’s best forward for 2025. He is one to watch out for in the pack.
2026 Squad
1 Cai Taylor-Wray, 2 Josh Thewlis, 3 Toby King, 4 Albert Hopoate, 5 Matty Ashton, 6 George Williams, 7 Marc Sneyd, 8 Luke Yates, 9 Danny Walker, 10 James Harrison, 11 Adam Holroyd, 12 Sam Stone, 13 Ben Currie, 14 Sam Powell, 15 Toafofoa Sipley, 16 Liam Byrne, 17 Jordy Crowther, 18 Ewan Irwin, 19 Leon Hayes, 20 James Bentley, 21 Luke Thomas, 22 Joe Philbin, 23 Arron Lindop, 25 Max Wood, 26 Josh Smith, 27 Jake Thewlis, 28 Oli Leyland, 29 Zack Gardner, 30 Tom McKinney, 31 Ben Hartill, 32 Ewan Smith, 33 Tommy Rhodes
