What are the expectations for the Warrington Wolves in 2022?

As pre-season is well underway ahead of the 2022 season, it is full steam ahead in his first season for new Warrington Wolves Head Coach, Daryl Powell.

After leaving the Mend-A-Hose Jungle after 2021, Powell takes charge of a club that has huge expectations and is yet to have won a Betfred Super League Grand Final. It seems odd to still be saying that after so many years of falling at the final hurdle or during the play-offs but there will be no honeymoon period for the Yorkshire-born Head Coach as Wire will be looking to be the league’s top team this coming season.

After making signings such as Oliver Holmes, Peter Mata’utia, Joe Bullock, Greg Minikin, James Harrison and Billy Magoulias, Powell adds experience and youth to an already capable squad.

After losing in the play-offs for a third successive season, there is no rest for Warrington as 2022 will be dubbed as the biggest season yet. There were one or two other candidates fans wanted, but after taking Castleford Tigers from being a bottom four side to one that consistently challenged and even came runners-up in the 2021 Challenge Cup final, the primrose & blue faithful will give him no time to relax.

As much as it is on the new Head Coach to get things right early to put the Wolves in a good enough position to succeed, the set of players he has at his disposal need to step up.

One player who will be key for Powell is half-back, George Williams. The former Wigan Warriors and Canberra Raiders man joined the Cheshire-based club and excelled expectation himself. His single, most impressive performance came when his drop goal on debut saw Warrington emerge 27-26 victors against Leeds Rhinos. The Wire will be hoping he can add that same influence alongside Gareth Widdop in the 2022 campaign.

The true expectations for Warrington are surely winning the Grand Final, or at least a piece of silverware if not the main one. The league title is something that has escaped the Wire too many times for their liking, and maybe under Powell, their time is coming.

The Warrington hierarchy will be as frustrated as supporters but they will know it will be a process and that is why they will have given Powell the three-year contract that they did.

However, many fans would probably want to win the Grand Final as soon as they possibly can. Some, who see the progression Warrington have made, would take a trip to Wembley and a Challenge Cup win in Powell’s first season.

The 56-year-old will be aware of the type of expectations at the Halliwell Jones Stadium and he would not have taken the job if he did not think he was up to the task. One thing for sure is that 2022 is going to be a very interesting campaign for Wire and one that proposes much promise.

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