Josh Thewlis on pride in younger brother and recovery from injury
SATURDAY'S Challenge Cup victory over Whitehaven was a big moment for the latest set of brothers to play together for Warrington Wolves.
In recent years it's been the Monaghans, the Evanses and the Kings, but now it's the Thewlis clan taking centre stage.
And the third-round victory saw elder brother Josh play alongside younger sibling Jake for the first time in a competitive fixture for The Wire.
And it was the younger Thewlis that won the try-scoring battle, touching down twice in a 44-4 victory for Sam Burgess' side.
Having touched down against both Leigh Leopards and Widnes Vikings in pre-season, Jake is doing his best to press his claim for more senior rugby – and potentially more opportunities to play alongside his older brother, who started on the opposite wing and converted the second of Jake's tries.
Jake Thewlis' two tries at Whitehaven were his first in competitive games for Warrington (Image: Joe Richardson)
'He got a bit more ball than I did,' the elder Thewlis joked.
'I'm made up for him – he's working hard on his game and its showing at the minute.
'He's had two or three really good games now and he's another one trying to catch Sam's eye.
'It's a proud day for the family – there were six or seven of us making the three-hour drive from Oldham to see it.
'Hopefully we can do that a few more times together.'
Oli Leyland, Cai Taylor-Wray and Danny Walker also touched down twice as Warrington made comfortable progress to the fourth round to kick off their 2025 season.
It was a game played out in throw-back conditions, with a heavy pitch at a characterful old ground, but it was an occasion Thewlis relished.
'It was good, and good to see some young lads out there,' he said.
'Oli Leyland, Stef (Ratchford) and Cai (Taylor-Wray) guided us around the pitch really well, Danny Walker as well.
'It was really professional – it was something we were chasing all week and we got the job done.
'Every single one of us has played amateur rugby, so coming here has been good.
'We knew what we were up against and I enjoyed it. It's something I've looked forward to and it was a good experience.
'It got heavy but it's something we'd prepped for all week and we knew it was coming.
'It was the same for both sides but our middles did a really good job especially in the first half.
'We got quite a few 'trap 40s' (keeping the opposition inside their own 40-metre line) which we were really pleased with.'
The game marked a return to action for Thewlis following a pre-season hindered by shoulder surgery.
His recovery meant taking less of a part in full training than he'd have liked but with 80 minutes in his legs, he insists he's ready to tackle the campaign head-on.
And the importance of being at full-tilt every week, he says, is even more paramount than ever with others – including his own younger brother – ready to take any opportunity to grab his first-team shirt.
'Everyone in the squad knows that if you have an off-game, there's no room for it. There's someone below you chomping at the bit to take your place,' he said.
'That can only be good for us – we're holding each other to good standards and hopefully, we'll see that on the pitch.
'I feel ready now. I could have played last week and probably against Widnes as well, but Sam set a plan.
'He's had a few shoulder injuries himself, so we got a plan and stuck to it.
'The shoulder was a bit of a setback and it meant a lot of running and not a lot of rugby in pre-season, but I'm back into the swing of it now.'
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