Latest news with #Wire
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Why Warrington Wolves will hope a recent Wembley trend endures on Saturday
WARRINGTON Wolves supporters will experience the other side of Wembley Stadium for the very first time on Saturday. And if you're a believer in omens, that is very good news indeed based on a trend that has emerged in recent weeks. Advertisement Wembley's West Stand will house Wire fans for Saturday's Challenge Cup Final against Hull KR as well as followers of Wigan Warriors and Featherstone Rovers for the Women's Challenge Cup and 1895 Cup finals respectively. That marks a change from each of Wolves' seven previous trips to the national stadium since its reopening in 2007, with the East Stand having become their home away from home to the tune of four wins and three defeats. They will be hoping for an altogether different experience to this time last year when The Wire failed to fire and were forced to watch neighbours Wigan Warriors lift the trophy, so will a change of ends mean a change of fortunes? Well the West Stand has certainly seen its fair share of celebrations of late and completed an incredible 'shut-out' of victories for teams who have claimed it in recent football cup finals. Advertisement The trend continued on Sunday when Oldham Athletic, whose supporters were massed in that very stand, fought back to beat Southend United in the National League Promotion Final. That followed the three EFL Play-Off Finals that took place at Wembley over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend and all three winners – Sunderland, Charlton Athletic and AFC Wimbledon – were left celebrating in front of a jubilant West Stand. And before that, Crystal Palace pulled off a shock victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup Final earlier in May – and we think you can tell where this is going… The West Stand also housed jubilant Aldershot Town fans for their FA Trophy Final victory last month and was the Newcastle United end when they broke their long trophy drought by lifting the Carabao Cup against Liverpool in March. A sign from the rugby league Gods or a dramatic case of straw-clutching? People will make up their own minds, but it is certainly quite the trend.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
GAME DAY: All of our build-up as Wire host Castleford Tigers in Super League
John Bateman scoring a try for Warrington the last time they met Castleford Tigers in 2024 (Image: John Clifton/ IT is ninth versus 10th as Warrington Wolves face Castleford Tigers bidding for a pleasing win eight days before their appearance in the Challenge Cup Final. The Wire are four points behind the play-offs places and need the points to stay in touch while also gaining some winning momentum before the big clash with Hull KR at Wembley. Advertisement Check out all of our pre-match build-up to tonight's game below as well as some key matchday information... Warrington Wolves vs Castleford Tigers; Tickets, TV channels and times, match referee As usual, tickets can still be purchased online right up until kick-off while cash turnstiles will be in operation in the South and West Stands. For those wanting to purchase seated tickets in the North and East Stands, the North Stand ticket windows will be open from 5pm. Turnstiles will open early to allow those wanting to watch the curtain-raiser between the two clubs' academy sides entry into the ground at no extra cost. That game kicks off at 5.35pm. Advertisement Tonight's game, which kicks off at 8pm, will be broadcast live on Sky Sports + Marcus Griffiths will referee tonight's game, with Chris Kendall on video referee duty. Warrington Wolves vs Castleford Tigers; pre-match build-up More: "Everyone else is talking about Wembley, not me and the team' More: Something Sam Burgess is asking Wire fans to do regarding the season so far More: 21-MAN SQUAD: Wire set to make changes in last match before cup final More: Joe Philbin on a rare start and what cost his side against Hull KR
The Wire
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Wire
Modi is Maun: How the Sudden Ceasefire Marred the Prime Minister's PR Script
The Wire had in these columns narrated how Narendra Modi had often lampooned his predecessor as ' Maunmohan' Singh but how he had himself sought the cover of silence as prime minister. Since then, there is a lengthening list of Modi's silences on crucial issues facing the nation. The latest entry on the list is the total maun on Donald Trump's repeated claims that he had forced a ceasefire on India and Pakistan. Modi, who had a highly publicised meeting with the US President in February, had gone out of his way to pamper Trump's ego, including on issues such as the US demand for defence purchases. For three months this year, the entire Modi establishment was pressed into wooing Washington, first to get a meeting with Trump and then to charm the big boss by all available means, which included offering trade and policy concessions. Before that, in Trump's first term, Modi had tried to build a personal rapport, inviting Ivanka Trump to visit India, hosting the 'Namaste Trump' event in Ahmedabad, and attending the 'Howdy, Modi' gathering in Houston. Pandering to Trump was hailed as Modi's 'smart' diplomacy by the godi media, which boasted that India would be the first country to sign a tariff treaty with the US. Now, suddenly, the Modi regime is left to encounter the realities of the liaison and the prime minister has been forced into a humiliating maun – on Trump's claim that he brought about the ceasefire and leveraged trade to do it. Trump repeated this claim multiple times, including after the godi media reported a significant 'walk back' by Washington. Modi, in his post-ceasefire addresses, took the position that repeated assaults by Indian missiles and drones had caused so much damage to the military infrastructure of Pakistan that they reached out for a ceasefire, and the Indian side agreed. But he carefully avoided any mention of Trump. This despite the fact that Trump's remarks were to the point and unequivocal. 'I said, 'Come on. We are going to do a lot of trade with you guys. Let's stop it… If you don't stop it, we're not going to do any trade',' the US President recounted to White House correspondents on May 12. Clearly, India's 'strong leader' is caught between his aspiration to emerge as national war hero and thus sweep the polls with a two-thirds majority on the one hand and be a trusted Trump buddy on the other. The Opposition Congress has raised three pertinent questions. They remain unanswered. These are: Compare Modi's ceasefire with the way Indira Gandhi had handled the 1971 India-Pakistan war, when there was intense pressure from the US and its NATO allies to end hostilities. In December, President Richard Nixon had ordered the US Seventh Fleet into the Bay of Bengal. It was a formidable challenge aimed at bending India. But unlike on May 10, 2025, Indira Gandhi did not agree to cease fire. Instead, Indian forces marched into Dhaka and liberated Bangladesh. That was the kind of courage we lack today. One casualty of the sudden ceasefire might have been an ambitious plan to project Modi as a leader in the mould of post-1971-war Indira Gandhi. Journalists covering the PMO and the BJP were talking of such a campaign, involving the civil defence and air raid networks, to be augmented by print and television media, social media warriors, pro-government analysts, professional motivators and influencers. The first mock drill since 1971 was conducted on May 7, with air raid sirens going off around the country and civilians being trained to protect themselves. Modi's cheerleaders began chanting, ' Jo bola so kiya (did what he said he would)'. The allies lined up behind the leader – Chandrababu Naidu said he supported Modi, as did Nitish Kumar and Chirag Paswan. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Adityanath launched an advertisement campaign. The build-up appeared to be aimed at ensuring that Modi would sweep the next election with a two-thirds majority, enough to allow the introduction of a 'one election, one party, one leader' regime and presidential style politics. However, on May 12, two days after Trump announced the ceasefire, the BJP leadership decided to settle for a considerably diluted programme – an 11-day 'Tiranga Yatra.' The abrupt ceasefire must have been the reason for the climbdown. Any debate on the four-day India-Pakistan hostilities will not be complete without a relook into the Pahalgam massacre and the events leading to the terrorist attack. In all, 26 innocent civilians were killed on April 22 when the terrorists emerged suddenly from the jungles and began firing, with no counter-action from security forces anywhere in sight. 'There was nothing there, no army, no police, no facilities,' said the grieving widow of a victim at his funeral. 'But when VIPs or big leaders visit, there are dozens of cars, helicopters flying overhead. Who pays for all this? We, the common people, the tax payers. Why no protection for us?' she asked in tears. At the all-party meeting on April 24, the government admitted lapses and claimed that tourists were allowed into the area without the permission of the administration. However, a closer look will reveal that it was not a communication gap, as the government claims, but that the entire administrative apparatus has got entrapped in a chakrayuh of North Block's loud boasts. To justify scrapping Jammu and Kashmir's special status under Article 370 and the subsequent draconian impositions, home minister Amit Shah has repeatedly said that normality had returned to the region and that there has been all-round progress. In November, Shah had claimed success in fighting terrorism and said the government would soon come out with a 'national counter-terrorism policy and strategy'. Nothing has been heard on that since. By far the most categorical 'all-is-well' assertion in Jammu and Kashmir was on April 8, just days before the terrorists struck at Pahalgam. That day, Shah told a state-level review meeting: 'Due to the sustained and coordinated efforts of the Modi government, the entire terror ecosystem has been crippled. The Modi government is working with an unwavering resolve….' Such assertions from the top might have lulled the administration into complacence, which resulted in 26 people getting killed. It was self-delusion that has led us to what can be described as an archetypal case of the Hubris syndrome. Hubris syndrome, a term coined by former British foreign secretary David Owen, refers to the change in the behaviour of politicians and business leaders as they continue in power and lose touch with reality. Amit Shah has been caught in his own propaganda trap. Opposition leaders had repeatedly questioned his claims. Early this year, chief minister Omar Abdullah had disputed Shah's assertion that normality had returned to Jammu and Kashmir. A month before the massacre, the state Congress had cited several incidents of terrorist activities to hit out at the government for nursing the 'illusion of calm'. Clearly, the government wasn't listening. P. Raman is a veteran journalist.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
What Sam Burgess said after George Williams trained today
WARRINGTON Wolves skipper George Williams trained today. He is ahead of schedule with his recovery from surgery and his eyes remain firmly fixed on pulling on the Wire shirt in the Challenge Cup Final against Hull Kingston Rovers at Wembley on Saturday, June 7. These remain early days and Williams still has work to do to be available for selection, but the signs are positive that Warrington's most lethal weapon could give his side a massive boost and be on the field for the showpiece decider. Head coach Sam Burgess has commended the England star's drive in his bid to win his fitness race. Williams has missed the last six matches following surgery for ruptured ankle ligaments but in early May he made it known that he was setting the cup final as his return date, should The Wire overcome Leigh Leopards in the semi-finals – which they did. 'He's really pushed the boundaries on his programme and he's ahead of schedule,' said Burgess. 'It's a 10-week injury, and the Wembley game would be about seven-and-a-half weeks. 'Regardless of whether he plays or not next week, he's done a great job in pushing the boundaries on his own performance and his own ability to recover. 'Also the medical staff have seen that the goal posts can be shifted at times. Where there's a will there's a way. 'There is a bit of time between now and then. He's got to get the practise done. He's trained today and he looked to be moving ok so we'll see how he goes. 'George made a commitment that he won't leave a stone unturned and he's not. 'He's really attacked his rehab and the club have been very good. 'He's got a good relationship with Nick Murphy (head physio) and Ade Gardner (head of performance), so they've thought outside the box and they've gone far and wide to push him as hard as they can without making him break down. 'So he'll come back in some good shape hopefully.' More: Trio set to return for Wire's Cas clash, but two to miss out When Williams spoke about his injury and surgery on Sky Sports' The Bench podcast in early May, he revealed he is following a programme aimed at shaving time off his recovery – one that has never been successfully completed by a rugby league player. 'Eight to 10 weeks is what they normally say but we're following a programme that Leinster rugby union have used that gets players back in seven,' he said. 'That's the goal for me – I've had two weeks off already after surgery and it's five weeks until Wembley if we get there. 'That would be seven weeks and two days – it's been done before but I think only two players have managed that, and they're both rugby union players. 'I think the posh word for it is 'syndesmosis' and it's basically ruptured ankle ligaments. 'I did a Grade Two – which isn't a full rupture but a tear – in Round One last year, so it was basically a ticking time bomb for me. 'If you've already got little tears in there then the same movement will eventually snap it, which is what happened to me.'
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Musgrove departure confirmed as Warrington Wolves release statement
ZANE Musgrove's time as a Warrington Wolves player is officially over. The club have released a brief statement this afternoon confirming the prop's departure with immediate effect having come to a mutual agreement over his release. At the same time, Championship club Oldham have confirmed they have signed Musgrove on an 18-month contract. The statement does not go into detail about the reasons why Musgrove has been let go, but it is understood that an internal disciplinary matter has led them to come to this decision. Read more > COMMENT: An extra problem that Warrington Wolves simply did not need "Warrington Wolves can confirm that Zane Musgrove has left the club by mutual agreement with immediate effect," the statement reads. "We thank Zane for his contribution during his time at the Wire and wish him well in the next chapter of his career." A former teammate of head coach Sam Burgess at South Sydney Rabbitohs, Musgrove arrived in England alongside him ahead of the 2024 season. He leaves having made 38 appearances for the club, with his last game for the club coming at Magic Weekend against Wigan Warriors earlier this month. Since then, he was 18th man for the Challenge Cup semi-final win over Leigh Leopards but has been left out of the 21-man squad altogether for the two games to follow, including tonight's home game against cup final opponents Hull KR. The 29-year-old's departure means Warrington now have an overseas quota spot available for which to recruit mid-season as well as salary cap space. However, any player brought in before the upcoming Challenge Cup Final will not be able to feature at Wembley due to competition rules - only players registered before the semi-final stage are able to play.
