The sixth round of the Challenge Cup threw up some mouthwatering ties, one of which was Toronto's clash with Warrington. Top of the Championship table and gunning for Super League, the Wolfpack were hoping to spring a surprise on in-form Warrington. And, in the first-half, everything seemed to be going to plan; 10-6 up with three minutes to go until the two sides went into the sheds for half-time, Toronto looked every bit a Super League side. That was until the Canadian club's ill-discipline and just sheer disrespect for both the opposition and the officials allowed Warrington to put on a huge score.
Tactics
Toronto's tactics in the first-half were clear: get in the faces of the Warrington players and try and play as expansive as possible. Well, it worked; the Wolves - hoping to win for the tenth game running - appeared shellshocked inside the opening 15 minutes as the Wolfpack raced into a 10-0 lead. Warrington did crawl their way back into it on 23 minutes when Mike Cooper burst through a gap in the Toronto defence, but the Super League side still looked second best.
Then, in a fashion which looked reminiscent of Leigh when Paul Rowley was in charge of that side too, Toronto began losing the plot close to half-time. A number of penalties were conceded before Wolfpack winger Liam Kay saw yellow for a dangerous tackle on Josh Charnley.
Toronto were still however, in the driving seat.
Once more, ill-discipline let them down and when a scuffle broke out in back play, Wolfpack second-rower Andrew Dixon threw a punch at Wire's Harvey Livett. Dixon was shown the red card by referee Ben Thaler and from there the Canadian side collapsed. A try on half-time by Josh Charnley set the tone for the try-scoring procession in the second forty.
Embarrassment
Two tries in the opening five minutes of the second-half practically killed any hopes of a Toronto comeback. Any viewer watching would have thought that a half-time breather should have settled the Wolfpack's frustrations, yet they turned up for the second-half in a more argumentative character than the first. Toronto half-back Josh McCrone was sent to the sin-bin on 47 minutes for mouthing at referee Thaler - a rant that was heard live.
Thaler tried his best to keep a lid on the game, but Toronto were in no mood to abide by the rules.
McCrone was called over by the referee for mouthing off when a penalty was given by Thaler against Toronto. As the Wolfpack's captain, McCrone is supposed to set an example to his players, but his throwing the teddy out of the pram summed up Toronto's mood as a whole. After playing some great Rugby to storm into the lead, foul play and a combative attitude led to Warrington's captain Chris Hill labelling the Wolfpack as a "pub team". That title is actually unfair on pub teams who would likely have showed more restraint than the Wolfpack given the chance.
McCrone's ignominious departure from the field was not the last card to be dished out either.
McCrone was followed six minutes later by prop Darcy Lussick - again for dissent. By now, the Wolfpack were down to ten men and had lost any chance of salvaging the game - and their reputation.
Won't win any fans
Warrington scored 54 points in the second-half to inflict a heavy 66-10 defeat on the Wolfpack, but this did not tell the entire story. If Toronto had played out the fixture as they had started it, Warrington could have been staring down the barrel of their first loss in ten games. As it was, the Toronto players lost their heads in a true Paul Rowley-coached team fashion. When Rowley was at Leigh, the Centurions won few friends with their robust style of play.
Leigh won all but two Championship games in 2015 under Rowley, yet at the end of season Middle 8s, the Lancashire side could only muster one win out of seven games.
Leigh's bully-boy tactics did not work against Super League sides and if Toronto are to escape the same fate, Rowley must quickly look for a Plan B for when the Qualifiers come round once more.
Toronto's lack of discipline was shocking and the game - broadcast live to the country - did them no favours in winning over the thousands of sceptics within the Rugby League fraternity that simply want the Canadian project to fail.
