Michael Monaghan has called for the Warrington faithful to stick with their new-look side after a difficult start to the Super League season.
The Wolves’ were belted 38-8 in their season opener against St Helens last Thursday.
Monaghan, whose brother Joel ran in two tries during the loss, is in his seventh season with the Wolves since joining from NRL club Manly in 2008.
In that time Warrington have won the Challenge Cup three times but failed to win the Grand Final, finishing runners-up in the past two years.
But after a summer that saw experienced figures like Adrian Morley, Brett Hodgson and Lee Briers all leave there has been something of a changing of the guard.
And Monaghan, who at 33 was this season announced as new club co-captain with Ben Westwood, is confident it will not be long before Tony Smith’s side are back firing on all cylinders.
“In the squad there have been a lot of injuries and changes during the off season so we are probably not going to be firing at 100 per cent to start the year but hopefully it should not take us too long to get going,” he said.
“We have had some changes in key positions but we will work on those combinations and get some consistency soon enough.”
It does not get any easier for the Wire who take on Leeds Rhinos this weekend in a re-match of the 2012 Grand Final.
St Helens host Hull FC and after former Penrith No.7 Luke Walsh’s starring role on debut, Saints will be hoping for more of the same from the halfback.
Walsh wants his 18-point haul to be just the start of things to come at Langtree Park.
“I enjoyed myself in the first game, I’m still getting used to the weather, the conditions, the ground but for my first go I thought it was a good effort,” Walsh said.
Salford Red Devils head south to take on London Broncos but the major news from the Manchester club this week was the announcement of a cross-code fixture with Sale Sharks in August.
The match will take place at the AJ Bell Stadium — the home ground of both clubs – on August 26.
Half the game will be played under union rules and the other half under league.
