A total of 141
players have made just one appearance for Warrington
since the formation of the Northern Union in
1895.There have been 116 players have
made just one full appearance and a further 25 who made their one appearance
from the substitutes bench.
Maori Riki
(Dick) Papakura played centre in October 1911 in a 13-8 win over Broughton
Rangers at Wilderspool.The year before
he had played full-back for Australasia in both internationals against the
first Northern Union tourists.It is rumoured that he preferred to play in
his bare feet.
It was common
during the Depression of the 1920’s for Welshmen to come north to have a trial
for a rugby league club.They were
desperate to work and provide for their families.Some players “made it” and had successful
careers in rugby league, others just played the once and returned back to Wales.Some actually played under pseudonyms to
prevent the Welsh Rugby Union finding out that they had played rugby league.
Kiwi full-back
Freddie French played centre for Warrington
in a 30-9 victory over Leigh in November 1935.Warrington
already had international full-back in Billy Holding and so French moved to
Barrow, where he had great success.He
kicked two goals for Barrow in the 1938 Challenge Cup Final at Wembley, when
his side lost 7-4 to Salford, who scored the
winning try in the last minute.
Great Britain and Widnes half-back Tommy McCue guested
for Warrington
during the Second World War.He scored
two tries in a 40-0 win over Leigh in 1940.
Warrington signed Welsh rugby union hooker Bill Gore
at the start of the 1947/8 season as a replacement for the 36 year old Dave
Cotton.Cotton however decided to play
on and Gore played just once.Warrington finished the
season as Champions.
Bobby Edwards
made his one appearance as scrum half against the 1961 touring Kiwis.He partnered his brother Jackie at half-back
in a 21-9 defeat.
In the late
1960’s and early 1970’s a number of Aussies and Kiwis guested for Warrington.Ray Corkery played at hooker in a 16-3 win at
Doncaster over Christmas 1967, it was the
first time that he had ever seen snow.
Seven players
have played as AN Other.The best known
being Welshman Glyn Shaw who played second row against St
Helens on 23 August 1974.Three years later he turned professional with Widnes
and became a dual code international player, with 12 Welsh RU Caps and one
Great Britain Cap.
On 26 October
2003 ten players played their one and only match for Warrington in the “final official match” at
Wilderspool against the Kiwi “A” touring side.
Adam Neal of
the current first team squad is the only player who has so far made just a
solitary appearance.He made his debut
as a substitute in the Challenge Cup win at Leigh in April this year.
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