BRINGING a regular season Super League clash to the opposite side of the world was an ambitious plan, but Wigan Rugby League Club have made a habit of reaching for the stars according to former premiership and Challenge Cup-winning coach John Dorahy.
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The inaugural Illawarra Steelers captain and current Wollongong Deputy Lord Mayor was at the helm of the Warriors for one of the most successful seasons in their illustrious history.
The 1993-94 season was a year in which Dorahy’s Warriors claimed the Super League premiership as well as the Challenge Cup in front of 78,000 fans at Wembley.
Wigan finished that campaign with a 20-14 victory over Australian premiers the Brisbane Broncos in Brisbane to claim the 1994 World Club Challenge.
“I was certainly blessed in my rugby league career, as a player coach and football manager,” Dorahy said at WIN Stadium, the venue that will host a history-making clash between Wigan and Hull FC in February.
“That period in England was one of the best periods of both me and my family’s lives.
“In particular Wigan was a highly successful season given we made the final in the Regal Trophy and went on to the Challenge Cup at Wembley.
“The side went on to win the premiership and then we came out to play Brisbane to win the World Club Challenge.”
Even with a history that boasts 21 premierships, it was a season that stood out, and the result of the unashamedly high standards set by the Wigan club.
“The club in the early stages of [former chairman] Maurice Lindsay set the club up to be successful entity,” Dorahy said.
“I was fortunate enough to take over from John Monie and it was up to me to go to that next level.
“The whole basis of the coaching philosophy back then, that I earmarked early on, was that we should shoot for the stars and that’s probably what occurred.”
Among the stars Dorahy had at his disposal were the likes of Martin Offiah, Gary Connolly, Shaun Edwards and Jason Robinson.
The Warriors line-up also featured a couple of youngsters in Andy Farrell and Kris Radlinski, the latter being the current Wigan football manager who played no small role in bringing the historic clash to Wollongong.
“I had the opportunity to begin a changing of the guard with young players coming in,” Dorahy said.
“The likes of Kris Radlinski, I gave him his first game. I met up with Kris a few weeks ago in Sydney with a view to what was coming to light. I hadn't seen him since I left [England] in 1997 so it was great to see him.”
Dorahy’s history with the club meant its ambition to break new ground for the game internationally in Wollongong came as no surprise.
“You’ve only got to look at the people who’ve been at the helm, from Maurice Lindsay to Dave Whelan and now Ian Lenegan,” Dorahy said.
“They expect the best out of the club, from players to coaches to managers, and that’s what the club gives them because of those expectations.
“This is at the very top of the ladder in my estimation. It’s a huge thing for Wollongong, and huge thing for rugby league when you can shift a competition to the other side of the world and play for championship points.”