Warrington will raise the heat on Michael Maguire's new regime at Wigan

Michael Maguire could not have asked for a gentler introduction to one of the least forgiving jobs in the British game, with home victories over Crusaders and Hull KR in his first two games in charge of Wigan. The atmosphere will be considerably less friendly and welcoming evening, as the Australian's first away trip is to nearby Warrington, and involves one of British rugby league's fiercest rivalries. Wigan have lost on all seven previous visits to the Halliwell Jones Stadium since Warrington moved there from Wilderspool in 2004, an awful record that includes a shock Challenge Cup semi-final defeat by the Catalans Dragons in 2007. So this is the toughest test yet of the Maguire regime, which has involved army boot camps, transformed the physiques of a couple of the weightier Wigan players – and made an impact even on those who have left the club. "I'm still close to a lot of the boys, and I think it's been a shock to their system," says Richie Mathers, the full-back who rejoined his former Leeds coach Tony Smith at Warrington last season after an unhappy spell with the Warriors. "If you were sat in a room with any number of Wigan players they'd say the same thing – chalk and cheese. That's no disrespect to the previous boss, because Brian Noble has an excellent record as a coach. But the new regime at Wigan is what it's been wanting for the last three or four years, or longer." Maguire had spent the last four years as part of the support staff to Craig Bellamy at the Melbourne Storm, who have been Australia's most successful club during that period. Warrington went through a similar shock just under 12 months ago when Smith took over from James Lowes, and the impact has been undeniable – victory in last August's Challenge Cup final at Wembley to secure a first major trophy in 30 years for the primrose and blue under-achievers. Like Wigan, they have started the Super League season with consecutive ­victories, against Harlequins and Castleford, and Mathers leaves no doubt that their goal for 2010 is the Grand Final in October. "The first time I played against Wigan for Warrington it was special – I couldn't sleep, I was pumped up, bitter," said the 26-year-old. "Now it's just another fixture – another step to 2 October." Smith has already had a successful week in steering the two international props who are so important to his Wolves, Adrian Morley and Garreth Carvell, away from suspension. They were put on report during last Saturday's stormy win at Cas but Morley was found not guilty and Carvell had a one-match ban thrown out on appeal, setting up a potentially ­explosive showdown against Stuart Fielden and Andy Coley, the Wigan props who have also made an excellent start to the season. St Helens are still without Keiron ­Cunningham for Saturday night's other game, the veteran hooker – who has made 499 career appearances – having decided not to travel to Perpignan to complete 500 against the Catalans Dragons following a family bereavement last week. Hull have injury doubts over Sean Long, Richard Horne and Danny Tickle for their first trip to Wrexham to face the Crusaders on Sunday afternoon, when Huddersfield hope to have their captain, Brett Hodgson, returning from a back injury at Hull KR. Maguire's former employers are in ­London to face Harlequins in a warm-up game for next Sunday's World Club Challenge against Leeds.