and ended the season with the League Leader's Trophy. Next season, 1973-4 was arguably Warrington's most successful for 20 years. The Captain Morgan Trophy competition was run for the first and only time and Wire clinched it with a 4–0 defeat of Featherstone. Warrington followed that up with a 27–16 defeat of Rochdale Hornets in the John Player final and then Murphy's men beat Featherstone for the second time that season in a cup final 24–9 win the Challenge Cup. The icing on the cake was the top eight play-off trophy, secured after a 13-12 success over St. Helens for a four-cup haul. In 1974-5 Wire returned to Wembley for the Challenge Cup final only to have their celebrations spoiled by Widnes while they also had to settle for runners-up in the Floodlit Trophy. In contrast to recent seasons, nothing went right for Warrington in 1975–76. They finished tenth in the league and crashed out of the Lancashire Cup and the BBC2 Floodlit Trophy competitions in the opening round. Challenge Cup hopes ended in the third round at home to Widnes but they were lucky not to have been knocked out in the first round by amateurs Leigh Miners at Wilderspool. Warrington struggled to a 16-12 success. There was no silverware again in 1976-7 but Warrington finished fifth in the league. They crashed out of the Premiership play-offs at the first hurdle, but yet appeared in the final, after Hull Kingston Rovers fielded an ineligible player and the match was awarded to Warrington. Wire won through to the final but lost to St Helens at Swinton 32–20. In 1977–8, Murphy's reign came to an end despite winning the John Player Trophy 9–4 against Widnes at Knowsley Road, St Helens. Poor league form had left Wire dangerously close to the drop at one point and that meant Murphy lost many friends on the terraces. Late 1970s to mid-1990s In 1978, Warrington appointed Billy Benyon as Alex Murphy's successor. A solid year-round performance saw Warrington finish second in the league, losing only 8 matches all year. A major highlight of the season was the controversial 15–12 victory over the Ashes-winning 1978 Kangaroo tourists. For the second year running the club reached the John Player Trophy final, but were unable to repeat the previous year's victory, the match going to Widnes by 16–4. Wire celebrated their centenary in 1979 owing to an erroneously