It's lack of ambition. It's a simple choice - do we go for a bigger yet overall less capable squad (due to diluting overall ability) by buying average players, or do we buy the best and introduce more youngsters (e.g. Singleton, Amor, even Ambler) as extra cover. To me, one way is negative and shows a lack of ambition, the other is positive and shows an interest in being the best but also of keeping one eye on succession.


Not yet he's not but I would have preferred to keep McShane and see what he could do.


Warrington haven't won a title yet, true. But 3 cups isn't to be sniffed at - it's 3 more than we've won in the past 13 years. But you can't deny that Warrington are now arguably the best team in the comp and recruitment has played a large part in that.


Well let's look at the facts. So far in his tenure our defence has got progressively worse. Last season we attained the lowest number of competition points for 14 years and finished in our lowest league position for 10 years. Aside from the stats I don't believe a lot of our squad are playing to their potential, tactics (if there are any) are inept, team selection and substitutions have at times been baffling, indiscipline is still an issue and we don't seem to have any structure in attack or defence.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's great we've got to the finals we have. But to me it's clear the coach is out of his depth and the squad needs improving.

Agreed. But Morley's proved to be a great buy for Warrington, even considering his alleged large pay packet.

There's lots of great players around that have been great buys for their clubs. Our club went through a long time of buying great players. Never quite worked out as well as the current approach to building a squad.

Looking back isn't doomsday obviously, it's when you look forward you start to question the state of the club.

While the glass half full brigade will point out it's too early to see the make-up of next year's squad there is nothing concrete as yet for the glass half empty mob (me included) to get excited about and there will be season tickets to sell fairly soon.

To me our backs, particularly BJB, Watkins, Hardaker and Hall give grounds for some longer term optimism. As indeed does Stevie Ward.

We're fine for halves next year, although the problem of replacing our "holy trinity" of Sinfield, Burrow and McGuire is, to my mind, unsolved, as it is likely that since they appeared in the team fairly close together, they may well retire fairly close together too. That makes Ward one part of a 3-piece puzzle to me. Time is on our side though, as I wouldn't be keen to shoo any of them out of the door just yet.

Our pack is now, perhaps, a little jaded. I think if it were freshened up with a couple of new faces, the outlook would look very different. Again, there are a few key performers who are not at the end of their careers just yet, but are not far off and succession needs to be addressed.

So I'll plump for somewhere in between the theorists of apocalypse and those who believe the cup still runeth over. Come to think of it, I think my glass currently contains about half of its full capacity.

There are fresh faces already contracted to the club like Amor, Singleton, McShane and Hood.

Will the coach select them though?

I would agree with all of that.The big worry has always been that with so many of our golden generation coming through at the same time,then of course the time will come when they will depart at the same time aswell.

As you say,Its a comfort to know our three-quarter line looks set fair for the next decade or so.

The pack is getting to be a big worry now though as the likes of Ellis, Ali, Eastwood and Buderus have been replaced by mediocre plodders and Kylie and JP (How bad would our go forward have been without him on Saturday?) are on their last legs.Lets hope Singleton when he gets the chance,takes it.Hopefuly we will bring Amor back for next year.

The next Two seasons are huge as to how long our transition is going to last.If Mac isnt prepared to start bringing the young lads through in the pack,en mass, then we are going to be left picking up the likes of Moore and Griffin on a regular basis as its clear we wont be spending the big bucks.

Is Mac up to the task? im not sure.But if he isnt then it does not matter how good our backs are,if our pack gets battered week on week we will not be back at the top table of Super League.

Who knows but watching Lunt for us and Mcshane for Widnes no-one can tell me we got a better 9 out of the deal.
That's no disrepect to Lunt but for me it was ridiculous to let Mcshane go in the first place and the kid clearly just needed backing with a run of games imo.
The Amor puzzle is even greater we have a clear choice at the end of June to say right son yer a Rhino for next year and beyond but we pass over that chance whilst talking Kylie out of retirement?????
Some strange calls but hopefully all will make sense once the season is over.

At the risk of constantly repeating myself, the key to rebuilding the side is to obtain a top class centre with lots of pace. Preferably one who can draw a man and pass ,we have a young threequarter line with massive potential we just need to use them correctly . Abblet could return to the forwards , hopefully amor comes back ,plus the addition of the Aussie lad and maybe Singleton we should be on the right track.

It depends what you mean by 'current'. At the moment we've got Stevie Ward coming through and a few young backs full of potential. The pack is old and tired though and there's no apparent succession plan for our halves. This doesn't seem very good to me.

The best method of squad building is what we did 10 years ago - bring in a good number of quality young guys all across the squad and sign a few top class players on top - guys like Furner, Lauitiiti and Ellis.

At the moment we've got a few quality young guys but no top class signings, just a few average ones.

Ten years ago, we still had to wait two more to be champions, then wait another three after that.
Currently, we are reigning champions, and have been champions four out of the last five years.

Ten years ago we had once in generation crop of exceptional youngsters coming through - especially in key positions not sure this is the case now?

Booooooo! The people demand change McDermott OUT, Peacock OUT, Everyone over the age of 19 OUT, Boobies OUT!

*dribbles and falls over*

No neither am I. Guess we have to wait if we want to find out. Better that, for now, than chasing the likes of Morley and Ellis.

10 years ago you could sign internationals from the NRl because of the exchange rate and the low Aussie salary cap.

10 years ago I could get in a 36 inch waist jeans and didn't need to pish seven times through the night.

WTF does 10 years ago have to do with now?

singleton will still only be 20 next season , so wouldnt put to much pressure on him carrying the team at such a young age from a prop, he needs more game time next year thats all , he has been described by many as the new jamie peacock, well jp was well into is late 20s when he started playing prop, mac as allready quoted " he reminds me of a young jp ". as for amor he wood be a good signing , hes done is apprentiship in the prop world and is now the right age 25 ish to make an impact. another post further down metioned ambler , he not even at the club no longer !

He is very young still as you say and certainly for a prop.My point was we need to start blooding him soon in the first team.let him get the chance to mix with the likes of JP and Kylie next season where he wont be expected to lead the pack.Them two will be gone very soon and it will be a much tougher apprenticeship served alongside the other bunch of mainly average props we currently have and alot more will be expected of him,and probably too soon.

Agree BT time for Singleton to get game-time imo and not just 10 minutes then disappear for 3 months.
Would love us to recall Amor and IF Achurch turns out to be a good un then i think we can let Kylie and Moore go along with Kirke and Hauraki.
For me i'd like to see Griffin and Bailey as starting props with JP ,Amor and Singleton to come off the bench Achurch covers FR and BR ala Kirke plus IF we can sign a new LC or trust Keinhorst that frees up Abbo for the BR aswell.

Busted!

Whatever we think of McDermott's decision to put Keinhorst on the bench in the Final, this must indicate that he does think the lad is just about ready to make the step up as a first team regular and could mean he is going to be given the LC jersey from the off next season.

I personally hope this is the case as, although Ablett is a capable centre he is a better backrower and its not as if we are flooded with great back row options at the moment.

If we recalled Amor,McShane and Singleton with a view to giving them regular game time next season alongside Ward and Keinhorst this would be a good start in the re-building proccess IMO.But Mac has to be brave enough to start doing it.

I keep reading posts regarding us recalling Amor for next season but we've passed up on that option and now it's purely down to Amor to decide where he wants to go so we no longer have any say. Also there are rumours he's going to Hull but I've no idea how that can happen unless we or Wakey sell him on to them.

The fact we've backtracked somewhat and now lost control of the decision makes me think that we are still not 100% sure about him and if Amor senses the same he might prefer to stay where he feels wanted and has been given a chance.

IF we desperately wanted him back why did we not exercise our right before end of July when we had total control over the decision??

Isn't this the point I make about eight pages back ?

Can anyone name me a single player in our squad, that has improved their performance under the current head coach ?

About the only reasonable argument might be Zak, but given he is a player who is developing, it could be argued that he is merely fulfilling his potential.

In the past, look at Andy Hay .... A journeyman player, who was turned in to a GB international as a result of his performances under Graham Murray.

There's a bus load of players that look better under Tony Smith at Warrington, even players who on paper should be over the hill. How come TS can do it and McDoughnut can't ?

We have the squad depth and potential to be better than 5th even with the players we currently have on our books.

Get the coaching set up right and so many of the other issues that we have evaporate.

Yes, and our recent success is due to the team building we began ten years ago. Re McGuire, Burrow et al with quality signings along the way.

Amor is returning i hear. Great news. A real prop