I class it as a disappointment, yes. We got beat by a Wigan team missing 5 first team players including their fullback and 9... and a half fit SOL. We got beat in the CC Final by a Hull team I didn't rate.

Considering the quality of the competition overall, the teams we faced in the finals... it was certainly an unsuccessful year to come away with no major trophies.

The GF loss just left a bitter taste because it almost felt inevitable that we would lose to Wigan. I think the most disappointing thing is that I don't believe we will win the GF anymore. Wigan will at least match us in the forwards (absolutely dominated us in the GF), and they have a better backline.

Ron, I started this thread because I am impressed with Gareth O'Brien and how he performed at the end of last year and the beginning of this year and wanted to establish whether others thought the same. I like to feel that although Warrington have historically produced few good class players,there are signs that some are beginning to come through and I would like the club to get the benefit of helping with their development. That's my opinion.
I'm also chuffed that the club has become a force in the game after many years of disappointment - I've been a fan since the late 1950s. The win against Brisbane on Friday is one of the best nights I have had watching the club. And as Uncle Rico says, you have aright to your opinion, but why do you and a number of others after such a great performance by the TEAM decide to start looking for individuals to denigrate. A piece of advice if I may, celebrate your successes when they happen, there will be plenty of other occasions for critical appraisals in the future. It happens to all teams and individuals, because as the song says, I'm only human after all.
Anyway, I would still like Gareth O'Brien back in the Wire's primrose and blue.

I doubt an SL player seeing a thread with their name on it on a rival club's site clicks it with eager anticipation, more likely with the tentative wincing of someone who is compulsively stalking their ex's facebook, hoping to get away without seeing anything that will destroy their day completely.

Simple question tof myself...would you play GOB ahead of.... Brown? No, Gidley? No, Ratchford? No, Patten? Perhaps...

I don't have a yes but a question mark about Patton. I'm comfortable about letting GOB move on and develop his career and become successful away from Warrington.
The lads has guts, I like him but I have no sentiment either.

The key part in all that is letting him develop his career. The most important person in all this is Gaz O'Brien, and he seems to be doing dandy.

From a Wire point of view I hope we stay on good terms with these guys so in future they come back and support our amateur teams etc, or even come back as a successful first team player.

Not sure of the reasons for the negativity about Patton. His positional kicking is superb, and has a few 40-20s to his name. His goal kicking ain't too bad either. Good support player, and whilst not as creative as some half-backs he compliments Brown quite well it would seem.

Whilst I'm glad O'Brien is doing well, the GOB we saw at Warrington didn't really kick on after the Briers era, for whatever reason. Patton seems to have done more in less time albeit in a better team. Let's give him more time to prove himself as he seems to have the composure required to manage the big games. If GOB continues to improve there's no reason why he couldn't return in the future if his heart is at the club.