Yes, Cooper gone, Apparently Powell sees him as a bad egg.
Not many getting new contracts. A complete rebuild.

I had heard we had to do a Lot to persuade him not to retire at his last extension.

I'm sad if he goes to another team as I would like for him to have ended his career with us.

If this is part of some long term plan of making sweeping changes, the squad is not championship winning material, that includes fan favourites.. we probably have 2/3 players that if they became available saints Wigan or Leeds.

If cooper goes and we sign Luke Thompson as an example then I don't think many will be unhapp? Not necessarily Thompson but someone of that calibre, I think we need two of those.tbh

1 thewlis
2 t Johnstone ooc
3 wrench
4 king
5 Ashton
,6 dean
7 Williams
8Agnatius Paasi ooc
9 walker
10 Andrew fafita ooc
11 Currie
12 p matautia / holmes
13 Reese Martin ooc

14 bullock
15 Ryan Sutton ooc
16 Harrison
17 ratchford / Clark

Add in a few squad fillers too and this side is a step closer to saints and achievable, there are a good few players who could improve us quite a lot and afford us the opportunity to give the younger players more game time

Got to be the funniest thread for many a year.
I've heard!
Rumours have it!
Here's my team. If we sign someone like Les Boyd and sign Brian Bevan.
Fantasy. Bit of fun (and nothing wrong with that) but that's all.

The Huddersfield link with MC is a rumour gaining momentum amongst those that I trust. Cant say its correct but when different folks speak similar words it may be true, some unrest with MC as he was looking for an immediate release, he and DP then had words, read into that what we will. Very sad if true.

3 different rumours on cooper then? Standard.

I think Elijah Taylor is out of contract at Salford. He has always impressed when I have seen him play. Always 100%. I would prefer him over Rhys Martin.

A lot of people on here(Including me) were calling for wholesale changes and a clear out.

Cooper leaving would certainly be a shock move and I have watched him play in Warrington colours since his teenage days, but if he is one of those players opposing the way Powell is altering our style of play, then it is the correct decision to move him on.

Can`t believe I have just typed that, but if it is best for Wire, then he has to go.

No you are right, over the years we have had some fan favourites and they go into legendary status by some. But end of day when you are trying to win something there can be no room for sentiment. We need a team that can go out and win for us.PS I still miss Briers

These are interesting times to be a Wire for sure. I guess we needed radical change rather than a few tweeks.

I think that if we were having a clear-out based purely on form, then Cooper evidently would not be one of those for the chop, as he is still performing to a high level. However, I'm hoping the club is working to a slightly longer-term strategy. DRH's proposed team above shows that we already appear well off in the backs, with our best young talent very much focused in that area. The pack, obviously, needs an extensive rebuild, and the question is, with Cooper being 34 in September, should he be part of that process? As ever, departures are one thing, but it's who you get in to replace them. Time will tell.

Does it worry anyone else that we need to make a lot of signings given our recent track record in recruitment?

We definitely need a rebuild but it's a lot in one go. Still if the trend gets bucked and we recruit well then we could be very good next season but I think it will almost certainly be a slow start in 2023 with a lot of players needing to gel and get used to each other.

Overseas players can be hit and miss, and big name players in the NRL don`t always deliver and find it hard to settle with their families in England.

Other clubs have done well with signing lesser known players with something to prove and with much lower salaries.

Maybe we need to employ a scout based in Australia with a view to our recruitment in the Pacific Islands, New Zealand and Australia

I think given the disparity in salary caps between superleague and NRL we will be doing a fair bit of shopping on these shores. There aren't too many OOC over here that would be great IMO. Trueman iis a standout but not sure where that would leave Riley dean. I'd take Rhys Martyn in a heartbeat.

Jason Clark's family don't seem to want to go home!

Good goalkicker too, which is something we'd have to think about if Stef either leaves or doesn't play as much next year. I know Riley Dean has been kicking, but I haven't seen enough of him as a kicker to know if he could be relied on to do the job full-time.

Strong rumour on the dark side of the hill, that Truman has signed for Hull FC.

He will end up leaving Cas for zilch, and they allegedly turned down big bucks from us, for him last season

I was alluding to Tyrone Roberts.

I am sure that Jason Clark and his family can`t believe what a soft touch Wire have been for their extended stay over here.

No wonder that they love us.

At least Asotasi had the good manners to leave when his contract expired

Harsh to compare any honest professional to Asotasi IMO. Clarks contract shouldn't really have been renewed, he's not looked the most effective but his effort can't really be questioned.

I think one of the biggest failures of recruitment last season was that his cap space wasn't used on a big prop! Nothing personal but the squad would have had a better balance.

You're linked with Matt Dufty again by Matthew Shaw on Twitter. He'd potentially be sensational in Super League but not sure where it would leave Thewlis.

Take a look of the photos of Jason Clark playing in the NRL on Wikipedia.

He must have lost 2 stones of muscle since those days.

Quote ="Saddened!"You're linked with Matt Dufty again by Matthew Shaw on Twitter. He'd potentially be sensational in Super League but not sure where it would leave Thewlis.'" Thanks for the prompt. Personally I would prefer to play Thewlis allowing him to play fullback for Warrington for a long time and build a team from the bottom up, rather than the top down. The article is attached:- https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/ru ... s-23888081

Quote ="Saddened!"You're linked with Matt Dufty again by Matthew Shaw on Twitter. He'd potentially be sensational in Super League but not sure where it would leave Thewlis.'" Thanks for the prompt. Personally I would prefer to play Thewlis allowing him to play fullback for Warrington for a long time and build a team from the bottom up, rather than the top down. The article is attached:- https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/ru ... s-23888081

The Dufty link is one that would send shudders through me if I were a Wire fan. You have Thewlis doing so well and the powers that be would be doing very Warrington like things if they bring Dufty in and put Thewlis back to being a back up wing/fullback. They asked Dufty about Superleague links last season and he was very honest that it was basically a move he’d only make as a last resort.

Spend the money elsewhere and get the rest of the team stronger to then help guys like Thewlis (and Wrench, Dean etc when they play).

Completely agree. From what I’ve seen Duftys confidence looks shot to pieces as well….would be a complete waste of money. Would like to think we’ve learned our lessons and this is a signing we’d no longer make…..but I’m not confident.

Dufty rumour i'm hoping is exactly that, just a rumour. Thewlis should take the Fullback role full time next year, with Ratchford (if re-signed) as a utility player.
I remember Cooper saying before he re-signed with us he was looking to go full time with his business, so he may very well retire at the end of this year.
2 solid props are the priority, 1 to replace Cooper (if he goes) and one for impact off the bench. If Cooper stays another year we i'd still look for a solid prop and an impact prop, Sam Kasiano or Paasi as an impact prop would be ideal. As for a solid starting prop i'm unsure who is actually realistically available other than Gil Dudson who could take that role, from the out of contract lists i've seen. Unless we pull a rabbit out the bag and bring Thompson home. But i think he's happy in Aus.
I think the backline is covered for us but utility players are always a bonus.
it's gonna be very interesting to see who goes and comes in for next year?
Rhys Martin i'd be very happy with at 12, but i don't think leeds will let him go, although just like Cooper why hasn't he been resigned already?