I'm with Gazwire, Benny still does those hard yards which we needed against Saints. If Sita can do them too, then great, but we need them making. One thing in Benny's negative column is the cards he's getting.

.........and lets not forget Benny is on a roll. That's one game in a row now that he has not been suspended. Price will be delighted with him.

It's a shame we don't have more players like Tasi- Impeccable record. No offences, no cards, no nothing, and he's not been suspended. Price is probs over the moon?

As much as I bigged up Westwood last season... it's the complete opposite this season.
He hasn't even been a shadow of his 2018 form.

Can you shed more light?

He deserves more than a flippant comment so I'll expand a little.

He'll be 38 before the season is out and we have a few players in their mid-20's who should be given the chance to prove themselves.

I just don't think he should be in our first 17 plans anymore if everyone is fit. He'll get game time in the meantime with injuries and bans.

Situations can always change over the course of the season but as things stand with his performances so far, I'd rather play others.

(Careful with the flipansy, and please don't expand too much !!!)

I have to disagree Jack Napier, and that's the good thing with this forum- there's many opinions, but respect for all. (Apart from a few plonkers).


Your opening paragraph suggests: Price should concede Benny's place for younger players to prove themselves. In a professional outfit, you have to earn your place. The Wigans and Saints don't just promote their youth players because they're young- they have to earn their places. And that's why their youth players can step up to the next level- they earn their places the hard way. Our youth players need to step up as well and give a reason as to why they should play in the place of Benny Westwood and others.

(On a side note), Benny Westwood is the player we've missed (imo). Imagine how good our forwards could be with Benny setting the stall. Our forwards need a feisty leader like Morley. They need a leader to set an example and a leader to stand steadfast- knowing there's a hard man to cover your back.

When we play saints again, get Westwood in at 13 and Akuola full of fire off the bench- it's a different game. Having Westwood starting makes a big difference. Then some proper Tongan punch from Akuala and bmm. Provided we keep the intensity and desire up- different game to last time.

Yep, reasoned debate is great, much respect for your opinion.

For me in the last few weeks Matt Davis has earned his place. Akauola played too well to get dropped. Westwood isn't playing well enough to suggest he should play, in my opinion.

I couldn't agree more with our forwards needing a fiesty leader, it's why I think Hill shouldn't be captain. Westwood has played that role for many years, I just don't think he can do it anymore.

When we played Salford, Westwood (on many weeks rest) was a part of a pack that got outfought and out-enthused. We needed a leader to grab the team by the scruff of the neck. We didn't have one on the pitch. I absolutely adore Westwood, but time waits for no man.

,
.

Really agree with this. (Posted same time as your post).

...It certainly doesn't. But man waits for no time in the case of Benny. He may be old chronologically, but still a valued, vital part of our pack (if we need some front foot agression).

And that's it. If my life was on the line and I was picking a Warrington team for one game, he'd play without a doubt.

I'm just want the club to look ahead, assess the options. Still 17 games left before the playoffs.

I think the next few months we should do that. If other players shine? Great. If not, let's bring back one of our greats.

Thing is, the promotion of youth players can't be at the expense of first team quality. And paradoxically, the harder it is to get in the first team and less places (subsequently), the better the youth team players are, and more readily fitted into a first SL side.

I agree that youth promotion is important- certainly. But they have to earn their stripes- they'll be much better for it.

I'd like to see Akauola and Davis playing. I think both may have been underestimated and that Steve Price may be thinking the same. They deserve an opportunity and we need to know how good they are.

I don't think so much...perhaps a little.
Aka was injured much of last season but the team was winning and that carried through to this season.
It's hard to make changes to a winning side.

IMHO we missed Westwood against Saints, but he gave a poor performance against Salford, in what was a poor team performance. I agree with you that all options need assessing, which is something that all coaches should be doing, with a view to the future. Both Akauola and Davis may well merit a shirt for tomorrow, on the back of their performances against HKR (and other games in Davis' case). As far as this season goes, I recon we'll see all three in the starting seventeen at some point, as the remainder of this season rolls out. It'll be interesting to see who gets a deal for 2020 out of Akauola and Westwood, it may be neither.

No he wasn't at all, people keep saying this but he played 25 games last year for us, and got a Ban of 2 games. So that's 27 games he wasn't injured for. This year he just fell out of favour but hopefully he's taken his chance with both hands and be a beast for us this year..

....people keep saying it because he was injured.

The issue with Akauola was he didn't play anything like enough minutes, and when he was on the field he gave away plenty of penalties.

Whether stamina was the issue, or he was injured or just not interested I neither know nor care. Similarly, I don't care whether he is fitter now or just doesn't fancy another four months at Rochdale - if he's now capable of decent minutes and making the kind of impact his physique suggests then the slate is clean and he could yet become a potent addition to the 17.

we were so poor over easter, seemed to be a total different team from the weeks before.... alot of this is to do with lee gaskell being out injured, he is important too us now and misses again today.. hope we get a response from the team after last weekends performances but think wire win by 18+

Yes I rate Gaskell. He adds something. Didn't realise he was out. Could be a tough day for Hudds.

I've only seen Akauola once this year and that was in Atkins' testimonial game. Even in that though he looked much more fired up than in 18. I'd like to see him start on the bench today and I'd give Davies another start over Currie, who I think would benefit from another week's rest.

He has never made a secret that he would be injured until the end of the season.

Yeah i agree with this, Davis has played better than i thought but to be fair i've never really seen him play before us. Loads of energy and a great work rate really like what he brings to the team


Well Currie and Davis made the Squad and Akauola, awesome looking Squad