It’s why I included Hayes in my selection, now Powell as given us something to talk about after dropping Dufty we can pick our hopeful teams based on what we have seen. For what it’s worth I don’t think Drinkwater as fired at all yet.

Earlier in the season he was doing OK - we seemed well organised and kicked OK but recently this is not the case.

Also I am still waiting for SOO, Australian international and Word Cup winner Josh McGuire to turn up ...

Aye another one but kept my council on him for time being.

Thaler is the ref, good job it’s not a TV game

The big problem is the standard that our reserves are playing at. It is such a huge jump to Super League v HKR, so to put Hayes in would be such a gamble. I cannot see it happening.

I watched the game v. Wakefield on Wire TV (& think Wakey have at last got themselves a decent pack). I thought McGuire had a decent game & was pretty creative in attack ... he's got good hands.
I will watch the game Wak v Hull with interest to see how their pack goes on.

What are people genuinely expecting from McGuire?

From what I had seen of him in the NRL, he's a very meat & 2 veg type of player - does the basics well, not shy of hard work, but not exactly some barnstorming runner, who's going to have the crowd off its feet regularly.

I think a few people have fallen into the trap (once more) of believing Aussie automatically = eye-catching, elite player, on another level to everyone else.

I honestly think what we are seeing from McGuire so far won't be that different from what we will get from here on in - He will be solid & unspectacular.

Fair comment, he was hyped up more than Vaughan was and guess it’s that what was expected given how Vaughan as started off for us.

Peter Matautia took a big knock early in the second half against Wakey. He was hobbling quite a bit after and I was surprised that Dufty came on to replace Thewlis. I thought PM might have been replaced because he wasn't very mobile.

I think Thewlis stays at Fullback.

I can't see Drinkwater getting dropped to be honest, he's far more experienced. And Hull KR will be a tough test so i can't see it.
I would like Hayes to get a game at some point though.

Maybe. I was expecting more than 4 tackle busts, 3 offloads, 13 carries per game and an average gain of 5.33m though in 4 games. That's Jason Clarke territory. He is doing a lot of tackling though at 37 per game.

McGuire will be fine. He's only played in the games that we've been poor as a whole team. He was brought in to make the team more resilient, and I've got no doubts he'll do that. He's also got a decent pair of hands and he's a workhorse. The only concern is that he's a grubby player, but that's usually the case with tough, uncompromising players. It's what we were missing last year. Having said that, I do feel he's holding back a little after his faux pas pre-season.

Anyone who's seen the NRL knows that Vaughan and McGuire are chalk and cheese, so we shouldn't expect the same sort of running impact.

have we been poor SINCE he came into the team? one to ponder...

I'd put it more down to losing Mikaele than McGuire coming in. As someone stated McGuire is just going to be a slightly better Jason Clark and him coming into the side did not offset the loss of Mikaele. Bullock and Philbin coming back should see us start to improve (they were both decent last week). Been really impressed with Bullock for a while.

i was just being devils advocate there, the catalans game fcked us royally for a few games, which is why i said last week i'd give him a few weeks at 13 with proper props playing, him in his role before i made an initial thought, his pass to put harrison through for the second try on friday was great.

i do think we've missed mikaele more than we thought, firstly his size, but also his mobility going forward, everyone else is a straight forward up and down prop, whereas he did on occasions run some weird curving lines that caught defenders off guard. its changed the way we play a bit.

Big fan of bullock, but I've a horrible feeling when everyone is fit Powell will select Dudson ahead of him.

You would have to wonder why if he did. Bullock as been good for us, only if it’s for rotation to keep the forwards fresh could he be left out.

https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/sp ... l-kr-test/ Well some explanation about McGuire and seems Dufty will be on the bench again.

https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/sp ... l-kr-test/ Well some explanation about McGuire and seems Dufty will be on the bench again.

KR are facing a few injury concerns to their spine

[urlhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/65556485[/url

I really think we have missed Mikaele much more than we thought we would. He was, also, very handy near the try line.
Mind you we better get over it, because there are not many like him about. & everyone wants to sign them.

A fair assessment on McGuire from Powell.


DP: I think if you sit down with Josh and speak to him about it, he’ll probably tell you he’s not going as well as he’d want to at the moment.

He’s working hard and trying to get his groove but I don’t think he’s quite found it yet.

He’s got four games under his belt now – three of them against some of the big boys – but Friday’s a good opportunity for him to start playing with the intent he’s shown over his career.

He’ll tell you he hasn’t been at his best yet but he’s working hard to get there.

Aye. And Turner (who gets some stick on here) has asked the interesting questions too.

Was actually thinking the same, in the past I think the questions have been what the club as wanted asked and not what we as fans want to hear.

https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/sp ... -kr-clash/ So right at the bottom of that it’s ok for me to play crap so long as the team is winning or have I misread that.

https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/sp ... -kr-clash/ So right at the bottom of that it’s ok for me to play crap so long as the team is winning or have I misread that.

Nicholson out injured tonight. Harrison starting at 12.