True but we had a workable pack then. We haven't got that now.

We are good at taking pain and being constantly year 1 of a 5 year plan. In fact we are 10 years into our slide from the pinnacle of 2012.

4 years of him…..4 foffin years. Who saw him and thought “crikey he’s ace playing 23 mins a week for south Sydney, he’ll do a great job for us”. Great move KissKamKarl AGAIN. Our recruitment for 5 years has been risible.

Hughes and Clark getting picked ahead of Longstaff is a joke. Thewlis, Wrench and Longstaff should be playing as often as possible this season and being bedded in. We’ll be lucky to make the play offs this season so we should use this time well….playing Ratchford, Hughes, J clark as first choices is idiotic. On current evidence Wrench is also our best centre. Come on Powell stop playing it safe and throw the bloody dice.

About 3 seasons back I stated our problems stemmed from the front row of Hill, D Clarke, and Cooper, in terms of effectiveness and value for money.
Two thirds of the problem still remain

Got me thinking this one. D.Clark just a scooter? Higham was better at that overall in my opinion, I’m not digging Clark out but those runs of his are petering out.

Wrench injured I believe?

We’ve all said it thousands of times but we have to let our youngsters have a good run and coaches and fans have to live with their inevitable mistakes. Welsby, as one of many saints/Wigan/Leeds examples, had some horror shows early doors but continued to play regularly and has now been trusted with that 1 shirt over a decent yet ageing Coote who has been moved on at the perfect time. We’d have given Coote a 4 year extension.

Thewlis needs to be first choice #1 for the rest of the season. Ratchford could cover lots of positions from the bench, ideal for him. We’ve also plenty of goal kickers to cover that side.

Longstaff and Wrench to play from the start as often as their bodies allow. Wrench to form a dangerous partnership of the future with Ashton. King and Matautia to fight it out for the other spot….I’d potentially look at Matautia going to second row to give us some oomph (only when Longstaff can’t play mind).

Can’t see it happening though so we just have to hope Magoulias is the next Wayne Pearce.

King, Mata'utia Philbin and Walker will not be off contract and be able to be moved after 2022 is done. That leaves Ratchford, Hughes, J Clark and Widdop from your list. Hughes and J Clark can go for me. Ratchford has utility value, and I've already mentioned that should be where is value lies this season. Thewlis should be FB in this season of rebuilding post SP, with Ratchford filling in when we have an injury, in the various positions he can competently cover. There's an argument for extending Ratchford to 2023, but not as FB. Widdop looked like the player we wished to see last year, and hopefully we'll see the good player he is during 2022. Whether or not we are interested in giving him an extension, I have a feeling that he may return to Australia where his family are from.

It looks like both Robson and Doro are being moved on, but I guess there's only Hughes, J Clark and possibly Widdop, who have any real chunk of salary cap to bring in any replacements. There's also whether DP has any plans to promote from within, as to how many players we are able to bring in for 2023.

Ratchford, Hughes, Clark and widdop(marquee)leaving would free up a huge amount of cap space seeing as we already have 2 of the replacements here in thewlis and longstaff. Hopefully 3 if Dean is given a chance alongside Williams. Although, I'm worried we might throw silly money at jake Trueman.

Hard to disagree with thar, ratticus, but, with us being Warrington, we've about as much chance of that happening, as ClarkJ leading the line break chart at the end of the season.

.... and FYI, Mygoolies CAN be the next Pearce




Pity its Phyllis.

I think we dodged a bullet when Cas rejected our transfer bid for Jake Truman last season.

It looks like he will now leave Castleford on a freeby at the end of 2022 unless they can tie him down with a new deal.

I agree with you, give Dean a chance and lets see how it goes.

I’ve already said it once our club is run by Mike Bassett, we can all see what you are saying is right but he does not.

Yeah but we have the whizzy rascal so it’s all good.

Nothing wrong with the sentiments being expressed in this thread about playing the youth, but half of those expressing those sentiments would be straight on the team's back as soon as Dean, Wrench and Longstaff started making mistakes.

Take your point but they are not being given the chance are they, and the opportunities they have had so far they not really done anything wrong that is why people are asking that they be put in. The other thing if you are a senior player or raw new talent if you have a real howler as fans ofc we will be on their backs.

This season was always going to be a write off with the inherited squad and the limited time Powell has had. I think we have nothing to lose in playing (and being patient with) the aspiring young players such that we are better prepared for 2023 and 2024. It's easier to be patient with a 20 or 21 year old player learning and developing than it is an underperforming journeyman professional tailing off.

I agree but Powell needs to see if he can get something out of the players he has and then make a decision on whether to offer new contracts etc. He has to see for himself who can and can't adapt to his systems so in a way I agree with him playing matt Davis, Jack Hughes, Charnley, ratchford, Philbin, etc etc. I think the picture will be coming clearer to him where the players who can't adapt will be. Charnley for example, he probably thought could be a good chunk of cap space to save but really it's become quite obvious he still has a part to play and he's a quality player that fits the new systems. Others it's probably seeming don't fit. Hopefully once theyre identified the younger players can get a run of games. I'm especially thinking of longstaff there and possibly wrench when he is fit. I don't think it would be a bad idea to give thewlis a game at fullback soon.

LONGSTAFF AT FB ?????

Yeh I was going to say that, got to assume he means Thewlis.

Edited, I was in a rush! Yeah I doubt that would be a good move myself to be honest. You know who I meant.

I did pal take no notice

Longstaff is that good he could probably cover full back no problem.

He'd be a better option there than Hughes and J Clark for sure.

I don’t get the notion that this year was always going to be a write off. Powell has had his opportunity to influence the make up significantly.

7 players have been signed in on his watch, Matautia, Williams, Holmes, Bullock, Magoulias, Minikin and Harrison.

From memory, King, Ashton, J Clark and Waller have signed new deals on his watch.

Leaving, aside from the kids, Ratchford, Charnley, Widdop, Cooper, Philbin, Clark, Currie, Hughes, Davis and Mulhearn. That group, other than the last two , are recent GB/England internationals and are broadly considered to be the best of our squad. Any coach on the planet would love to have them at his disposal. If you could unlock the talent in that group you would have a fantastic team.

Hughes and Davis are the two that you would consider moving on, but Powell must see something in Hughes to make him captain again.

Not a write off at all. This wasn’t a knee jerk mid-season appointment, due time and consideration was given to putting the squad together.