Problem was that Widdop +AN Other wasn't working either , even behind a "better" pack - so had we been in the same situation now, but without Williams - then he'd be touted as our missing link/missed opportunity/lack of boardroom ambition etc.

True but Williams is 27. Signing him will prove to be a good decision long-term, I think.

Next year, we will probably be without Widdop and have more cap space to make a balanced squad. We can do this with a talented young half back and an international in his prime in the halves.

Ageeed. Widdop out and 2 good props in would help greatly.

A name like Johnathon Davis adds 1k on a gate, Williams, Widdop and Clark combined don’t add a bakers dozen to the gate….just in case that is what our owners are thinking.
No player is bigger than our club.

Jonathan Davies, get his name right.

You don’t know the people on here. Some may have learning difficulties, with others a typo or old age. If you understand, then be a nice person and go along with it.

Andrew Johns?
Greg Inglis?

To be honest, we probably could have done that even with Widdop and Williams.

We didn't need Minikin or Holmes*, and we shouldn't have re-signed J Clark. Put that money into two props and we'd be in a much better position.

*I like Holmes but he's not what we need right now.

Totally agree with this. Although we don't appear to have been a quality prop magnet for some years now, and I wonder if we could have tempted any to come (if they were available).

J Clark has been mentioned. Nurse…..get my medication!!!!!

Lovely bloke, great clubman, but Jesus what a waste of a good wage and an overseas slot. What even IS he?

We didn't need Matautia either, and he's been as useful as a bar in a convent.

Whoever recommended him should never be involved in this club ever again.

Johns May have added a short lived jump from people within the game that heard of him, but outside of rugby league in the UK, he and Inglis were like…”who?”
Davies was a nationally known premium A lister sport personality, hugely different to a couple of NRL stars.
Davis pulled interest at both Widnes and Warrington that filled the grounds.
(Vaguely sure we went through safety cheeks to get our attendance level higher for him.)

And the winner in the category 'Best Original Oxymoron' goes to.................................

Genius, made me smile

Always a pleasure, sometimes.

I didn't include him as we needed to spend money on a centre anyway but yeah, should have just kept Mamo.

We didn`t need to sign a centre.

Conor Wrench was in the England squad last season.

He needs to play regularly at centre for Wire now.

He's played a handful of games for us and was only in the England squad due to many, many, many players being injured / unavailable. He's 20 years old and has proven himself a good option to stand in for King / Mata'utia when they are injured. There are also areas of his game that need some work, he's not ready yet to be starting centre for a club with top 4 aspirations, but certainly has good potential - like Thewlis and Longstaff his time will certainly come.

We did for depth reasons, whether you think Wrench is ready or not.

If he was on the books of St Helens, Leeds or Wigan he would be playing regular Ist team football.

Wire have been far too conservative in blooding their young talent.

Newman, Welsby and Dodd are playing in Super League in a starting 13 position.

By playing their junior players early, it allows Salary Cap room for other players in their teams, which is an issue at Warrington.

I don't disagree with your point in the main, we are generally slow to blood younger players and you are correct if you can have a couple of well performing 20 year olds in the 17, it does make the salary cap easier to manage.

Age shouldn't be the consideration in the players you mention though - quality should. Welsby and Newman I would say were well ahead of Wrench in terms of potential and ability when they came in to the team, both looked first team ready from the start, Wrench hasn't in my view.

The Warrington example I would use is Ben Currie, he was a regular in the 17 when he was 19, but looked the part straight away.

I think our problems in youth development aren't down to not blooding players early enough, its getting the quality of player throught the system which has been the issue.

Spot on this thewlis and longstaff look most ready for us. Wrench wasn't great for his first few appearances, so he is likely to take a bit longer.

I liked the look of Riley Dean when price made wholesale changes (which didn't work) the week before the cup semi against Salford, the trouble is Williams and Widdop need game time to develop their partnership and throwing Dean on behind what at the minute is a failing pack is sort of throwing him to the wolves. I'd like to see if he can take Widdop shirt next year but we have to be able to give him some space to work in first.

Yes, Thewlis had his breakthrough year last year at 18 - I would have been more than happy for him to have been first choice winger this year, was a little disapointed he went for Ashton to be honest, but I've been proven wrong - Ashton has had a good start to the year.

Dean needs a chance, Powell seems to talk him up a little more than Price did, hopefully he gets a chance at some point. Would be a ballsy decision for Powell to run with Thewlis & Dean as first choice next year, with Ratchford sticking around to provide support.

It`s all a matter of opinion with regards players. I think that Conor Wrench is ready for 1st team football and his game at Wigan last year showed off his talent to every one.

By signing Matautia the passage to the 1st team at Wire for Wrench, has effectively been blocked, since Matautia was brought here by Powell.

A young Ben Currie was omitted from our 17 man squad for one of our Grand Final games but a young Jack Welsby scored the winning try for Saints.

If Welsby had been on Warrington`s books do you honestly think we would have played him in a Grand Final as a teenager?

Sam Wilde and dec patton started the 2016 grand final for us (nobody go look at the bench for that, it'll give you nightmares)

just re matautia and wrench, if we're picking games, wrench was all at sea defending against matautia in that sky game at the back end of last year at wheldon road.