I assume the move for Dufty has come about since Widdop was ruled out for the season, so if Widdop had not got injured at Magic, Cooper would still be with us?

I've been critical of our recruitment in the past and not giving the youth a go but the truth is we don't have any forwards in the academy big enough or ready to play SL yet. Therefore signing these Aussies on 2 year deals will tie us over till we are ready. You cannot really fault us bringing the young lads in this season. Thewlis, Ashton, Wrench and Dean have all featured regularly. Add to that throwing Matty Nicholson straight into the first team when he's never played SL before.

Quote ="Paul Youane"Here’s a view on Matt “the Duffer” Dufty from just a year ago https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-pr ... 61a858d519'" I'm really pleased with this signing as the article states more than once that he's "electric" and proves that we are nothing if not forward thinking at Warrington and taking global warming seriously. None of your fossil fuelled types for us it seems, although you could argue that recycling older players has green credentials

Quote ="Paul Youane"Here’s a view on Matt “the Duffer” Dufty from just a year ago https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-pr ... 61a858d519'" I'm really pleased with this signing as the article states more than once that he's "electric" and proves that we are nothing if not forward thinking at Warrington and taking global warming seriously. None of your fossil fuelled types for us it seems, although you could argue that recycling older players has green credentials

Just think of our carbon footprint, transporting NRL rejects for one last pay cheque. Greta Thunder**** will be fuming.

If you're going down the environmental route isn't Powell driving back and to over the Pennines every day too?

Not unless he's moved out of Lymm...

But you could say this about every signing we make from outside the club. Thewlis Wrench and Riley have been given new contracts suggesting the club sees a future for them. I hope we have signed Duffty and he turns out not to be a Duff(y).

https://tinyurl.com/y2yw9mph He'll be here Monday according to this Looks like he's announced it before the club

https://tinyurl.com/y2yw9mph He'll be here Monday according to this Looks like he's announced it before the club

In typical Warrington fashion, we’ll probably forget to have the charging point installed, and he’ll be rendered useless after one and a half games.

No, he lives in Lymm.

Oh, I thought he was commuting for Yorkshire each day with Peanut & Holmes ?

Quote ="Paul Youane"Here’s a view on Matt “the Duffer” Dufty from just a year ago https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-pr ... 61a858d519'" It sounds like they were very excited about what he could do with the Bulldogs. How did he perform, did he live up to these expectations? Why are they looking to move him on after a year? If he does well here he wouldn't be the first NRL player with flaws to be very successful in SL, but I don't particularly get great vibes from this and it feels like a lot of our recent signings where we're paying big money to give a lifeline to an Aussie player who wants a big contract but can't get one in the NRL, and they haven't turned out to be successful.

Quote ="Paul Youane"Here’s a view on Matt “the Duffer” Dufty from just a year ago https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-pr ... 61a858d519'" It sounds like they were very excited about what he could do with the Bulldogs. How did he perform, did he live up to these expectations? Why are they looking to move him on after a year? If he does well here he wouldn't be the first NRL player with flaws to be very successful in SL, but I don't particularly get great vibes from this and it feels like a lot of our recent signings where we're paying big money to give a lifeline to an Aussie player who wants a big contract but can't get one in the NRL, and they haven't turned out to be successful.

Playing next week against Giants according to Sky

Powell says he sees him as an out and out fullback. Hasn’t considered him playing at 6. Presumably that means Thewlis will be mainly on the wing in 2023.

Well, he's going to have to score more than he lets in. And that's not going to be easy for him with both the amount of line breaks we are allowing the opposition to make, and also the lack of penetration with our own attack.

Dufty says fans either love or hate him. I hope he realises that being at the back of a very poor Warrington defence could have most fans on his back straight from the off.

We'll see I guess...

Well with all the transfer activity you can't say the board aren't backing Powell.

I am rather perplexed though and can't see the overall strategy and how the existing players and new players fit together as a team.

It's easy to see we've got a big pack and smaller nippier backs but how Powell plays the younger players will be interesting to see.

Our back row had better start firing.

Ratch is not a no. 6/7. He's a full back for me, but then we buy Dufty and he's down to play in a week.....

No, can't see the overall strategy.
Powell obviously has one.
Let's see (hope?)

Unless Dean kicks on we still won't have an effective kicking game IMO. Ratchford I like but he's never been able to control a game and Williams the same really.

I see the strategy as, smack em up the middle and have whippets out wide.

I'm against Ratch at 6 or was until I'm now thinking Dufty has the pace to join in an attack more than Ratch. With Williams running the show, Ratch is the "just pass it" guy who can still do the odd special thing if the play is broken.

Ratch doesn't seem to strike me as a guy with an ego. He's a yard behind where he was but he's a good veteran and has good game knowledge.

In short an orrible pack, pace in the backs and a intelligent half

Perhaps a season loan move to Wakefield next season?

Already plenty of rumours about Lino moving elsewhere and surely Miller has put up with them enough at this point.

Either way, he'd be in a top Championship team where he might not have to be relied on as much because the team is good enough anyway. Or he'll be in a Super League side every week and gaining valuable experience. I could say the same about Toulouse depending on who might be coming or going. For me, both would be good options.

On the current options for squad selection, I do agree that Ratchford is a better Fullback. But given his age/experience, and experience in the halves over the last decade, he should really be better than what he's shown.

Perhaps he hasn't really bothered too much to manage games because he doesn't know what his place is with so many changes to the starting 13? Although, I don't fully buy that, there could be an element to it of not being settled.

I'd like to think that with 8 games to go, we can start to get players settled now. Dufty at FB, Thewlis on the wing, Ratchford in the halves, along with Harrison and Mikaele contributing to a better pack. And Bullock looks like he's really trying to lock down a spot before 3 new lads come in. I'd start him over Mulhern alongside Harrison for the next game personally.

Dufty could be the Sandow-like signing missed. He did join us mid-season in 2015 and couldn't get anything going but the season after, we had our Briers replacement at last. I think we have the squad to make playoffs. We only need to swing 4-6 points out of 16 available. Even if we don't I'm confident for next season.

I think Dufty will go really well for you. Might not see the best of him this year due to where you're at but he's a super attacking player - quick, good step and has a brilliant flat long pass in attack. His defence isn't the best but he won't be as exposed in SL as he has been sometimes in the NRL, and anyway I don't think its as bad as some make out.

Re his attitude I think a lot goes back to how he left the Dragons - he was still going pretty well but Griffin clearly didn't want him. The move to the Dogs was at the worst possible time, as they were utterly awful until Barrett got the chop. I imagine him leaving has a lot to do with making cap space for the rebuild that's underway under Phil Gould.

Anyway, SL needs more exciting players and hopefully Dufty will be one of them.

Well it's been an unprecedented SL season of comings and goings, which, now the deadline has passed, has come to an end. If we can pick up a win tonight, and against Toulouse, then that should help to remove some anxiety on and off the pitch. We need some continuity and an improvement in our performance, but getting the points in those two games is far more important. Doesn't look like Thewlis will get to play at FB any time soon, which is a pity, but if Dufty helps to make him a better player for the future and makes us a better team for the here and now, then fine.

Hopefully Thewlis on the wing - that's if Powell actually picks him ahead of his mate Minikin.

He has so far.

Thewlis at full back tonight. Minikin on the wing.