Agreed. We have that depth after the 17. Plenty of competition for positions. Smith's had a full pre-season and his full focus is with us afer resigning from England duty. Should make for an exciting upcoming season from a Wire point of view.

On that premise, what do you perceive to be Smith's first choice 17?

I've given team numbers rather than squad numbers for this.

1 Mathers
2 Hicks
3 Bridge
4 King
5 Atkins
6 Briers
7 Myler
8 Morley
9 Monaghan
10 Carvell
11 Anderson L
12 Westwood
13 Harrison

14 Higham
15 Cooper
16 Wood
17 Solomona

As already said, plenty of experience outside the 17 as well. I would like to see Kev Penny really push for the no 2 shirt on the basis that Hicks is likey to leave at the end of the season and McCarthy/Grix to overtake Vinnie in the pecking order for a back row bench spot.

Sorry but for me Matty Blythe & Lee Mitchell are in no way good enough (yet)
not if we are to push on, if the team is bad enough to be able to fit these two in at the moment, then we should expect yet anouther average season

I can't see beyond the following:

1. Mathers
2. Hicks
3. Bridge
4. Atkins
5. King
6. Briers
7. Myler
8. Morley
9. Monaghan
10. Carvell
11. L. Anderson
12. Westwood
13. Harrison

14. Higham
15. Wood
16. Cooper
17. Solomona

Best "Squad" I have seen us have ever.

Pick me any other team's 24th and 25th squad members (not numbers but in order of likely selection) who have as much 1st team experience as these two.

doesn't make them good players, just meens we had no one better at the time, they were given a chance and apart from one or two nice bits of play they have not excelled at all when given a chance, just my oppinion you understand

Hodgson
hodgson
whatuira
wild
cudjoe
brown
robinson
crabtree
faiumu
mason
gilmour
faalogo
grix

finnigan
drew
raleigh
griffin

lunt
lolesi
aspinwall
horne
macgiillvary
mcnally
lawrence
patrick


lunt could easily be starting 9 or drew, apinwall could easily be starting winger or macgillvary, mcnally could easily played 6, 7 or 9, graham horne could play centres or second row as could lolesi, lawrence can play fullback or wing or centre, patrick can play second row or centre..i think hudds have an excellent squad this yr, its a good job reserves cant just be anyone or they would walmk that.

I don't think that will be our starting line up...

But I think the point is that these are probably 24th and 25th players in our squad. If you look at every other squad in SL, you would probably find that most teams are relying on real young inexperienced kids and probably none of them would be wanted by us either.

In a 25 man squad to have these two as probably our weakest players could be a lot worse.

Would you not have Liam Farrell, Shaun Ainscough and Darrell Goulding in your squad?

Not in front of Tyrone McCarthy, Chris Riley and Simon Grix no.

They are equivalent squad places I'd reckon and one of your's has never even played a first team game.

Taking out Wigan's first 17 the remainder of the squad against their equivalent in the Warrington squad are as follows:

Jon Clarke v Michael McIlorum
Vinnie Anderson v Lee Mossop
Chris Riley v Shaun Ainscough
Kevin Penny v Karl Pryce
Simon Grix v Darrell Goulding
Tyrone McCarthy v Liam Farrell
Adam Neal v Eamon O Carroll
Lee Mitchell v Chris Tuson
Matty Blythe v Josh Charnley (?)

I'd go with the Warrington option in 7 out of the 9 instances as far as worth in 2010 Super League goes. What about yourself (and we are talking worth in 2010 not 2012 or beyond).

who???????????

I look at that squad and I honestly think it's the best since I first started watching the Wire in the era of Davies, Bateman et al. If Tony Smith can't turn us into champions I honestly doubt anyone can. We've got everything in place off the pitch, an excellent playing staff and a proven winner as a coach.

I really feel enthusiastic about the new season for the first time in years because although we may not neccessarily find ourselves top and in the Grand Final, injuries permitting I truly expect us to be up there challenging for those places. Leeds and Saints have got the experience and won't be easy to topple but getting right up in the mix is all we can ask for and this squad has my confidence.

This is pretty much the same squad that got Cullen and Lowes the sack and now its the greatest Warrington side in years.

do you not think that it looks like the best squad in years?

It was always a very good squad on paper but neither of those coaches came close to realising the potential of the players they had at their disposal. Monaghan is now looking like the star we expected him to be since moving to hooker and with subtle additions like the first natural scrum half we've had as first choice seven since Langer (Johns' brief stint excepted of course) I think that makes a big difference.

Are you implying that Smith has the same coaching ability as his predecessors?

Said to you when Smith first came in that if he couldn't get us to win anything with the players we have then no one will, just didn't expect it in the his first season.

I don't think anyone did mate! The big problem last season was that after the start we had we were always way off the pace in the league but after some improvement and the Hull KR cup win we were able to target the cup as a genuinely winnable trophy. Nothing wrong with that per se as it gave the club it's greatest day in my lifetime but it did mean for that long gap between the quarter and the semi we were just waiting for Wigan and the league was almost a drawn out inconvenience.

The top eight was definitely there for the taking but given a choice between winning the cup and finishing tenth or winning nothing and finishing eighth it was a no brainer and I think many of us - fans and players alike - took our eyes off the ball a bit in the league.

This year with Smith having a full pre season and a couple of his own players in the squad I'm not expecting a repeat of last year's woeful start and that will make all the difference. No England distraction for Smith will be a bonus too.

You need to add Paul Deacon as he is listed as no. 19
I would certainly take Farrell, O'Carroll, Mossop and Goulding.

If I could guarantee a fit Karl Pryce then I'd also take him, but it's not happened in the two previous seasons and there's a rumour that he has dislocated his shoulder in pre-season training.

Charnley was the big improver IMO last season. He played really well in the reserves despite still being qualified at U18 academy.

There's no reason why King and Riley won't start as first-choice left side centre and wing. Atkins has to earn his place as he hasn't yet played for Wire at all. There were those who seemed to think Bridge would be dropped ( and would even leave!) after the Atkins announcement, so at least you haven't gone that far. The obvious 'clue' seems to be that Riley and King have 'starting line-up' shirts, while Atkins doesn't.

that means nothing whatsoever.