maybe its not a case of not keeping him, maybe he wants out

I don't, sorry.

He is our most effective prop, but 34 in September, where did that time go, I'd have thought he's a year younger and was being offered two.

However, if it's true that he's going then I'd be disappointed, but expect us to have some quality lined up, rather than our recent make do and mend/project signings.

Our succession planning has been abysmal.

I agree, when you look back at the last dozen or so years we've seen a litany of what appears to be big spending but ad hoc recruitment that's ultimately affected the squad both in terms of balance and quality

Quite a feat considering the ambition and level of investment.

I heard that Mike Cooper is off to Huddersfield. If true there won't be many players left that were here at the back end of the Tony Smith era.

Apologies. Double post

Yes, you are right.

I am now in agreement with other fans who have said that we need a Director of Rugby, who will oversee our long term needs and have some Rugby nous on the Board. (Please don`t reply saying we have Karl Fitzpatrick on the Board of Directors! )

Yes, you are right.

I am now in agreement with other fans who have said that we need a Director of Rugby, who will oversee our long term needs and have some Rugby nous on the Board. (Please don`t reply saying we have Karl Fitzpatrick on the Board of Directors! )

Saints fans on redvee are saying they wouldn't mind signing Cooper for a year or two.

I hope this is nonsense, copper is worth another year MINIMUM. He’s quite simply still our best prop, by some distance, rarely injured and nearly always plays big minutes VERY well. Having said that, given our recruitment the last 5/6 years it probably is true ffs….

Yes, Cooper gone, Apparently Powell sees him as a bad egg.
Not many getting new contracts. A complete rebuild.

I had heard we had to do a Lot to persuade him not to retire at his last extension.

I'm sad if he goes to another team as I would like for him to have ended his career with us.

If this is part of some long term plan of making sweeping changes, the squad is not championship winning material, that includes fan favourites.. we probably have 2/3 players that if they became available saints Wigan or Leeds.

If cooper goes and we sign Luke Thompson as an example then I don't think many will be unhapp? Not necessarily Thompson but someone of that calibre, I think we need two of those.tbh

1 thewlis
2 t Johnstone ooc
3 wrench
4 king
5 Ashton
,6 dean
7 Williams
8Agnatius Paasi ooc
9 walker
10 Andrew fafita ooc
11 Currie
12 p matautia / holmes
13 Reese Martin ooc

14 bullock
15 Ryan Sutton ooc
16 Harrison
17 ratchford / Clark

Add in a few squad fillers too and this side is a step closer to saints and achievable, there are a good few players who could improve us quite a lot and afford us the opportunity to give the younger players more game time

Got to be the funniest thread for many a year.
I've heard!
Rumours have it!
Here's my team. If we sign someone like Les Boyd and sign Brian Bevan.
Fantasy. Bit of fun (and nothing wrong with that) but that's all.

The Huddersfield link with MC is a rumour gaining momentum amongst those that I trust. Cant say its correct but when different folks speak similar words it may be true, some unrest with MC as he was looking for an immediate release, he and DP then had words, read into that what we will. Very sad if true.

3 different rumours on cooper then? Standard.

I think Elijah Taylor is out of contract at Salford. He has always impressed when I have seen him play. Always 100%. I would prefer him over Rhys Martin.

A lot of people on here(Including me) were calling for wholesale changes and a clear out.

Cooper leaving would certainly be a shock move and I have watched him play in Warrington colours since his teenage days, but if he is one of those players opposing the way Powell is altering our style of play, then it is the correct decision to move him on.

Can`t believe I have just typed that, but if it is best for Wire, then he has to go.

No you are right, over the years we have had some fan favourites and they go into legendary status by some. But end of day when you are trying to win something there can be no room for sentiment. We need a team that can go out and win for us.PS I still miss Briers

These are interesting times to be a Wire for sure. I guess we needed radical change rather than a few tweeks.

I think that if we were having a clear-out based purely on form, then Cooper evidently would not be one of those for the chop, as he is still performing to a high level. However, I'm hoping the club is working to a slightly longer-term strategy. DRH's proposed team above shows that we already appear well off in the backs, with our best young talent very much focused in that area. The pack, obviously, needs an extensive rebuild, and the question is, with Cooper being 34 in September, should he be part of that process? As ever, departures are one thing, but it's who you get in to replace them. Time will tell.

Does it worry anyone else that we need to make a lot of signings given our recent track record in recruitment?

We definitely need a rebuild but it's a lot in one go. Still if the trend gets bucked and we recruit well then we could be very good next season but I think it will almost certainly be a slow start in 2023 with a lot of players needing to gel and get used to each other.

Overseas players can be hit and miss, and big name players in the NRL don`t always deliver and find it hard to settle with their families in England.

Other clubs have done well with signing lesser known players with something to prove and with much lower salaries.

Maybe we need to employ a scout based in Australia with a view to our recruitment in the Pacific Islands, New Zealand and Australia

I think given the disparity in salary caps between superleague and NRL we will be doing a fair bit of shopping on these shores. There aren't too many OOC over here that would be great IMO. Trueman iis a standout but not sure where that would leave Riley dean. I'd take Rhys Martyn in a heartbeat.