Echo this post.

We all knew it was coming but it doesn’t make it any easier.

Great servant to the club and his efforts on and off the pitch will be missed.

Very astute signing by Wire and I wish him every success just not against us.

Vastly underrated player who owes us nothing and will help change the culture at Warrington.

Agreed to those comments -great servant to this club on and off the pitch.
Hope he goes well at Wire.

Good luck to him. He owes us nothing and has gone out in the best way. As fans we don’t see the day to day stuff and all you hear about him is hugely positive. I’m excited for 2024 but if there is one worry, it’s that we’ve lost a couple of lads you’d describe as ‘the glue’ that holds things together in the middle in Powell and Smithies and that’s not ideal.

Seems like someone at Warrington did the dirty on Wigan last night. Officially announced by Wigan at 8pm which would have been agreed prior with Warrington. However someone decided to take a picture of Sam in a wire kit at some sort of launching event just after 7pm which was then posted on social media.

Wigan then get a bit of a kicking from their own supporters.

At the end of the day you can't defend stupidity and this is all down to Wire. Either this was a genuine mistake or another way of trying to get one over on us.

They are a small club with small club mentality

I agree, this has Kirkpatrick written all over this.

Sure we’ll get the story soon how we wanted to sign him on a 3 year deal on marquee and he came to his senses and signed for wire as 2024 is their year

It was hardly a shock, it seems odd that a player that who was never rated whilst at Wigan suddenly becomes a literal poster boy for Warrington. I hope it works out for him.

They really are a weird club, I mean talk about back to front.

Why announce your squad numbers (with Sam Powell missing off the list) a couple of hours before announcing the Sam Powell signing.

Basic, basic stuff.

I wish him luck and he can leave with all due respect

Was it an event that was open to the public?

You always run that risk if the rumoured player visits the club prior to the official announcement.

Pretty sure something similar happened with Tyler Dupree.

It's the fact he's dressed in full Wire kit. You'd think they would have waited a few minutes after 8pm to announce.

I think the point is that Wire had no control over a fan taking his pic and then posting it. They could have kept him out of sight until 8pm I suppose, but I just think it was unfortunate rather than a planned event

I was all for him leaving before it happened, but having second thoughts now. To rip Smithies, Powell and KPP out of this year's team leaves massive holes in the side, particularly defensively. All three were trojans in defence during our run in. Peet at al will have work to do, I feel.

With the ball, we know what we can do, but it's the other side that worries me.The swaps of Keighran for King, Leeming for Powell and Walters for KPP are downgrades defensively. I hope I'm totally wrong though.

That's what I was trying to say. He should have not been allowed into the room until after 8pm.

But they are upgrades offensively.

It looks like Leeming was the only signing made out of choice. Its not a cert that he'll be an improvement on Powell but I think it was the right decision to try and freshen things up at #9 - Leeming and O'Neill should do that over the next few years.

Keighran, Walters and Thompson are signings made out of necessity not choice. If Smithies, KPP or King had decided to stay then they likely wouldn't have been recruited. That being said, I think they were the best signings we realistically could expect as replacements although I have my doubts on whether they'll be improvements.

Can't wait to see Walters . Think he is better than Paul especially in attack. If we get the Thompson of old then we arenin a good place. Keighran is on par with king if not better.Leeming gives us a hooker that can run from dummy half and is quite quick something Powell didn't do. Him and O'Neil should be a great combination of hookers

I think it's an untypically sensible and astute signing by us, and from what you guys are saying, it appears he's the type of bloke that will be good for the club culture too. When I watched Wigan on TV at the back end of last season, I thought they often looked better when Powell was on the field. I agree with you, though, that it's the right time for him to move on, given your other options at hooker, so probably a good deal all round.

Strange that Powell is still front and centre on the WW home page. I thought the media team would have removed that picture equally as quickly as the Warrington media team were dressing him up in their colours.

Someone at the club must have read this - the player profiles now has LF front and centre.

The juggernaut that is Wigan simply didn't have room for a passenger, shame the Wigan "Faithfull don't appreciate what a good presence he has been for the club " sad to read the comment's.

He has been a good presence for the club you're right, however as always our club are always looking at positions to improve in.

That's the difference between a club aiming to challenge for silverware and a club that regularly wins silverware.

My comment was aimed at Karl Fitzpatrick. The guys a fool and one of the reasons Wire is a joke

What comments are “sad to read”?

Dont see any saying anything other than he’s been a very good servant to the club.