How many are good enough to replace the current squad, sorry Rouges but if you're good enough then you're old enough. Smith isn't against promoting youth but we simply don't have the numbers in the Warrington service area and you should know that better than anyone.

Ainscough had a lot of other problems that Matty doesn't.

Evans brothers, those to should have developed a lot further than they have. Isn't tyrone Mcarthy buggering off to aus for nothing because he didn't get a proper shot. You can't blame your'e academy for not producing you have a very good one.

I agree to be fair, but when you look at their individual circumstances......Rhys has been injured off and on for a while now but who would he immediately displace in the centre / fullback / wing role? He would be behind Hodgson and Ratchford at fullback, Bridge and Atkins in centre and Monaghan and Riley on the wing. Ben has been doing well at Bradford and I personally rated Tyke as having potential but, again, who would they replace in the prop / 2nd row / loose position? They would be behind Grix, Harrison, Morely, Waterhouse, Westwood, Currie, Wood and Carvell.

If they prove to be better than 'regular' 1st teamers then Smith will play them.

They don't have to replace they can be rotated, Atkins and Bridge could have had more resting time but i know Rhys has been injured for awhile. Ben Evans should have been in front of Cooper, Morley and Carvell he is good enough and it would of helped build towards the future, as a lot will depend on Asotasi next season. McCarthy should have been getting more game time than Mike Cooper definitely he wanted out 2 season ago. Brad Dwyer and Michael Monoghan is another one has nowhere near the same impact he used to. Glen riley is it? the big prop? he should of had a lot more matches and build for the future and bring the big game players in fresh, I think Tony Smith has done somewhat of Madge in his last season at Wigan.

But it will be interesting to see what Smith does next season at Wire he has signed a lot of youngsters and not all of them are going to fit into the first 17.

With the form that he is showing at the moment I am certain that he will get a chance at the Wolves. And if he goes on to have a great season - fantastic. It can only be positive for British RL.
The fact that we are starting to produce depth is really positive. We have the forwards. We are starting to produce the outside backs.
As soon as the old guard are ditched in the halves (ie next month) we might start to give the younger players given a chance there as well.

With the right coach, I am starting to think the British RL really does have a good future, and the next World Cup (with more and more players getting experience in Aus) could be very exciting. We certainly have more talent coming through now than we did 10 years ago.

Offensively fantastic but his positioning doesn't seem to have improved. I genuinely hope Matty goes well as he is an exciting rugby league player.

Why is that? Wire's profile and status in the game is the best it's been in my lifetime and you have a rich owner, can you not work with the amateur clubs and schools more?

This has been the real positive of licencing and a 14 ream league. Plenty youngsters have been given a chance in the first team. This is because the risk of finishing bottom isn't a real problem, there are fewer top class players available per team, and there are more dead rubber games where coaches will rest senior players. Any changes to the league structure could see these opportunities for young players drying up. There's no doubt that changes need to be made, but I think it will hinder the chances if the next generation if we scrap licencing

MoM tonight

Once again great going forward but very poor on kick defence. It did not cost them tonight.

I am more than comfortable with Bowen and Hampshire next year.

We do our best and have made big strides. But you can't create in a handful of years, the rugby culture, volume of clubs and coaches and families who have had RL in their blood for generations that Wigan have got. That history and culture has been built over decades. Same in a way with Leeds and even the West Yorkshire areas like Wakey and Cas where they are real true rugby league areas.

Warrington is one of those towns where rugby league is played, its not really a rugby league town. It's much easier for us to spend a bit of money at first team level, get the right coaches and players in and be able to compete toe to toe with Wigan for trophies than it is to replicate Wigan's depth of junior rugby....we got the first team up to scratch in a few years but it will take decades to catch up with Wigan's junior rugby.

First and foremost a fullback needs to be solid in defence, to me anyway. Nowadays people seem to overlook this basic principal if the guy can chime into the line in attack. It's just another position where the fundamentals are changing.

Wingers aren't slight little speedsters anymore, more like second rowers, props don't prop up anything at the scrum, hookers don't hook the ball, scrum halves don't feed the scrum, and now fullbacks need to be a second stand off, good defence is a bonus.

And Hardaker

We now know why they signed him, Ratchford to replace Briers who has retired.

Good luck to Briers.....If only Wigan had Ratchford the Wires would be in a real crisis right now

Interesting to see how Wire will go next year,

No Morley, Hodgson or Briers. Massive pressure for Russell, Ratchford and Hill.

Big losses

Oh my God, I wish everyone would stop being so stupid and holding on to this Hardaker rumour!! It's obvious he will play centre for us!

www.sportinglife.com/rugby-leagu ... number-one Russell given number 1 shirt at Wire

www.sportinglife.com/rugby-leagu ... number-one Russell given number 1 shirt at Wire

Quote ="[Gareth"www.sportinglife.com/rugby-league/news/article/480/9024991/russell-is-number-one Russell given number 1 shirt at Wire'" Well according to this... www.foxsports.com.au/league/worl ... 6758266248 They think Matty Russell is still at the Titans

Quote ="[Gareth"www.sportinglife.com/rugby-league/news/article/480/9024991/russell-is-number-one Russell given number 1 shirt at Wire'" Well according to this... www.foxsports.com.au/league/worl ... 6758266248 They think Matty Russell is still at the Titans

Quote ="Bill Sonny"Well according to this... www.foxsports.com.au/league/worl ... 6758266248 They think Matty Russell is still at the Titans '" its the time difference

Quote ="Bill Sonny"Well according to this... www.foxsports.com.au/league/worl ... 6758266248 They think Matty Russell is still at the Titans '" its the time difference

40 years?

I agree with you about these changes in the game but like you I do think at fullback you need a player that is confident in defence. Not so much tackling, as positioning, being able to field kicks in the air or on the ground and also be able to get the ball away from the danger areas especially when he's taking the ball behind his own line and needs to escape being trapped in the in goal.

Tackling gets overrated for a fullback because they don't make many tackles and when they have to make one often the attacker has broken through and there's a 2 on 1 situation anyway. Richie Mathers is a good tackler, he is aggressive and hits players hard, he had a massive game in terms of tacking at Wembley in 2010 where he did that "hat-trick of saved tries" with his tackling on the goal line. But you would not call Mathers a good defensive fullback because he was indecisive and got out of position and in a mess when he was fielding kicks. On the other hand Kris Radlinski was a top example of a fullback with the right defensive game, he could tackle hard when he had to but his reading of the play was excellent and he was very confident when the ball was down his area, and he was great at making yards near his own line and taking the pressure off the Wigan defence. IMO he was the last real top class traditional fullback in the game.

Yea god's, how i miss watching Mr Radlinski..