Think I would have kept Howarth and not bothered with Washbrook. Hope I am wrong. Liked Howarths attitude last season and saw him as a future club captain. Real pity he has been released.

me too

hope he finds another club soon

batley, kieghly or cas bound perhaps.

Showed some potential whilst here. Good passing game which compensated for his lack of physicality somewhat, his physicality can be worked on being a young lad.

Now penny has gone too we could do with a utility back able to play wing (Tongia) and also lacking that prop (James). Should see us look pretty good in 2012.

I'd have kept Howarth. Thought he did well last season.

My feelings too, Howarth was quite a creative player and i'm sure another season of first team rugby would see him significantly progress. In m opinion i'd have Howarth over Washbrook every time, but i'm sure many others don't agree

me too and everyone else i spoke to says the same........am sure Howarth was a lot cheaper than washbrook too !! jobs for the boys. Wrong decision in my opinion as i think washbrook is steady / ordinary....time will tell

I agree with the majority here i thought he was a good player, could have been a very good player with Ali and Morrison giving some experience to him. Its interesting reading twitter between Griffin and howarth though.

Griffin asking him if it was sorted, which howarth responded yeah thank god and that he was starting next week. Could be cas bound then. Though i have read somewhere that Salford was a possibility. Either way i think it will be a big loss.

Although he showed glimpses of his potential, thats all it is at the moment. I wouldn't exactly call it a big loss.

Twitter post

@StuHowarth1 Stu Howarth
Thanks for all your messages wakey fans you were great all year, and thanks to the spirit of 1873 fans group for sponsoring me!

A touch of class

He's a good lad. I wish him well.

Very surprised and I really hope that hasn't been shoved to make way for a mate???????????????????????

I thought he had too much rugby nowse for us. I'll wish him well and I am sure we will see him progress 'elsewhere'.

The way I read some of his comments on twitter, it sounds like Howarth asked the club for a release, which if that is the case puts a different slant on things.

Whilst I would have liked him to stay, he has gone now and it won't do us any favours making Washbrook a scapegoat for a decision that was nothing to do with him and Howarth himself may have initiated

Thats how i read it too. Although this is Wakefield we need some scape goats for the likes of NGB4C!

Should have kept howarth i think too, showed good potential and creativity at times. Could prove to be a mistake me thinks

Yes but [uif[/u he wanted to leave then dependent on his reasons, it may have been beyond our control. No point keeping someone whose decided his future lays elsewhere.

Whatever has happened good luck to him, should make a decent SL player

It all seems very amicable, hardly looks like he's been pushed out of the door. Maybe he just wants to be closer to home whilst he completes his studies at uni. Its a shame he's gone but we have plenty of cover in his position and the money can be used to strengthen more needy areas.

Salford bound. Good luck to him think hell turn in to a very good super league player

Have to say salford are making some decent signings so far. Could be a dark horse for the playoffs!

Washbrook / Howarth is a complete irrelevance to us IMO.

Slate me for being harsh, but... Too small to play 13 ATM (when we need it) and lacks creativity for the halves.
If we're talking number 13, why mourn SH when we have some very exciting players coming through at 13?

Enter Mr Annekin.

Best of luck to him at Salford, deserves all the credit he gets. Hopefully Annekin and Trout will step into his shoes, as they are both players who I feel could have a future in the game.

If Howarth is too small to play at L/F then Annekin certainly is.

Correct.

you know we are talking about Chris Annekin being too small for loose forward and yet Rob Burrow has proven to be one hell of a player.

I'm always a believer that size and speed and the two combined can determine where players play so why has Chris not been tried in the first team in more compact role of hooker