Until Wrench returns from his injury, I suspect Powell will play Ratchford at left centre.

NURSE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can`t see Powell playing anyone else there, unless we sign another centre, and since we are after a NRL halfback, the new centre signing would have to be Non-Quota.

As we are looking to sign Wardle, we are obviously looking to fill the left centre position.

With a half back and a centre being chased, plus Dufty, its looking like Ratchford will play the utility role most people hoped he would when he signed his new deal. Hopefully we can get two more signings over the line.

I would have liked to sign Wardle too, but with the communication from Huddersfield about him, then that deal doesn`t look very promising.

If we do sign a centre, and it`s not Wardle, I expect it will be a low profile recruit, possibly from the Championship?

Wrench is expected to play there, when he is back from his injury

Huddersfield clearly weren’t happy, but I can’t see Wardle going back there, it might take a transfer fee now, but I’m still hopeful

Just read a post on the Wigan site from a Hull FC fan saying that there maybe a player exchange deal between Hull FC and Huddersfield, with Jake Connor back to Huddersfield and Wardle moving to Hull FC.

Maybe Tony Smith wants rid of Connor?

Adam Clune isn’t great for me, too slow.

I’d love to see us make a play for a Brodie Croft. Salford are always likely to accept a decent transfer fee

Brodie Croft will be back in the nrl within the next 12 months, it's pointless. Agree about Clune though, bang average player who can't even get a game for a terrible Newcastle team.

Jake Clifford would be a better option from the Knights

Now that Holmes has left, I suppose it does leave the door open now to bring in a centre and hopefully a half back, time will tell! Wrench will miss a large proportion of the year given his serious injury and I would prefer we brought in a skilful out & out centre rather than putting Ratchford there or a second rower.

1. Dufty
2. Ashton
3. Mata’utia
4. ?
5. Thewlis
6. Williams
7. ?
8. Vaughan
9. Clark
10. Dudson
11. Currie
12. Nicohlson
13. McGuire

14. Kasiano
15. Walker/Ratchford
16. Bullock
17. Harrison

Few rumours circulating about Gildart and Drinkwater coming in, I’d be pretty satisfied if we did bring them two in. As usually we are leaving it until last minute to compete our recruitment

I wonder if Holmes moving on is to accomodate Gildart? And Drinkwater squashed the rumours about coming to us. Unless like Bodrick it is just a cunning plan to throw us off the scent

Be very interesting to see what happens in the next few weeks

I have a feeling Powell might use Harrison in the backrow alongside Currie, he was using him there at the end of the year and sure I read something somewhere about Powell liking him there. Mikaele I expect to be bench prop ahead of Bullock, but if Bullock can maintain the form he was showing at the end of 2022 he might be in with a chance of getting in ahead of someone - nice to see some real depth there.

If we have the cap space to bring in a quality 6 & 4 then we are looking ok I think. I'd rather keep our powder dry if the right player isn't available though and see who becomes available as the year progresses, they always do. Even with a new centre the depth there doesn't look great (especially until Wrench is fit), although I suppose Minikin could play there at a push

1 Dufty (Ratchford, Thewlis)
2 Wrench (Minikin, Lynch)
3 Mata'utia (Darbyshire)
4 ?????? (Wrench)
5 Ashton (Thewlis, Thewlis)
6 ?????? (Dean)
7 Williams (Heyes)
8 Dudson (Mikaele, Bullock, Thomas)
9 Clark (Walker)
10 Vaughan (Kasiano, Philbin, Redecliffe)
11 Currie (Nicholson)
12 Harrison (Holroyd)
13 McGuire (Harrison, Nicholson)

The club are speaking to Kyle Laybutt (PNG #7) as a potential half or centre, but I believe he's holding out for a deal from the Cowboys having been on a training contract with them.

On another thread I noticed someone mentioned we're looking to the Championship for a centre. I know the club have spoken to Ryan Shaw a few times, but that's going back at least 8 weeks now. He would be a cheap option as cover.

Wasn’t Ryan Shaw one of our own? Pretty sure he was, going back a few years.

I think Laybutt has shown up okay, and he was good the other night, but surely there are younger guys who are knocking on the NRL door and would happily take up a 1-2 year option with us? I thought Doueihi was a good option after seeing him against NZ. Not sure about his long kicking game or organisational skills though.

Laybutt is a 6 isn't he?

And yes Ryan Shaw was one of ours Cumbria lad, Ben Harrison's best mate, hut he's a winger by trade, a decent goal kicker though

Laybutt can play pretty much everywhere according to his profile, but he played 6 against Tonga the other day. My only concern is that he’s 27 and has played two NRL games. I’m not sure Dean or Hayes would be any less of an option in that case. But Powell must have seen something in him.

He has a highlights reel on YouTube and looks good in both defence and attack. Therefore, based on a good highlight reel, I can only come to the conclusion that he will be a total letdown and fail to show any effort.

Seems a move for Drinkwater in the halves is looking more likely, with Catalan suggesting he can find another club.

That left centre spot is concerning me a little however, with no quota spot available, Gildart looking like he is staying in the NRL by moving to the Dolphins; it looks like slim pickings unless we can pull a signing out of left field. However, I wouldn't have thought we have massive cap space to tempt a SL based player over mid contract with a transfer fee? Plus we have Leeds & Catalan also looking at centre options, Leeds I think have no quota spaces either and need 1 centre, Catalan are looking for 2 centres I think and have two quota spots available with the release of Drinkwater, so potentially they will be looking to the NRL for replacements.

Losing out on Wardle looks like a big miss for us, not sure who else could be available from SL....?

I think Ratchford will play at left centre if the Drinkwater signing happens. I think if we sign Drinkwater that will be it for signings and we'll just use the current players that we have. Unless we had money for a half and Holmes moving on has given us enough cap space for another signing, even if it's just a loan signing from somewhere.

Gildart has signed for the Dolphins in 2023 so that ship has sailed, we still need cover in that position after the loss of King & a long term injury to Wrench.

It`s looking highly likely that Wrench will be playing left centre for us, when he recovers from his injury, and he needs to play there, at this stage of his career.

If we had signed Gildart, it would have blocked Wrench`s path to play centre for Wire, until Matautia left.

Although Ratchford can play centre(Which will be Powell`s initial choice I think), we also have Minikin, who is available to play there too.

We should have an indication soon enough, don’t the squad numbers get announced at the kit reveal/fireworks display?

I keep forgetting about Minikin. I think it's something to do with my brain suppressing the memory to protect me from pain.

We have god promising young second rowers coming through who can also do a job at centre both roles are very similar in the modern game there’s Holroyd , Nicholson and Currie could all play the role and I would keep Ellis Longstaff who could also fill both roles other super league clubs do it covering injuries Watkins at Salford played second row all year for Salford then centre for England Bateman and Isa at Wigan both played a number of games at centre