Is it actually confirmed that we're not adding another prop option? I didn't think we were signing any second-rowers until last week's news.

You can argue our front row is weaker than it has been for a while, but then we'll have to see how we fair when all our options are fit. I don't see any weaknesses at hooker, second row or loose. In fact our first-choices in all forward positions would walk in to most top SL teams. Our back-up props are Harrison, Bullock, Butler and at a push Hughes and J Clark. That back-up seems no worse (and certainly a lot better) than most of our SL teams in the SL era up to 2008. I wouldn't give it much hope under Price but we'll see how Powell plays it.

Pretty sure Gee was in the VDV era and both Nutley and Nikau had returned home prior to Anderson’s failed recruitment strategy. Included were Matt Sturm, Dean Busby, David Bates, Dale Laughton and Paul Noone.
Sid Domic and Darren Burns worked hard to hold it together.

Well, after 7 pages and most people having seemingly written him off before he's even set foot on English soil based on a highlights reel and no other knowledge of him whatsoever........welcome to Warrington Billy, all the best for your time in the primrose & blue.

For sure Daryl Clark is better than Jon Clark.

But the front row options were better: Fozzard, Hilton, Wood, Laughton.
Back row was Burns, Guisset and Domic with Noone and Marquet on the bench.

If we could reincarnate the 2002 pack in 2022 I would take Fozzard, Hilton, Wood, Burns and Domic straight away. Probably would have taken a shot on Noone for the bench.

I'd also take Briers and Nat Wood over Widdop and Williams.

And I'd take Blair over Boris, Battle Royale over Squid Game and Atomic Kitten over Little Mix.

Nostalgia eh.

Talking nonsense regarding Atomic Kitten

Hilton and Noone? Crikey. The former was the very embodiment of average and the latter managed to single-handedly make Andrew Johns look limited....which was some effort.

Ah well…at least we agree on Blair over Boris !

I absolutely understand comparing our current pack against the opposition. I can’t see any point in comparisons between our current pack and one from a few years ago. What are the criteria? Who is the judge? Which rules do you play under?
Whatever conclusion you reach you can rest assured you will never be proved wrong.

I think we will just have to accept the pack issues will not be solved in 1 off season recruitment cycle. Powell has his hands tied behind his back until the Price players have come off contract and vacated. The Saints squad (surely our benchmark aspiration) wasnt assembled in 1 season, it was the culmination of astute signings and youth development over a sustained period. For next year for us to be anywhere near the top we have to over achieve and other teams under perform quite dramatically. However we may have the comfort of feeling like we are on a positive journey compared to the last 5 years of decline.

I predict some tough decisions going forward for Powell as our pack has some glaring vacancies and some crowd favourite undroppables are not delivering enough value. I include Currie and Philbin in that group on 2021 form.

For the avoidance of doubt I would have Fozzard or Paul Wood over Hughes promoted to prop in any era, under any rules, and subject to any judgement.

It is possible to hold the simultaneous positions of wishing him well and welcoming him to the club whilst being a little non plussed by the highlights reel. Highlight reels need to wow and enthuse, they would have been better not releasing it.

There's a report in the warrington guardian suggesting no further new signings are expected for 2022.

I feel sorry for Powell, he has to show improvement on prices performances with a weaker squad. I do think he will achieve that in terms of getting more out of the players but it's such a shame he didn't have the squads that have been absolutely wasted under Steve Price for the past 3 seasons.

Out: Hill, Austin, Mamao, Lineham, Inglis, Akauola.
In: Williams (full season), Holmes, Mata'utia, Bullock, Magoulias, Harrison, Minikin.

Hill was always going to be a tough act to follow but, if everyone was fit, that doesn't look like a weaker squad to me - just a different balance.

We need the pre-injured players to recover well and for Bullock to buck the trend* and turn into a top forward for us.


*previous signings of Wigan forwards that were not retained by them. (Hughes, Crosby, Kibula)

WIlliams (in) >>> Austin (out)
Lineham (out) > Minikin (in)
Mata'utia (in) = Mamo (out)
Lineham (out) > Minikin (in) Disciplinary issues aside
Holmes (in) > Inglis (out) purely based on 2021 season obviously!
Harrison (in) > Sita (out) tbh basing that purely on the assumption Harrison can be effective for more than 15 mins per game
Hill (out) >>> Bullock (in)
Magouslias (in) > better depth

I think in terms of numbers we probably have more depth than the start of 2021 thanks to the emergence of Longstaff & Wrench and further development of Thewlis, you'd expect them to improve again in 2022.

But prop options are obviously weaker. Cooper will stand up as always but Philbin needs to find that 2019 form and Mulhern needs to continue improving - thought he was decent towards the end of last year. Bullock I'm really not sure about, hopefully a new environment will do him good, but I wish he was a 5th prop option rather than part of the 4 rotational. Saints with Walmsley, Leeds (Oledski/Prior/Tetevano), Hull (Satae/Sao/Taylor/Evans) look far stronger.

However, we need to see how Powell plays the game before we hit the panic button, we're looking much more mobile, I guess we will play quick and look to promote the ball - at least we will be entertained!

For a good 2+ years he was left by our weak/absent leadership to absolutely squander a squad that was the 2nd best in the league, certainly the most expensively assembled, and should have done so much better.

Not only will Powell have to fix the obvious pressing problems now, we also have ageing players that will need to be replaced during his appointment such as Ratchford and Cooper. Furthermore we will be after a top halfback for 2023 too.

The good news is that Powell accepted the job knowing this.

With change comes opportunity.

I'm hoping Butler comes to the fore next season. He was excellent at London and I thought he'd be a new Hill but just didn't seem to get going. Hopefully Powell can get the best out of him again. That will be like a new signing if so. I think Harrison is the Hill replacement signing - which is a shame he's got a bad injury before even joining us.

Going back to the OT - I like this signing - we've tended to do better when signing younger Aussies looking for a chance - Mackey, Domic etc all came over with little fanfare and did the business for us. Also the likes of Bob Jackson were unheralded at the time.

The return of the Reserves should help in terms of prepping players to come through rather than just farming them out.

Agreed, we are likely to need it for players returning from long term injuries as well!

In all honesty regarding recruitment the signing of Williams gives me good cause for optimism, he's a fantastic player. In Williams and widdop we have the best half back pairing in superleague on paper IMO. Just need the pack to be a better overall unit to give them the platform to do their thing. I'm sure powell will allow them more freedom in plays and make sure there are other players actually looking to support breaks.

Would anyone else be up for giving Thewlis the no 1 shirt in 2022 and using Ratchford as more of a utility player? Nice vote of confidence in an outstanding young player and a bit of a ‘changing of the guard’ statement of intent

I think Ratchford`s contract with Wire expires at the end of 2022.

Thewlis is ready now and I agree give him his chance and use Ratchford as required within the 17 man squad.

Ratchford with the 8 shirt then

Possibly the only position he hasn't played for us!

Joking apart and pardon the pun, but I'm looking forward to seeing how Mulhearn goes this year under Powell and without Hill. I think (probably hope is more accurate) he's got a chance of stepping up and taking on a bit more of a responsible leading role.

BTW J Clark 9/10 Roberts 7/10 Mulhearn 6/10 what was that all about

Starting shirts should be given on performances rather than potential. I thought Thewlis had a very good year last year on the wing and merited his selection as a starter even when Lineham returned.

I haven't seen from him yet that he deserves to start at full back ahead of Ratchford, although I hope he is given first opportunity if Ratchford is unavailable due to injury / moving to the halves to stake a claim.

Saddened!