Hull are maxed out on overseas players though Michaels, Fonua, Tuimavave, Paleaaesina, Manu, Pritchard, Minichiello and Talanoa. Too many IMO it should be three or four max.

I've got a RL edition of The Apprentice in my head

LLS Lord Lefty Sugar
WTDP Warrington Transfer Delegation Party

Prokefiev's Romeo & Juliet plays, as WTDP enters the boardroom.

LLS "Ahhh. The brains traaaast. Sit dahhnn"

WTDP "Thank you, Lord Sugar"

LLS "Right ven. Four maanths ago, I gave you lot over free handred big un's to get Warrington sam decent players. They've been a load of old pony this year. They deserve sammat better"

WTDP "Yes, Lord Sugar. Well, we've scoured the globe, and made several enquiries to all the best available players, and....."

LLS "Cut the bull, sunshine. I've heard it from proper professionals. Who did you get?"

WTDP "Lineham and Westerman from Hull, Lord Sugar"

LLS "Stone me! I thought that Kermit, Miss Piggy and Gonzo were just Mappets. Turns out, I'm employin' 'em, to buy me ragby players. YOU BAWT 'OOOO?. LINEHAM? I'd ravver have got Des Lynham. An' Westerbleedinman. 'e was good abart 4 years ago. FREE ANDRED AND ODD FAHSAND PAHND DAHN THE BLEEDIN' PAN.. For that much, I coulda got an Ukuma Ta'ai, sam one from ve NRL, AND STILL 'ad change ...........

(he shakes his head)
......get ahhht of my office. YOU'RE FIRED.

(they shuffle out)

Free andred and odd grand. STREWF, VEY BETTER BE GOOD. Hull must be laughing their taters off"

Two good non quota players that will undoubtedly improve the squad. Couldn't care less how much we've paid. Gidley will guide this team round nicely.

My comments about splashing the cash were linked to a mentality that we could rely on a 'sugar daddy' or continual inputs of cash or 'soft loans / sponsorship' from directors (new or exisiting).

If we are making good profits then great - and I guess that's what Drapers job is linked to rather than the minutiae of the first team.

Underwhelmed.

So who should they have signed Lord Lefty, and how much should they have paid?

Maybe Peter Pan and Wendy. They've only one less International cap than the 2 Hull players, and the money we'd have saved, could be better invested.

£300k for better than average SL players.


Puts me in mind of that long running Harry (Enfield) and Paul (Whitehouse) sketch, where Enfield plays a smarmy character who flogs shabby goods to Sloane Ranger type ladies, for unbelievable amounts of money.

"I saw you coming"



I REALLY hope they do well. After all, this is my club that they're going to play for. BUT. Like WFIII posted. I am seriously underwhelmed.

We have to ask ourselves what did we show weakness in last year, what areas needed improving?

Forwards...I'm guessing treacle legs Harrison will be moved to the front row and Westerman is our new 13.

Plus Westman is a ball playing loose which improves our creative side, he's a poor mans O'Loughlin for me, that's not meant as an insult as SOL is a premier player.

When you look at next years side there is actually a lot of creativity, I'm just hoping they don't get under each others feet.

I'm quietly impressed. We seem to be building a well balanced side at this rate. Had we been stronger in depth this year in key areas, we wouldn't have been far off the pace. Everyone we have signed has strengthened our weak spots and added some much needed creativity, grunt and guidance to the side.

I understand your point but who would you have recruited (realistically ie available and within cap) when you look at it that way I take the view that it is better than I expected.

Hughes, Currie and Westerman are a mobile, hard working back three all with ball playing ability.

They will also tighten our defence considerably.

Great signing IMHO.

Im also happy with this signing.

me too.

and me

Our pack now has the following home trained players:

Hill
Clarke
.......... An Aussie
Currie
Hughes
Westerman

Forward Subs/squad
Westwood
Laithwaite
Philbin
Wilde
King G
Dwyer
Harrison
Evans B

I think that it is quite impressive. In their own way they are all pretty decent players with a lot to give, I know Westwood is in the twilight years but when he backed up properly he can still be awesome for us.

Its a good 'British' pack. We need to see more club trained players progressing in to the first team now. Its good to see most players outside of the first 17 are former academy players rather than those developed elsewhere - I'd just like to see more of them progress through now moving forward.

Looking at your list (shouldn't we have "....An Aussie" on the bench too?) I agree that we are looking fairly decent in the pack.

Never mind the signings, (hopefully Westerman can be our new Grix), with Evans coming back in after last year on the side lines, not to mention Laithwaite's injury woes we will have Wilde, Philbin, King and Dwyer with another year under their belts. This should give us more ability to spread the load, manage the game time of Harrison and Westwood and not burn Hill out and should see us more effective up front.

In my humble opinion the following are currently way off the standard of a top 4 side. I also do not care whether they are home grown or not.

Laithwaite
King G
Dwyer
Evans B
Wilde

Remember we need to compare the 2nd rowers with the likes of Liam Farrell, Joel Tompkins, Carl Ablett, LMS. Chalk and cheese.

The forum seems to be full of pre-season hopes and dreams of very average home grown players as if they are superstars. The hopes are soon dashed when, like last season, reality bites.

"Way Off" is a bit harsh in my humble opinion, particularly on the basis that all things being equal, (could we have a worse run of injuries than last?) with the exception of Dwyer, would you name all of these lads in a week in week out 17? Not really, but, what was apparent from last year, IMO it was that it wasn't the young lads that let us down.

Also, would you want J Tomkins here not for me thanks, nor LMS or next season's Ablett (another year on the clock, I'm not Mystic Meg)?

If we can't have hopes and dreams now when can we have them? If they are dashed again, we learn our lessons, regroup and move on.

LOL it happens every year. No wonder other clubs take the mickey of us. Talking up our average players as superstars.

I am not commenting about how many play at once, I am talking about the quality of each individual currently compared against those who play for the elite 4 teams in ESL. In my view they are way off.

I've heard it for years and years - the next great hope from Basil Richards onwards. Uncannily Warrington have a knack of developing players that are too slow / not creative enough for centre and too lightweight for the 2nd row.

Think of the amount who have passed through our ranks like that.

Probably true at the moment, I thought Laithwaite was progressing well very hard working and in time had all the makings of a prop, let's hope he gets over his injury, the same with prop Evans then again Injury.

King I can see him making it, Wilde was introduced very early at an age when the likes of Farrell and Tomkins were loaned out, they all need a little more time while Dwyer has to make it next season.

I can see what you mean a few injuries and we would be short on experience.

Why?

I quite like the fact we see a belting player like Chris Hill and sign him and then he plays for us.

Hughes is a runner, his decision making/execution with ball in hand is and always has been very poor. IF and it's big IF it can be sorted he would be a good back row forward.

He's a good back row forward now. He was just voted forward of the year at a club that finished in the top 4.