I can see why a comparison is raised with us (Wire) last season, new coach, new players, new style etc. The difference is though in the season before we had any number of decent players underperforming under TS (for whatever reason). When you look at all the class and experience you have lost over the last few seasons a period of adjustment is inevitable. Don’t think it will be too long before you see improvement though.

pay them off, warrington did with a few players in 2015, chris bridge and joel monaghan were paid off with a 2 years/ a year left on their contracts. we felt at the time that the squad needed an overhaul going into 2016.

But you know Warrington, [iWhat salary cap ?[/i

Well, wherever we can I think we need to make final decisions on the future of about half our squad by the end of this season, rip the plaster off and then get moving forward again. It's easy for us speccies to demand change when we don't see the players behind the scenes, but we can't carry on keeping a squad of nice Championship standard players and expected to get much out of a SL season. The fringe players still have an opportunity to train hard and stake a claim for a place beyond 2019.

Its not a case of throwing the younger lads in then expecting an instant turn around.
Its about getting minutes into them when the pressure is at its lowest.
Ward aside Cam Smith is better than any other BR we had playing.
Then Holroyd could come in for bench spot freeing Merrin up for a BR spot instead of Sutcliffe

Warrington will do what they did to us and by more to a few teams this season at home, they look like a quality outfit again this year.

I think it will take 6-8 games in before we can realistically see how we are faring as a team and squad. As well as the new players it will take Furner time to adapt to coaching in SL. Throwing kids in at this point is knee jerk and will do more harm than good.

For me though we need to play Merrin either at Loose or Back Row, flogging him at prop does him and the team no favours, he can play 80 minutes but not at prop. I hope Crosby is fit for next week.

Walker looks to have bulked up a fair bit and look strong in collision! And it will take Watkins a bit of time to get back into full swing

Anyway for Wigan I'd go

Walker
Briscoe
Watkins
Hurrell
Handley
Tui
Myler
Cuthbertson
Parcell
Crosby
Ward
Smith
Merrin

Dwyer
Sutcliffe/Donaldson
Singleton
Oledski


We are definitely light in the pack as everyone knows but I think we will need to play around them like saints did on Thursday

Merrin absolutely needs to be playing BR and not prop.
We would have been better playing JJB at prop with Merrin in for Sutcliffe.
Smith should be in the 17 and Holroyd against the lesser teams although at the minute that`s us, Huddersfield and Wakefield!
We used Hurrel more of a prop than any of our chosen props on Saturday which is a concern.
Hall last year now Hurrel this year

To suggest giving the kids a chance isn't knee jerk its purely thinking longer term & reward for their Form.
Smith Trout & Holroyd have ALL produced consistently & deserve a chance.
Completely agree re-Merrin mate.

some real knee jerk overreactions on here, anyone would think we lost by 50 not 26-6, they won the game with a 20 minute hot spell, we were not far off in the other 50-60 mins. I was disappointed was expecting it to be closer.

But we need to get out of the mentality that we can just offload 5-10 players, firstly its not the 1980s you cannot just say in the offs season sorry your not wanted next year clear your locker, and secondly you have to replace the players you get rid off, yes some will come through academy but only 2-3 a year at best not 5-6. then you have to either pay transfer fees or get out off contact players, and if the quality we want is not available were a bit stuck. recruitment and retention policy has bee poor for last 2-3 years and it will take 2-3 years to put right. we have essentially brought in 6 players since bask end of last season/offs season and 5-6 have gone, i would expect 4-5 more to come and go for next season then maybe 2-3 for 2021 season.

But everyone calm down its one moderate loss against the favorites in the first game of the season, see where we are after 10-12 games and i bet we are on an upward trajectory.

Agree some, disagree some.
Hurrell won't last the season if he's used the way he was the other night.
JJB was dog rough talking on sky on the thursday, he sounded like Denis Betts. I'd have been amazed had he been picked at prop or anywhere else. Not sure where Peteru was - injured? Maybe Merrin will be relieved of propping duties if/when one or both are available.
Youngsters - Furner may wish to get his first choice squad functioning properly before embarking on projects. This is, to me, understandable.

I've not seen much comment about Lolohea. I've not seen him before & wondered what Jordan Tansey was doing back at 6. I thought he was poor defensively first half & was pretty anonymous otherwise.

Well for Ablett he was looking at retiring last year and moving to aus. If he isn’t playing this year and we have early notice I think he would retire.
Cuthbo will be 34, one year left. Offer retirement with a coaching paythway as he is already doing the ladies team.
Lilley - he walks or he sits and doesn’t play, strikes me he would walk and pick up a championship team.
L Sutcliffe is the most difficult but I think somebody would take him if he was available and we weren’t seeking a fee or swap.
Peteru- if he stayed wouldn’t be end of the world but you offer him out and see if you get any interest.

Even without the above we have enough cap for what I mentioned in earlier post.

I can’t see any knee jerk? I am not suggesting we get rid now, not even suggesting we change the team. Suggesting it’s a 2-3 year project, we know what we need but they weren’t available this summer.
We can offload 7 players next summer as they are OOC. I am well aware how a contract works and you can’t just rip them up. However, we will be thinking now who might we want to let go at the end of the year and having convos with people we might want to being in.

I don’t expect much from the season as it’s obvious we have limitations, everybody can see them. We go as best we can with what we have and we recruit well for the following season.

The original point was dropping 3-4 young lads in might harm more than help them. I would argue that is more of a knee jerk.