Gerry Helme was a great player who had all the skills in attack, defence and organisation. Jack Edwards was also a superb all round half back but Gerry played behind a better pack for most of his career. When Jackie came along many of the great early fifties pack had retired and, within a short time Harry Bath, the baby faced assassin, went back to Australia. Cec Mountford who had enjoyed great success with someone else's team never succeeded in putting together a great pack again although some talented forwards came and went.and this led us into a period of mediocrity that was to last for twenty years.
The same could be said of Bobby Greenough and Parry Gordon. If Murphy hadn't come along with his 70's panzer pack Parry Gordon, as good as he was, could well have finished his career trophy less.
History has repeated itself to a certain extent with Tony Smith most of the players he coached were signed by someone else but I am hard pushed to think of many players signed during his period in charge who are of the standard required at a club that Warrington aspires to be.Several of them were total selling platers on a big wedge
I am a great believer in the old adage that packs win matches. Backs decide by how much. For several years now we have needed a pack leader like Adrian Morley but we get someone like Sims.
Looked the part, talked the part but would be better in Rugby Union where forwards run up to the opposition line, turn round and offload. A complete Mary Ann in my opinion who got himself banned on several occasions for some stupid cheap shots a la Bailey and he was one of the better antipodean signings. Asotasi has got to be the worst signing I can remember in over sixty years of Wire watching.
Of course we have signed some good players like young Curry for instance but, overall, I would say recruitment under TS was not good enough.
There I have got one of my big moans of my chest. Perhaps something for RD to chew on.

Get in touch with Karl Fitz as he is big on nostalgia it seems. I think the club would love to do something for him in recognition of his contribution and his birthday.

Here’s a pack of Chewit Lads


Ali Brindle
Roy Pickersgill
Tony Cooke
Harry Major
Harvey Howard
Billy Major.

“Goodnight Vienna”

Ali Brindle was a no nonsense No.10. He was unspectacular but had the *engine* and never stopped working. My abiding memory of him was a match vs St Helens when John Mantle(rip) took an almighty swing at him. Ali saw it coming out of the corner of his eye and ducked just in time. He didn't connect but the draught made him a bit dizzy. I lived in Burtonwood for some years and used to see Ali in the post office collecting his cash. He spotted me one day outside the HJ and stopped for a chat. He must think I'm an ex player(I'm not)

That’s brilliant thank you very much. He often tells me stories about his playing days which are always good to listen to. My favourite was a game towards the end of his career in which he was sent off. Being a prop he was obviously involved in the scrum and he said a young lad was coming through in the forwards in the Warrington team. When they packed down the opposition had a loose arm in the scrum and punched the young lad in the throat. Ali saw it and thought to himself, you’re having it next time. The next scrum he couldn’t get his arms free so looked up to see where the bloke was and kicked him in the mouth and received a red. Many years later he went to a sportsman’s dinner in Huddersfield, with a friend/ex player from Warrington and they were walking round the tables speaking to other ex players from other teams. His friend said “Ali, do you remember this man?” To which he replied “No” until he took his two front teeth out and then he knew! He did tell me once his dad said if you can’t play fair then don’t play at all...

We've got Andy Halbrook in our greatest Warrington born team.