Quote: sally cinnamon "If someone had told you when Super League kicked off that in 2001 we'd have Langer, Walters, Gee, Nikau and Hunte you'd have bitten their hand off to.'"
That's a fair point
But looking back to 2009/2010 did our squad look like it was going to be at the very top for the next three years? You could argue Morley was just here for a retirement booster, Carvell was a slightly above average prop from an average Hull team, Higham couldn't get a gig at a top club any more, Monaghan looked like a Cullen vanity project that failed badly and Briers was the inconsistent enigma that only Warrington fans could see the potential of. Bridge and Atkins were rejects from Bradford's academy, Mathers was found out at Wigan after Leeds binned him, and we had a former Wakefield winger trying to become an enforcer prop/second row.
Yet somehow a coach with a fresh mindset came in and tweaked that bunch of misfits into 5 finals, 3 trophies and a league leader's shield (yes, I know we didn't win the big one).
Apart from the key players we know will probably not be staying - Austin, Widdop, Hill and maybe Lineham - I don't think Powell will want (or need) to make any major changes. Ratchford is an excellent all-round fullback with a great brain, Charnley still a very decent winger, King's ability isn't in question, Cooper, Philbin, Mulhern as decent as any front-rowers. Currie no question, Hughes who knows?
To put things in a sort of roundabout way, if Powell was staying at Castleford and went on a spending spree for all our big names, they'd be happy as Larry. And I'm generally happy for him to work on what we've got at Warrington, plus a few tweaks.