Hindsight is a wonderful thing .
However I never got the "Love in" with Toby King .Distinctively I remember Josh Charnley trying to give him a lesson on how to pass mid game and thinking to myself this is under 8's stuff this Toby.
But he could catch a high Kick, Shame after Austin went rubbish we never put any that way

Dudson will have to serve his full suspension for us.

He has not been included in the Wales World Cup squad because he would have been unavailable for their 1st three games.

Is it possible that Charnley was trying to deflect blame for something he had got wrong? Like Matt King used to blame Kev Penny in his first season for defensive misreads?
I only ask because whatever the level of incompetence is levelled at the club I find it very difficult to believe that in all the years he was with us none of his coaches noticed he couldn’t pass.

Agreed (with bells on).

DOUBLE POST SORRY

I suppose some players work hard to take on board the coach’s advice, and others take offence at it. I’m not saying that’s the issue in this particular case, but the subject [iwas[/i brought up in an interview recently.

The real test will be to see if the weaker areas of King’s game are suddenly rectified by Peet at Wigan. If so, it means either Peet is a good coach or King has matured a lot. Either way, it will be good for us because he’s contracted to us for 2024/5.

I guess if all the players who have left under Powell's tenure suddenly start to play at their best level, questions must be asked as to whether the bad apples are the players or the coach?

Not necessarily. These players may have gone to Wigan / Hudds / Ano with a different attitude and be more acceptance to change considering they don't have the same level of influence they have (had) at Warrington. More often than not it is the change that causes the issue.

Couldn’t have put it better myself.

I think there’s a slip into a low-pressure comfort zone when a top player joins Warrington. Not necessarily an intentional slip, but the natural result of a long contract on big money, a close and happy relationship with the top brass, and a long in the tooth leadership group who don’t have a reason to drive anything in a different way. Why would you? You’re getting paid well and your natural talent is just enough to keep your team near the top of the table without pushing yourself.

I hope that doesn’t sound too harsh, like I’m accusing some players of taking the pee intentionally, but how else do you explain the poor return on investment? We’ve literally been the only big-spending club in RL for the last decade, with only one trophy to show (and that day was without some
of our ‘star’ players!). We’ve blamed the last coach, now we’re blaming the current one despite his record of improving teams and players.

I think the answer lies closer to following the example of other top clubs, and emulating their youth development, player / management relationship, and standards.

This is bang on the money. The 1 trophy in the last 10 seasons really speaks for itself.

We need to face facts that top players and top prospects are going to choose to sign for Wigan, Saints or Leeds before Warrington (the real prospect of winning things) unless financially incentivised otherwise. This in turn means we attract a certain type of player.

I am afraid it appears the likes of Hill, Cooper, Clark, Currie, King et al are more motivated by picking up decent salaries than they are to actually to win a league title at any cost.

I don't know how we break this cycle. Certainly without change, it would not change on it's own.

Youth development only gets you so far though, in my opinion.

We have invested fortunes in this area already, John Bastian, Phil Jones, Pete Riding all being bought in from successful systems. Pete Farrell and a whole network of scouts searching the country for talent.

All of this has seen players brought in to the arena of first team squads, to see some minutes thrown their way then moved on or, worse still, kept hold of without playing opportunities long enough for their career to fail.

This isn’t a poke at Powell, but at him, Price and Smith. Look back at Saltonstall who was kept out by signings like Wheeler. Jack Johnson, Will Dagger and now Josh Thewlis all being the heir apparent for the fullback spot, yet we go out and sign Mamo (I purposely won’t add Dufty, as he is a top-level player, not someone that is just a squad filler). Players like Pat Moran and Ellis Robson behind Lama Tasi and Sita. Even now, Ratchford is clogging the way for Dean and Hayes.

There are players at the level to get into the first team squad, and the argument will be that these players aren’t ready. But nobody is ever ready until you put them in and trust them.

Some will fall flat on their face, some will rise to the challenge. But if we don’t put them in, and keep them in, the whole process is null and void, regardless of who you have as head of youth, 16’s coach, 19’s coach etc.

We need to change the culture of the club, buying in, and grow from within.