There are still two players where the club have not announced news about contracts yet - unless I have missed them? ; Jack Johnson and Kevin Penny, both up in 2016.

Yea, Widnes.

Russell might be our new scoot from dummy half interchange hooker if Dwyer scoots off to Wigan.

Maybe Matty Blythe is our new centre with Penny on the wing ,or Johnson at fullback & Ratchford at centre.

I bloody hope not!!!

My source tells me Warrington have made a big enquiry into signing Williams who has not denied it to his team mates and apparently holds no loyalty to Wigan.

Apparently after the Bateman scandal the Wigan camp is split.

I can't see it myself unless our back line became:

Gidley
Lineham
Ratch
Atkins
Russell

Williams
Sandow/Patton

Sad if true as I'd like to see Patton as our starting 6 or 7.

I've heard some stories about Sandow that I cant possibly divulge. Maybe he won't be coming back after all if this Williams thing is true?

In order to be a Hooker you need to have the brain of a half and the ability to pinpoint pass and tackle.

You can't just spend 20-40 minutes scooting. Russell has neither of the above attributes.

One rumour I heard was he was seen in the bulls head off his head on columbian marching powder. ....

He's never been in the bulls head ...people believe some real nonsense. ...and spread it as fact.

I see what you did there

Scooting from dummy half seems to have been a big part of this years game plan.

And it appears to have worked too!

Mmmm did it though ?

You're right it has. but a Hooker doesn't just scoot does he? He spots weakness and exploits it. He calls what channel the set is played in and communicates the with the halves to launch an attack. he plays in the front row and his tackling has to be second to none. a half playing in a forwards body. he has to be switched on and alert at all times and pass a ball with pinpoint accuracy. The Hooker has the most complex role on the field and has to have unbelievable fitness.

And you think we should give all this work to a bloke who looks alright when he scoots from a quick PTB?

People look at a dummy half and think 'it's not that hard to ship a ball out and scoot'. well it is. next time just watch Daryl clark or Houghton or Powell. they never stop moving. even when they're waiting for a PTB they're alert and looking around.

Russell can't tackle, can't catch and most importantly, he can't pass. But he has got a good scoot ... so I suppose you're right. He could just come on the field to spend 20odd minutes scooting at watch the rest of the team fall apart.

The stats are worth looking at. The stats strongly suggest that Warrington are the best attacking side in Super League.
They also suggest that the best Tackle Buster in the league is Matty Russell. The idea that he can't tackle, catch or pass is much too simple. He has some weaknesses in his game but he is also a very special runner and breaker of tackles. it would be ludicrous to get rid of such a player. The very obvious problem is where to play him. I do not have the answer and I don't think Tony Smith knows either. Whatever ... we want him at Warrington. If we are searching desperately for a try I'd want him on the pitch ... Full Back, Loose Forward, Wing, Prop, Hooker ... (not all game of course) but he has something which others just don't have.