Sure, but they've bought Harrison, Bullock, Holmes and Mangoulis to provide that go forwards - you can argue the merits of whether that's been achieved, but it's not like the club has stagnated in terms of recruitment activity.

The recruitment activities haven't stagnated they have simply dropped hugely in standards and have become scattergun in approach. As has been stated on several threads, look at some of the quality we have signed in the last few years, players who have either been not of the required standard, not in positions we needed to focus on or mentally not a good fit or fully ..... motivated.

Stagnated on quality.

Bullock - Prop. Wigan deemed not up to their standard (as they did for Hughes) - he is doing OK but miles off Hill's stats.
Holmes - 29 second row - some nice assists.
Maguolias - second row / LF who has played 17 NRL games over 2 seasons for an NRL team that missed the playoffs. Are we hoping we have unearthed a diamond?
Harrison - Gamble signing from lower league, unproven at top level following 4 game trial with Leeds, unfortunate career threatening injury.

We desperately needed an international quality prop forward and together with Bullock we may have been OK.

I suspect too much of our cap is spent on halves and backs.

Williams hasn't been great but he's not alone in this team by any stretch of the imagination. Things need to change and quickly, the players who are fully on board need to stay those that aren't need to be moved out, we need a team all pulling in the same direction and it really doesn't look like we have that at the minute. It's a mess.

I would suggest practically our entire playing roster needs to have a good look inwards, stop sulking and start pulling their socks up and working for their team mates and coaches. The effort areas aren't good enough, line speed, controlling the rucks in defence and attack, support runners, it all looks a bit lazy at the minute and we look like a team that doesn't have confidence in one another.

I think Powell needs to adapt as well, why are his plans not working with this group? Does he have to change a few thing to find the right blend for this squad?

Bullock is miles off. The size of him he should be running over people.

When was the last time Wigan let a good player go to a SL rival? I'd say the only player in the last 10 years was Tom Davies maybe and that was because they were stacked on wingers.

I don't think Williams has been great but he is playing behind the least effective Warrington pack for 20 years. He is a senior player and responsible for getting this team going, but you can't judge his on-field performances fully until he has at least a workable pack to operate behind.

Agree with this, we really need to get the pack sorted out. I'm baffled as to why we let Hill leave, last year was his best season for ages when the armband was taken off him. That said I bet he was a high earner on the playing roster so needed to free up cap space. I still think we must have space left in the cap given the outgoings and incomings from last season. I think Powell needs to decide which players he wants next season and build around them, Riley Dean is worth a chance surely.

Why did we sign Rob Butler to not play him? If he isn't suitable when we have 2 front row injuries then why bother at all?

Was longstaff injured yesterday? If not why didn't he play? Longstaff, wrench and thewlis need as much game time as possible and I'd say the same for Dean. Trouble for Dean though is that if we run with him as our preferred half next season we don't have any cover in the halves except maybe ratchford, do we sign a good half which would stifle deans opportunity or a young half who could provide cover? Or run for a season or 2 with ratchford as cover in the halves?

His average gain is a whole 1m less than Cooper. Mind you it is more than Philbin.

But I totally agree, if we sign players discarded by rivals we will never have the best.

If we were letting Hill leave it was essential we had the quality from day 1 to cover his absence. We didn't do that.

Bullock isn't a bad addition and he has been alright so far. I would say that he is a good addition to the pack but not a suitable replacement for Chris Hill. We were short before hill left. Wakey beat us without fifita yesterday!

Williams knows this, hence why he's probably taking these quite daft runs at first receiver from scrums, theyre not worth much, but it meets the eyeball test of "at least Williams is trying"

I think that's right. Briers's response would, by contrast, probably be to hide as wide out as possible and go for the odd interception - certainly pre-Smith.

It’s now I miss Mamo and his interceptions because at this time, it’s the only threat we could have had.