My issue with some of this is that Powell was appointed early 2021. He had three games against us, most of 2021 and an off season to assess our weaknesses.

Plenty of time to realise we are lighter than a vegan sausage roll.

Maybe you're on to something, bring back Toby.

In all seriousness, the outside backs don't have anything to work with at the minute. Our pack simply isn't good enough, 3 years KFP has had to sort that!

Also, the more I think about it, the less happy I am with the signings of Holmes and Mata'utia. Both decent players, of course, but why sign players in those positions when we have got Wrench and Longstaff ready to go? It just feels like our young talent is always being held back, and the Holmes/Mata'utia money could have been better spent on positions that needed strengthening (no prizes for guessing what that would be).

I’d much rather Mata’utia’s brother. What a beast he is.

I look at Wire from the outside this past decade or so and IMO there has to be a far greater level of trust put in young players. The academy has had some cracking teams in that time but it always feels like the young players are treated as emergency back up and as soon as there’s a more experienced option fit and available, they’ll be back in the side. It doesn’t push the senior players to perform and it doesn’t make the young players feel like there’s a clear pathway through to becoming a first 17 player.

Don’t get me wrong there has been one or two come through but the time feels right to me to be getting Thewliss, Wrench and Longstaff in on a regular basis and I can’t understand why Doro is at Widnes? He looks in top form for them and ready to be pushing for a first team place with you. He can’t offer less than somebody like Clark surely?!

Warrington have all the money they need to spend on players but it’s not easy getting top quality in from here or abroad anymore and it’s no coincidence that Saints are dominating now, Wigan have had their time before and Leeds before that and all of them have relied heavily on the players coming through their academies. Wire might need to take a couple of years of pain but a mentality shift is needed for me.

Spot about the acadamies, our own fans are often bemoaning we don’t give them chance. The talk regarding Thewlis, Wrench and Longstaff as been talked about often, if us mere fans can see it why are the club being stubborn.

The Wire seem to attract overseas players whose only allegiance is to their monthly pay cheque ,in matters of on the field we seem be happy to sign the big names who usually don't deliver. Saints ,on the other hand ,manage to pick up good overseas players who are happy to perform week in week out & the club has a knack of scouting the best young talent who they are happy to move on once a better player comes along. At this time Saints are the benchmark that other clubs need to aim for & the only long term answer is youth development.

Again right. But it’s like that film Mike Basset England Manager, when he was getting on the coach and he said to a fan ok what you do, then he told him To go away sort of . That’s how I feel the club is towards the fans.

The clearest and finest example with what is wrong with Wire, and has been for years, was the renewal of Jason Clark's contract.

Nothing against the fella, he's a honest, no thrills workhorse, but when you are keeping him on and denying the likes of Robson and Longstaff the chance to develop their game, then it just confirms that someone in recruitment and development isn't doing their job properly.

Clark's wage could have gone on a half decent prop, while both Robson and Longstaff could surely have brought as much as Clark does to our overall game?

17 metres that donkey made last night. At least he’s a nice bloke though…

True but we had a workable pack then. We haven't got that now.

We are good at taking pain and being constantly year 1 of a 5 year plan. In fact we are 10 years into our slide from the pinnacle of 2012.

4 years of him…..4 foffin years. Who saw him and thought “crikey he’s ace playing 23 mins a week for south Sydney, he’ll do a great job for us”. Great move KissKamKarl AGAIN. Our recruitment for 5 years has been risible.

Hughes and Clark getting picked ahead of Longstaff is a joke. Thewlis, Wrench and Longstaff should be playing as often as possible this season and being bedded in. We’ll be lucky to make the play offs this season so we should use this time well….playing Ratchford, Hughes, J clark as first choices is idiotic. On current evidence Wrench is also our best centre. Come on Powell stop playing it safe and throw the bloody dice.

About 3 seasons back I stated our problems stemmed from the front row of Hill, D Clarke, and Cooper, in terms of effectiveness and value for money.
Two thirds of the problem still remain