Find that strange, I mean look at Chris Hill and James Harrison where they came from, Walmsley at Saints. You can’t tell me there are not hidden gems in the Championship and we seem to have stopped looking there and bringing Aussies over who play the homesick card after 2 weeks ok that’s extreme but it seems to be the way these days.

you mean like joe bullock?

also Anthony england viewtopic.php?f=21&t=589263 who people wanted rid of after the spitting incident

also Anthony england viewtopic.php?f=21&t=589263 who people wanted rid of after the spitting incident

Have we stopped looking? In the past few years we have brought Ashton and Harrision in to the club who have gone on to become first team regulars, there may well have been others in that period that we have missed out on but I think we are as active as other clubs in looking at the Championship.

I also think more young players have been given opportunity during Powell's tenure than any other coach I can remember for a long time. Yes they get limited time and they tend to come in for a few games then back out again, but listen to Gary Chambers - he fully believes it is the correct tactic to not over expose young players until they are physically ready.

Of course we are getting some hit and miss with our overseas recruitment, it's inevitable to a degree and all teams suffer with it. Saints, Leeds, Wigan, Hull, Catalan have all had issues with players they have brought over in recent years. It's easier bringing in an overseas player that is already settled in the competition, Mata'utia. Kasiano and Drinkwater were always going to be safer bets than Vaughan, Dufty & McGuire, as it's impossible for the player to know how they will settle before they arrive with their family. The signing will (and should) obviously go down as a mistake, but I think calls for Powell and/or KFP to be kicked out too are far too extreme. He got the ban, I'm sure was talked about regards future conduct (just like players like Hardaker have been in the past) and he has made the same mistake again.

I'd bring Shawn Blore over for the rest of the season from west Tigers. Hard hitting aggressive 2nd rower/loose forward, who plays with a smile on his face. Struggled to get back in the squad since his injury but is fully fit but looking to be moved on.
Sign him for the rest of the season, won't cost much but would do a good job

2 quota spaces and room on the cap.

Warrington need to act and act quickly.

We managed to find Mikaele at a similar time last season. Was that a complete fluke?

Players become available when players become available I guess.

We're not exactly shy of making signings, so if someone is available who fits the mould or we identify a potential transfer target, I'm sure we'll be in the picture.

ah, but was the signing of mikaele a good signing, or a bad signing by the board? as is being criticised this week.

He wasn't very good last year.

He was very good this year.

He can't get in the Titans side.

He is no longer our player.

but is he proof of good recruitment, or bad recruitment by the board?
signed from the nrl

he wasn't good, then he was good, but he left, because of family issues

these are the key points being debated/disputed

Fair point - although with the homesickness how can you spot that? - you can even get that with English players - Hardaker was homesick at Wigan - so had to move all the way to Leigh to cure it.

A very ordinary 2nd row - Griffin - exposed our right edge on Sunday. Harrison/Minikin was not the answer that day. McGuire is banned. Nicholson is out for a while.

Might Matautia as edge back row with Wrench centre shore things up? I don't know.

If not, are there candidates in the reserves/academy waiting for their chance? For a while we had a few people like Ellis Robson, Ellis Longstaff etc who might have been ready to step up - but they all seem to have been moved on. I saw Tom Whitehead at KR this year and I thought he didn't look ready.

So absent of any obvious solutions - you're looking at recruitment - and whoever you go with you're taking a punt.

Of course you could always keep things the same and expect a different result, and we all know what that's another name for...

Quite. It's a fool's game trying to say whether a signing will be good or not. Some work out, some don't.

We need to recruit now. Not perfect but has to be done. Might be a bit over the top, but from what I have seen ... I don't think our reserves will help us out of our mini-crisis. Thank God we have started so well. Not really a proper crisis but ... we might have to alter our expectations. Wakefield is a crisis & we were near there last year.

My expectations were always competing for top 6 and a half decent show in the play-offs (compared to our feeble exits under Price).

Even with the great start with regards to results, the actual displays meant those expectations haven't, and won't, ever change.

Ultimately, it's a very competitive league and I'd say right now, we have as much chance of finishing 9th or 10th, as we have 1st or 2nd and, the way the league is levelling out and with each side's squad strengths and weaknesses, I don't think it would necessarily be an underachievement if we did finish outside the top 6.