It's a good job Wire brought Westwood and Nat Wood through their youth system to inspire them against relegation..............Oh, hang on

to be fair the fact you have places like Wigan St pats is also a massive bonus. its places like that that nurture your talent first

on the whole Warrington's amature clubs are geared to open age rugby first and foremost the kids sections are add ons.

A friend of mine went to see an amateur set up in Penrith Australia and it was all about the kids, the open age team was the last in line of importance. the view was if your playing open age you've had your chance your either not good enough or are just winding down your playing days. He was blown away by it.

I had heard a conversation a few years ago Wire had "Signed" a promising youngster and had promptly sent him to St pats....

anyway Wire have one Academy product mixing it in the NRL, add that to a Scouser, a lad from chorley, and four lads from Dewsbury, its not bad

When did McCarthy play at prop for Ireland anyway?

And now he's one on the biggest earners in the NRL.
Our biggest mistake.

Great thread - topic needs changing to - Wigans youth policy is better than Wires !!


My thoughts are that we need a couple of enforcers - we are just too 'nice'. Who is going to start the biff when a game needs changing ?? Take the captaincy of Westwood - he is not the mongrel of a couple of years back.
Asotasi seems an honest enough pro - we need someone with a proper nasty streak (Hock-like)

Was always going to be a transitional season - thought we would be pushing for the top 4 rather than top 8 though

I don't get this 'transitional' period a lot of posters are talking about.
This is the TS team and I've not once seen reference by him that we are in a transitional phase.

Why would you expect him to make a reference to it being a "transitional season" especially this early on in proceedings? It's virtually waving a white flag and saying to your competitors that you aren't going to be competative so come and get us.

The transitional season line is usually trotted out by commetators, pundits and the well informed forum dwellers and usually only by the management to explain why the season hadn't gone well/according to plan after the event.

...and posters.

I know who and why it's said Rico.
I pointed out that TS doesn't say so.
So either he is being economical with the truth, he is misguided or everyone else you listed and a few posters on here, can't see the woods for the trees.

of course TS wont say it.

it didnt need pointing out really did it?

Back on topic, whether they are new signings or players that are here and going to step up we need three things,

1 A real captain, (what's this shared thing all about), to make sure everyone is putting in a shift
2 An enforcer type forward to put the wind up the opposition
3 Someone that can work out how the game is going and lead the team around the park and optimise our attacking options

So that's two players minimum for me

I give in

I'm not against you!
I've never said there isn't a transition period.
I've said that TS doesn't give the impression that it is, cos he is about the only one not saying it.

That's all Wigan do isn't it? never sign players to fix squad problems.

Fatty Bowen?
Matty Smith?
Blake Green?
Tony Clubb?
Dan Sarginson?
Jordan James?
Scott Taylor?
Ben Flower?
Gil Dudson?
Jon Bateman?
Eddy Pettybourne?

Promote within, I agree.

I think we all unserstand you apart from the duck.

The position you are in isn't something that has just suddenly appeared. A lot of your best players for the last couple of seasons have been the wrong side of 30. Young players have been brought through but not in the positions needed. I have heard that Moran offered Smith whatever money he needed to get in the right players, Smith said he didn't need it, he was happy with what he had.