Tony's masterplan. LLS means nothing so he's saving Sir Lee until the playoffs.

Just spat gobful of tea over keyboard reading this

Moz you are hilarious.

I can see us spelling general lee this season. Myler, ratch and GOB, as I said the other day, can get us through a lot of the season. Leeds, wigan and aints are probably times we really really need lee. I wouldn't say we don't need lee against hull but I'm still confident-ish

You should ask Youane/Turner, he knows everything about everybody. Forget that it's only Wigan players he thinks he knows about. I wonder what Briers was up to in Aus?

Everyone relax it's all part of Tony's big plan.

And you should spend more time on your own forum and less on here.

Or do you like how lenient we appear to be compared to your mods?

Don't you have a bucket list or something to be doing?

Dont know why anyone is surprised to be honest. The depth in this warrington squad means that virtually no player is guaranteed a starting place and that includes Briers.

Did Briers not get taken off against Souths with a knock. Obviously not shaken it off so misses he game. It's not rocket science people. No Conspiracy theory. Grow up

Ratchford Myler Briers O'Brien

Bloody good depth in the halves. Have we had anything like that in living memory?

To be honest, I'm not 'surprised'. I think Smith is taking the view that we're now in a situation whereby we have a squad that is capable of ensuring folk aren't wheeled out and any risks taken especially so on the first game of the season on a cold February day.

Briers had a knock last week. He's what, 34? If he's not 100% don't risk him, 2 years back we'd have had no choice. Even last season, I think we patched up Hodgson & Monas once or twice too often and it may be that it bit us on the arris in the playoffs with Monas playing busted etc.

We lost 3 of our first 10 last season, so you don't gamble from the offset.

Very true, although according to his Twitter he was due to play in the U20's game today before it got postponed so that would suggest that he's not injured and being 'rested' (at least that's my interpretation anyway!)

I know what you're saying. I'm not disputing that he's fit as such, more that it's probably a bit different having a spin around for the 20's than it is going to Hull and getting a good going over.

Maybe it's simply Ratchford & Myler have first crack at being the primary halfback partnership for 2012 with one eye on the future, who's to say they haven't earnt it. They might have trained the house down etc, it's upto them to fluff it, or Briers to really get fit & 'at it' to get the place back. I guess there's a million and one possibles.

It's another challenge for Lee at 34, one which I'm sure he'll relish.

Agreed, it could well be.

I'm looking forward to seeing Ratchford in action, his reviews so far have been pretty good.