Phew.

When I read your post I thought that Wire had signed him, not Widnes.

I've no issues having Matty Smith.
As good as or better than most of the 7's outside a marquee.
He only needs a dominant pack...and we've seen that enough times.

RD are you happy with our pack at the moment - will it dominate?

Seeing as this is a general chat thread........

I haven't lived in Warrington for a number of years, and apart from going to the match I only make a once a year "pilgrimage" to wander round the shops and reminisce just before Xmas. I was there today - what on earth has happened to it? Bridge St & Market Gate used to be really bustling but it's like a wasteland now. Golden Square is ok but it's like I barely recognise the place any more. I know they say the past is a foreign country but I really did feel like a stranger in my home town.

Come on, duckie. You're better than that.
That's hogwash, and you know it.

I've held my hands up, and admitted [iI[/i was wrong over Smith, last season.
I banged the drum on here to get him, after Brown's injury. When he eventually came, he stunk the house out, dominant pack or not. He looked more like a Bake-off winner, than a GF one.

Now he's dropped down a level, he may see some form, again

Sadly, Mr Snoodle, it's the same, virtually everywhere
Internet/Amazon has killed the high street
Cheap, disposable/throwaway clothing has destroyed many a household name.
Brewery greed (and rank "beer"icon_wink.gif has killed pubs
The town centre of a day time, is filled with "joy riding" pensioners coming to town on free buses (not a dig at them, no shame in that for them, but why buy a new fleet of buses, when a massive amount of people don't ACTUALLY hand over any real money to pay for them).
Local government seem obsessed with selling off land to ANY property developer, but the long standing Warrington residents see little of this money, bar the afore mentioned new buses. Oh, and the new Time Square

Same happening, on an industrial scale, in London. The local authorities budgets have been squeezed by central government for so long there is massive pressure on them to 'maximise revenues' by selling off their assets and land. You even see ads in the paper for jobs in the council with a job description literally to do that.

They are selling off social housing and 'relocating' people out of communities that they have lived in for all their lives, in order to sell the land to property developers who are creating expensive new builds (they described it as affordable housing but they are advertising the flats for £450k and upwards). They are also selling off some of the local shopping centres to new developers who put the rent up so long standing small businesses can't afford to stay there, instead it's just Starbucks and other chains.

A lot of the people and small businesses who are being forced out are Afro-Caribbean. The ones coming in are wealthy professionals (mostly white). They are paying high prices because they want access to a Tube station in Zone 2.

The council is dismissive of community protests, saying "some people are just against progress", or they say "people have to be reasonable and accept that if you're in social housing you can't expect to live in highly sought after areas, we will do our best to relocate people outside"....despite the fact some of these people have been here all their lives.

They measure successful 'regeneration' through performance metrics like how much inward investment they've attracted (the new chains and property investment), the value of properties in the local area, and also the fall in crime which tends to accompany forcing out social tenants. Also they get a decrease in the proportion of residents who are unemployed and so non-council tax payers, and decrease in the ones reliant on council provided services so its easier for them to close down libraries, health and social care support.

They don't care about people or community and forcing out people and shops that have been in the local area for decades.

And this is, as Neil Kinnock would say... a Labour council, a LABOUR COUNCIL....

Lefty...I don't care how rated a halfback is...if his pack ain't doing it, then he ain't.
Patton achieved more at Warrington in 1/2+ season than Langer Blake John's Davis (and others) put together.

71...do I think this pack is good enough?...no question, we'll smash 2020, and we could do it unbeaten.
The issue is exactly like last season being dependant on staying free off injuries and suspensions ....the front row depth is shallow. Get a quality prop and we stock up with reserve nal and ride out the periods where last season the wheels fell off.

I think it's safe to say that if you only come to Warrington once a year to spend actual time in the town, you are a stranger.

This is a local town. For local people.

I'd lay off that sherry, duckie. You'll have none left for Christmas

Well it's quite simple really... If you live well outside the town and the only prolonged amount of time that you actually spend within the town (aside from going to the game every other week) is ONCE a year. Then of course you will be a stranger within your home town.

If I left my wife and house my house, lived somewhere else all year; occasionally nipping in every two weeks for a hour for a cup of tea, then coming home for one day just before Christmas and then leaving again... I'm pretty sure that would make me a stranger in my house and to the wife.

Be rest assured though, It was intended as a joke and as tongue in cheek but you've ruined in now by having me explain it.

Merry Christmas one and all

We'll have no trouble here!

Don't touch the precious things