I know they are in good form at the minute and I actually expect them to beat Widnes this coming game but I just do not view them as champions or a championship-winning team. Despite our (Wigan) current shortcomings and our unprecedented injury crisis I do still believe we are favorites for the Grand Final trophy and so do the vast majority of bookmakers.

I do wonder what others think though.

I'm aware they've signed quite a few new players this year but most of these are just journeymen. The core of the Warrington team that was utterly hapless at the back end of last year (Hi Chris Sandow *waves*) are still there and I envisage that when the going gets tough and they lose a couple of games they will be on a slow slide down.

Dont get me wrong, they are playing well at the minute and Tony Smith is clearly committed to leaving a good legacy behind for Richard Agar however when you sign players like Jordan Cox and Ryan Bailey I fail to see how any team can expect to have a winning or professional culture. Jack Hughes and Matty Russell might be playing OK at present as well but when these players know themselves they are Wigan rejects I wonder how this impacts on their mindset?

At Wigan we have a strong winning culture and this is passed on through our great academy players. We will be successful for many years to come.

I might post this on the Warrington board but, then again, anyone who dare offer a critical opinion of another club is labelled as a TROLL these days. Folks, dont you just love the internet?

Anyway, let me know what you think about Warrington below.

I rate them this year, Gidley and Sandow look really tough to handle, Hill and Simms lay a good platform for them to work off. They'll be buoyed by Leeds struggling as well. Having said that, we're an unknown quantity until we get a few players back, particularly Tomkins. Early doors but I'd go for us winning the CC and them finally winning a GF

They do look good atm but still early days. Are they peaking too early?

They have the best halfback combo by a mile though, certainly on current form.

I can only assume you haven't watched us that much this season so far. Bailey has yet to feature and possibly wouldn't even be in the team if all were fit, and although not exactly thrilled with his signing, Jordan Cox has really impressed when on the field . Matty Russell seems to have learnt how to pass and how to time a pass so he is really doing well and is a nightmare to tackle. Jack Hughes is a real work horse and fits into our back row well.

Not really sure where your journeymen comment stems from, the only one I can think of who you are referring to is Bailey and Gidley, and Gidley is in top shape for his age and is playing extremely well. Sandow is on another level.

Should be a belting game on the 1st April against you lot anyway.

I'd say yes they are off the bit I've seen of them this season.
They look like a real team compared to the shambles of last season.

I rate them. If they keep Sandow and Gidley fit they'll be tough to handle.

Think it'll be between us and them for the trophies. Think we'll come good when Williams and Sam return.

Sandow is a really inconsistant player, he can win games on his own but he can also go missing or get overly frustrated by a slow ptb the next week, if he plays this well all year then Smith has done what Michela Mcguire among others could never do and deserves coach of the year
In that respect they made a smart signing in gidley who for the last few years has been very consistant if unspectacular and has more big game experience (whilst Sandow has virtually none)
Overall they have a really good squad and could actually afford a few injuries in key positions and still challenge with Ratchford and Dwyer as back up
But as Leeds have shown in many a year, it doesnt matter if your unplayable during the early months, to win stuff you need your key players to step up in big games
With Gidley and Ratchford to steady the ship and Sandow and Clarke to produce a moment of magic they may just be able to do that
It may just be their year

Sandow is inconsitant, he's played very good in 4 games, good in 1 game, and untouchable in another. He's only won ONE player of the month too, shocking.

Ok i wrote this before the Cas game.

The only thing that has changed since i wrote that is Jordan Cox, who is getting better and more confident as each game passes.

He put in 2 big hit in his small spell and a run off a kick off reminiscent of the Sam Burgess run against Bulldogs, he's a brave lad, and more than anyone really surprised me

Sandow is the best player in the league. If he can stay fit and carry on his form all season they'll walk it. When he plays well it lifts the rest of the team to (near) his level.

I can see them getting an early cup exit and just going on to win the SL.

On their form so far they absolutely do look the real deal. In recent years it was always Saints or Leeds that I thought we might lose out to but it Wire this year. Our 5 from 5 record before Widnes was papering over the cracks a bit for me. Great that we hung on to take wins against Huddersfield and Salford but those games could have gone either way, as could our game v Catalans. We have played well once against a poor Leeds side struggling for form.
Wire have hit their straps early and if they continue like this they'll walk the the LLS and they'll go well in the CC and play offs. Anything can happen in a final but I'd put them favourites at the mo.

TBF, Salford, Leeds and Catalans could easily have been defeats for us.

Difference we had Leeds at almost full strength before they all dropped like flies

Early days... Thats the beauty of a league, watching what happens over a prolonged period.

As Wigan Peer rightly says, it is very early days. I have watched live 5 of our 6 games & Catalans away on Sky.

Chris Sandow has been really good and against Castleford he was unplayable absolutely unplayable. Gidley gives us structure but Chris is just off the wall.

On the odd occasion our defence has been annoyingly leaky, but 95% of the time its very good. We are a world away from the team we were last year. If we keep Chris and Kurt fit for the majority of the season and definitely for the month of September then we will do real good.

Good as Sandow can be, for me another huge difference for us (Wire) this season is Gidley, finally we have replaced Morley with a leader (by example) both on and off the pitch. I think the OP has been a little unfair referring to most of our new signings as journeymen, and does he think that Bateman, Sarginson and Clubb ever reflect on being Bradford or London rejects?

Our start to the season, first half against Castleford excepted, has been patchy and too often we have relied on a little luck and moments of individual genius to snatch the points and for this reason I wouldn't regard ourselves as favourites for anything. If I had to bet my mortgage on the GF winner right now it probably would be on wigan, however lets see how the next several weeks pan out when we play yourselves twice, Widnes twice and play Saints too. Then I hope to change my mind.