I'm a Wire fan, but even I get embarrassed at how deluded some of our fans are, that they believe that Kevin Penny is going to be reincarnated as some top level winger.... Where do you get this idea from??

He left the first time has a completely shot winger and after a couple of failed attempts elsewhere, he has ended up at almost amateur level..... If Tony Smith does manage to reinvent Penny has a Super League level winger, then I'll truly believe he is the messiah...

To be fair he was playing on a broken ankle. He did well to stay on the pitch, he should have been in the ambulance with Joel Monaghan on his way to hospital!!!

anyway - back to the OP. as Matty didnt play anything other than grade rugby, do we think he will come back a better player ? I am sure he will come back a more mature person, but has he developed as a RL player ? I guess only time will tell.
Given the promise that Hampshire, Williams, Burgess and Tierney showed last year, and the progress that Gelling (finally) and Thornley made, I doubt that Russell would have come back to Wigan, even if we had offered him a contract.
Like Tuson, he will be looking for game time, and that is something we cannot guarantee.

Firstly i dont think you can compare Matty Russell to Ainscough in any way shape or form the reason speaks for itself. Secondly to answer your question i think Tony SMith would be nuts not to throw him in the first team after the performance for Scotland the other night, bouncing off 4 huge forwards including foo foo moi moi to accelerate and go under the posts then getting the winning try. He's been doing this all his playing career from being a kid so it was no fluke and i for one am very dissapointed that we didn't re-sign him for next year and it seems as though we just let him go to Warrington unchallenged, mark my words or watch this space in 2 years time we will be watching sam tomkins mk2 playing for Warrington.

Russell has exactly the same problems that Ainscough had. Positioning and dealing with kicks. I have no doubts that he is a talented player with ball in hand as anyone who watched him at academy level will testify, but there must be concern over the defensive part of his game. As I've already said it'll be interesting where and when Smith plays him, he's not noted as a coach who gives young players much game time.

Myler still could be a great player, but playing second fiddle to Briers has ko'd his development. I also see Smith as the type of player who will improve as his game doesn't resolve around pace. The two of them certainly couldn't do worse than England's current 6 and 7.

Currie wasn't even an adult and if not for an illness would have played in the playoffs and GF

o.k. then.
How many of Wires 2012 academy Grand Final team are playing first team at Warrington.
How many players that have come through the Wire youth system since Smith took over in 2009 are playing first team ?

How many are good enough to replace the current squad, sorry Rouges but if you're good enough then you're old enough. Smith isn't against promoting youth but we simply don't have the numbers in the Warrington service area and you should know that better than anyone.

Ainscough had a lot of other problems that Matty doesn't.

Evans brothers, those to should have developed a lot further than they have. Isn't tyrone Mcarthy buggering off to aus for nothing because he didn't get a proper shot. You can't blame your'e academy for not producing you have a very good one.

I agree to be fair, but when you look at their individual circumstances......Rhys has been injured off and on for a while now but who would he immediately displace in the centre / fullback / wing role? He would be behind Hodgson and Ratchford at fullback, Bridge and Atkins in centre and Monaghan and Riley on the wing. Ben has been doing well at Bradford and I personally rated Tyke as having potential but, again, who would they replace in the prop / 2nd row / loose position? They would be behind Grix, Harrison, Morely, Waterhouse, Westwood, Currie, Wood and Carvell.

If they prove to be better than 'regular' 1st teamers then Smith will play them.

They don't have to replace they can be rotated, Atkins and Bridge could have had more resting time but i know Rhys has been injured for awhile. Ben Evans should have been in front of Cooper, Morley and Carvell he is good enough and it would of helped build towards the future, as a lot will depend on Asotasi next season. McCarthy should have been getting more game time than Mike Cooper definitely he wanted out 2 season ago. Brad Dwyer and Michael Monoghan is another one has nowhere near the same impact he used to. Glen riley is it? the big prop? he should of had a lot more matches and build for the future and bring the big game players in fresh, I think Tony Smith has done somewhat of Madge in his last season at Wigan.

But it will be interesting to see what Smith does next season at Wire he has signed a lot of youngsters and not all of them are going to fit into the first 17.

With the form that he is showing at the moment I am certain that he will get a chance at the Wolves. And if he goes on to have a great season - fantastic. It can only be positive for British RL.
The fact that we are starting to produce depth is really positive. We have the forwards. We are starting to produce the outside backs.
As soon as the old guard are ditched in the halves (ie next month) we might start to give the younger players given a chance there as well.

With the right coach, I am starting to think the British RL really does have a good future, and the next World Cup (with more and more players getting experience in Aus) could be very exciting. We certainly have more talent coming through now than we did 10 years ago.

Offensively fantastic but his positioning doesn't seem to have improved. I genuinely hope Matty goes well as he is an exciting rugby league player.