I was trying to put a positive spin on things. Personally I did not use the argument of competition for places last year. That pack was garbage. However I do think there was complacency in previous seasons that we had 2 automatic pick forwards who were never in danger of losing their spot.

A matter of opinion of course, but I don't think he did, well certainly not "immediately". My take FWIW was that he made the smoothest of transitions possible because a) he was definitely SL standard and b) he was surrounded by top performers that were still doing the business.

I think that it's fair to say he surpassed our expectations, and lived up to the well meant hype from our pals in Leigh but the best thing about it IMO was not the performance but that it was (unfortunately) an all to rare occasion where we looked like we knew what were doing in terms of recruitment and succession planning

It was evident to me how poor the pack was by where I put Wire in the start of season ‘how will the SL finish’ post.
I for sure didn’t have Wire top for a change. I think I put Wire in the mix to try to make that 6th spot.
Which was pretty much as good as we got.

Which now reminds me….

It was a weakness of the squad but I don't think there was complacency amongst those two players. They carried the pack and they kept up their performances. When they left the pack was exposed as absolute trash.

Yes the duck's pre season predictions generally fit into one of two categories:

"We will win the lot"
or
"You can't win anything behind a beaten pack"

It didn't take long to work out which category 2022 was going to be in.



The question is, now we have made some big name forward signings, what category is 2023?

I think we'll do well come the end of the season. I'm hoping our pack will carry us through the early stages while new players settle in and players acclimatise to the new structures.

Pack is key. If we're making good yards and the defence tightens up, we'll always have a chance, even if we fluff a few moves and look a bit clunky early doors.

I know many of us say this each season with optimism, but I'm genuinely excited and hopeful the big changes will pay off. If they don't, we're going to be a bit stuck as we can't do another large overhaul such as this again.

We have the pack now to challenge. We have exciting and well balanced pivots in Williams, Drinkwater, Clark (if he regains some of his old form) and Dufty. 3/4 is so so, but we have genuine pace and I'm hoping Powell will utilise this in combination with our other fortes.

2 months to go; can't wait.

I’m hoping that this has been a very considered decision unlike some of the “he has had a good start let’s offer him a 10 year contract in case someone else tries to sign him” extension.
You KNOW who I mean.

Correction. We weren't great with Cooper in being honest.

What’s the difference between prop and 13?

Wigan have had decades of class loose forwards. I’m extremely envious, I’d have put none of them in the front row.
Wire on the other hand haven’t had such a class luxury since Mike Gregory.
Grix was so close but riddled with rotten luck with injuries. Paul Cullen knew the importance of a loose, but signed and over the hill, and over rated Forshaw, unfortunately there was no decent loose forward anywhere but Wigan, and Sculthorpe.

I do wish Mike Wainwright was about in pnb now, pour lad got so much stick for trying everything he could in a shat team.

Harrison is injured again.

They are used as an extra prop these days of course, but I'd say you're still looing for a bit more ball playing from your 13, in at first receiver etc at times plus a better engine generally.