Very mixed feelings if we were to let Field go and replace with Croft.



As stated above, i think very unlikely French or Field will get attractive offers to go back to NRL due to their size. Croft is more likely to go back at some point - so probably lose him sooner than later. Overall he's probably a more rounded 6 than anyone else, but I think French is building onto the role and getting better every game - just like Smithies is developing how ball playing skills. (as an aside I'm not sure the coaching team are getting any credit for developing the players skillset that we can all see in front of us - the inexperienced coaching team must be doing something right.....)



I think people forget Field is still coming back from a 2nd major hamstring issue too - I think he's still holding himself back and not really stretching out his legs and trying for full speed. I think we're gradually seeing more of it as the season goes on - latest HKR game being an example and i think we'll see more as we get to the end of the season. He is still playing much more of a link full back role though - and doing it well but could provide more threat running.



At the moment he has to make the gap himself and get on the outside shoulder of a lazy defender, against good defences less likely to happen - but if the coaching staff are able to get KPP, Dupree Nsemba or even Smithies working on a short pass or offload I think we'll really see the x factor that he brings. If we can work that out I'd rather keep French and Field long term.

Field’s going nowhere.

Not sure on the ins and outs but I recall about 8-10 years ago the club wanted players to live locally and that’s seems to have eased over time (We didn’t have lads travelling from Yorkshire like other clubs). Manchester might’ve always been acceptable but they seemed to start with Hastings and now a lot of the Aussies are living over that way. Whatever the set up, if it works and keeps them happy, that’s all good.

Agree with that, avoid Croft same as Williams. As soon as a trophy was won and the NRL offers came in both players would be off down under faster than you could say Qantas. Stick with Field and French, both are quality and both are two of the most exciting players to watch in SL as well as being match winners.

One thing that will hugely help the Field and French set up at 1 and 6, will be the increased threat our pack should bring next year. The more space you can work for them, the more time and space they’ll have. I do think on paper French, Croft and Smith offers more balance than Field, French and Smith but it’s early days for this current set up and we’re still short in the pack at the minute.

Fingers crossed we'll have Havard back for the rest of the season, having him back in the middle will make French/Field's job a lot easier

Absolutely no way would I want to lose either and bringing Croft in wouldn't alter that. As others have said, it's early days for French at 6 but he's clearly growing into the role and not slowly either. He's taking big strides every game as we've seen in the last 2. He's a smart player with a multiple skillset. Let's be patient for once. He has the tools to make this a success and, if he does, he could turn out to be one of the best in SL. Answer me this; which 6 would teams prefer running at them? French or literally any other 6 in the comp? He has a great cut out pass on him (just needs to know when to utilise it better) and his kicking game is coming on leaps and bounds. In fact it was nothing short of excellent against KR.



If I could choose 2 players I wouldn't want lining up against Wigan in a final, French and Field would be around the very top of that list. And that's before we even factor in the sheer entertainment we get from both players. Keep both and give it time. Nothing else needs considering at this point.

I’ve got to admit that Bevan is growing on me as a six but let’s see how he performs for the rest of this season. Two things I want to see is a better understanding with our three quarters and doing away with the cut out pass when he has thrown a dummy. The golden rule of rugby league is that if you throw a dummy you take on the line otherwise you are allowing the defence to advance and possibly intercept the ball. I like you, Phuzzy, am now willing to give him a chance to make the position his own.

There are a few decision related things to iron out but they're probably experience rather than ability related. I look at the cut out pass for example and the truth is, as exasperating as it is when it happens, we've comfortably scored far more tries as a result of it than we've conceded so it's more a matter of tempering the risky ones than curtailing it's use. Maybe it's a case of those intercepts having needed to have happened in order for him to be better equipped to make the right choices more often going forward. "You learn more from your mistakes than your successess" if you will. Your example is a good one of where he can be better going forward and I think he will.



If there had been little progress then I could see a reason to be looking for other answers but the truth is he's made giant strides in relatively few games. His kicking, in particular, has gone from erratic to top drawer in his latest game. Now I'm not saying the progression will be linear. Of course it won't. The nature of any progression is two steps forward, one step back. That's natural. However, I reckon it's been 3 steps forward and half a step back so far in his run of games at 6 and the potential far outweighs any negatives at this stage.

Rumour on twitter that Sam Burgess is to take over as head coach at Warrington with Sean Long as assistant









Not from a very reliable source though

Longy would fit right in with the Warrington culture.

For the entire 2 weeks he would be there before quitting to take up a new venture.

They need someone such as dare I say it a Wane type coach to reset the whole club but not go for the star name that'll end in tears

Sounds like the Burgess link to Wire might be a goer. Maybe it'll be a masterstroke but talk about an absolute gamble. It feels like another decision being made for the headlines it will gather, rather than making a decision based on what is best for the future of the club. People could say Peet was inexperienced but he'd been coaching younger players for 10+ years, had been involved with the first team and had even been over to Union for a spell. He also was given support above him in the form of Shaun Wane. If I were Wire, I'd be looking to appoint somebody in a similar role to Wane.

Banter RLFC, Fitzpatrick will be getting special Burgess/South’s polos on sale.



Given his last few years I don’t think he’s the man for a culture change at the club.

Long and Gleeson rumoured to be part of the set up. We could all be laughing on the other side of our faces if it works out but had somebody mentioned that coaching team a couple of weeks ago, they’d have been laughed out of town.



I saw a Wire fan on Twitter ask a very valid question. If they wanted Holbrook and all that he would bring, what made them think Sam Burgess would be the next best bet? It seems a total change of tact.

It’s the sort of coaching line up I would have expected Cas to announce not Warrington.

In fairness to Warrington there aren't too many options for them. I get the feeling it's too big a job for Paul Rowley. Wane must not want it. Briers has only just moved his family across to Australia - you'd imagine he wants to give it more than 6 months. Flanagan doesn't want to move to England and any talk of Bennett was fanciful at this stage.



They're going down the same path as plenty of other SL clubs in recruiting an assistant coach from the NRL but I get the impression people are more skeptical because he isn't Australian. He's probably had less time in the assistant role than some others but I'm not sure it's the car crash some have made out.

Burgess may turn out to be a gimmick appointment, or he may not. But to be fair, I think there are plenty more reasons why people are sceptical about Long than the fact he isn't an Aussie.



For me, Warrington are a big club in a big mess. They need a total culture change. Surely, no one thinks this is that?

I wasn't commenting on Long - that definitely strikes me as more of a risk than Burgess.

All I can see is a 'lad' culture incoming. Can't see any positives in this from a Warrington point of view. From Holbrook to slammin Sam in the space of a week. It's gone from 'jeez, they might be challengers' to 'set them back even further' for me

A strange appointment. No doubting that Burgess would be an inspirational leader and was a superb player but this is a huge gamble. Sorry to refer to Saints but we've seen Wellens struggle with his first Head coaching role after taking on a club with a winning and positive culture. Wellens has been an Assistant for years and is highly regarded by Wane and the overall England set-up.



Burgess has basically coached a pub team so far. Culturally he's not exactly an ideal role model either with his brushes with the law for various misdemeanours. Add in the fact that his kids are in Australia and he openly loves the lifestyle there and I can see an early exit back to Australia citing homesickness within a year.



Of course it could go completely the other way and he smashes it but its a gamble. A big gamble.

Wayne Bennett was desperate to get Sam Burgess to the Dolphins as his assistant. His second choice was Kristian Woolf which shows how highly regarded Sam Burgess is. Sure its a gamble but I don't blame them for taking it. I imagine he will have the pull to bring in top players. With Wighton coming in next year for Souths could Cody Walker come with him. Getting on now but what a player he still is

Wightons signed to play centre next year.

He literally said in his statement to Souths that he intends going back there. Something along the lines of "This isn't goodbye, it's see you soon". How is that going to play out with players who know they're going to be there longer than the coach?



It seems a very strange appointment given that the number 1 priority at that club is to sort the culture. Leaving aside his own indiscretions for a second, they're basically gambling on Sam being able to turn that culture on its head in 2 years when the players know he, himself, isn't sticking around!



Very bizarre from the Warrington board in my opinion but I guess the proof of the pudding and all that. Going to be interesting times over at the HJ, that's for sure.