Re: Warrington pre season : Tue Feb 01, 2022 7:53 am  

NickyKiss wrote:

He’s the sort of kid the whole game would love to see develop in to a special player. A young Southerner from Rugby Union territory, a kid who with an athletic ability that we don’t see enough of in the game over here. He’s like a young kid you see coming through Down Under, big, rangy, holding the ball in one hand etc. I just hope if he does develop as hoped that we can keep him in Rugby League, even if that ended up being Down Under. His brother is at Saracens and that always worries me.

Talking of kids from Union territory, I read some rumours over on RedVee that Regan Grace will head over to Welsh Rugby Union for 2023. That would be a real shame. I have to hold my hands up and say he’s developed in to a better player than I expected.

It would be a loss to RL if he left for RU, a loss for SL if he went to the NRL but we’re talking as though it’s nailed on. If he stays at Wigan he’s a marquee player without a shadow of a doubt in the not so distant future, it’s not what he’d earn in RU or the NRL but it isn’t small money either.

I think Grace was always going to go back to WRU at some stage, a loss for the game IMO. He’s a quality winger and will undoubtedly rip it up in RU who will herald him as one of their own and forget completely about the long RL stint where he honed those skills.

Re: Warrington pre season : Tue Feb 01, 2022 9:35 am  

Grace leaving is similar to Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.

The lure of playing internationals at a higher level.

How many tests have the NZ RL team had in the last 5 years compared to the all blacks.

Would be a shame to lose Grace as great to watch.

Re: Warrington pre season : Tue Feb 01, 2022 10:01 am  

NSW wrote:

Grace leaving is similar to Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.

The lure of playing internationals at a higher level.

How many tests have the NZ RL team had in the last 5 years compared to the all blacks.

Would be a shame to lose Grace as great to watch.

Difference is RTS, might make the NZ squad. Grace isn't getting near the Wales team.

Re: Warrington pre season : Tue Feb 01, 2022 10:51 am  

I love Regan but I fear he would sink without much trace in RU. Will be a wallet vs heart decision for him I'm sure, but you're not going to begrudge a young kid from his background setting himself up for his life as best he can (provided he goes about it in the right way and he's such a humble kid I have absolutely no doubt he would).

Wayne Bennett not taking him on the GB Lions tour was a disgrace for lots of different reasons and you can imagine his feelings watching an australian half back being selected to play on the wing.

Re: Warrington pre season : Tue Feb 01, 2022 6:16 pm  

sergeant pepper wrote:

Difference is RTS, might make the NZ squad. Grace isn't getting near the Wales team.

I don’t claim to know a single thing about the WRU side so I’ll take your word for it. As pointed out above, the disgraceful choice to not take him but pick an average Aussie HB to play poorly on the wing may well have impacted his proposed choice.

Re: Warrington pre season : Tue Feb 01, 2022 7:13 pm  

sergeant pepper wrote:

Difference is RTS, might make the NZ squad. Grace isn't getting near the Wales team.

Yeah, Grace would find it tough to break into the Welsh team currently but some of his rivals for a spot are coming towards the end of their careers so maybe he could have a shot after bedding in for a year or two? do the Welsh RU assist with wages? As I’d think if they were going to lure players over it would be for positions they lack quality in.

Re: Warrington pre season : Tue Feb 01, 2022 7:30 pm  

You certainly can understand a Welsh lad wanting to give it a crack. Turning out for the English Rugby League side might not be overly prestigious but the Welsh rugby league team is pretty much a non starter most of the time. He’ll get to play in the World Cup you’d imagine and then walk away to Union.

It is a shame because he’s an ideal fit to League and I’m not sure that’s the case with Union. I think KPP is similar in that respect and hopefully we can keep him in this sport long term. We look at his main strengths and most people will say his offloading game is his stand out skill and that would be totally wasted in Union.

Re: Warrington pre season : Tue Feb 01, 2022 7:40 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

You certainly can understand a Welsh lad wanting to give it a crack. Turning out for the English Rugby League side might not be overly prestigious but the Welsh rugby league team is pretty much a non starter most of the time. He’ll get to play in the World Cup you’d imagine and then walk away to Union.

It is a shame because he’s an ideal fit to League and I’m not sure that’s the case with Union. I think KPP is similar in that respect and hopefully we can keep him in this sport long term. We look at his main strengths and most people will say his offloading game is his stand out skill and that would be totally wasted in Union.

I don't know when it comes to KPP. SBW absolutely killed it with his offload game in RU and I can see a few Union sides watching KPP very carefully, especially if he plays a few games at centre for us.

Re: Warrington pre season : Tue Feb 01, 2022 8:03 pm  

sergeant pepper wrote:

I don't know when it comes to KPP. SBW absolutely killed it with his offload game in RU and I can see a few Union sides watching KPP very carefully, especially if he plays a few games at centre for us.

It’s probably my lack of knowledge of Union tbh. I can’t really think of big offloaders in Union but I don’t really watch any nowadays, so maybe the games changed. If it’s not in a ruck/mail in the middle of the field and it does make it’s way out wide to the three quarters (I’d imagine KPP would be a centre), they always seem to pass with no traffic near them or just go to ground and try and keep the ball.

Will Carling and Dewi Morris were still playing the last time I watched anything more than a couple of minutes mind.

Re: Warrington pre season : Tue Feb 01, 2022 10:28 pm  

I watched the highlights of the Warrington game earlier (watched the full game. Live), definitely some nice touches, we looked like a team that had ideas. We looked like a team with a set of props.

I'm definitely not getting carried away claiming we will win anything, but we will definitely appear less clueless and will definitely be more entertaining. The team looks more like team, especially in attack.