IT'S MY VIEW: Goodbye Micky, thanks for the memories

MICKY Higham will be missed, there’s no doubt about that.

Not just for his talent on the field, but his bubbly personality off it and all the experience he brought to Warrington Wolves during one of the most successful periods in the club’s history.

It didn’t start that way for the former Leigh, St Helens and Wigan hooker, whose seven seasons in primrose and blue ended prematurely this week with the return to his home-town club.

Although scoring for boss James Lowes on his debut in a narrow defeat to St Helens in the 2009 season opener at Knowsley Road, things rapidly went downhill for the team in the lead-up to Tony Smith’s arrival as head coach three weeks later.

Higham was then very much a cornerstone of the Warrington team that ended the 35-year wait for Challenge Cup success in 2009, the historic back-to-back Wembley triumph of 2010, the League Leaders’ Shield glory of 2011 and the Grand Final appearances of 2012 and 2013.

His work at the ruck in tandem with Jon Clarke or Michael Monaghan over that period got the team off on the right foot, ensuring fast and efficient provision of the ball from dummy half for the first receiver or exploding away to gain the team valuable metres at the start of an attacking set.

And in defence he has always tackled above his weight, working tirelessly.

At the end of the 2013 season he deservedly received the Wolves player of the year crown and, as the form hooker in Super League, could consider himself to have been unlucky not to sway the selection choice of England coach Steve McNamara for the World Cup.

With Clarke and Monaghan having moved on, this season 34-year-old Higham’s influence at number 9 has been a key ingredient to the mix and helping to mentor younger players – including the settling in process for reigning Man of Steel Daryl Clark following his signing from Castleford Tigers.

He said at the start of this year that he wanted to offer more in a leadership role, and it did not impact on his form because he was man of the match the last time he pulled on the Warrington shirt in the home defeat to Hull on May 10.

Wolves have had great service out of Higham, 175 games in total with 37 tries to boot.

And it could be argued that receiving £50,000 for a player who will be out of contract at the end of the year is good business.

It’s a shame his departure was not less controversial in its manner, Tony Smith claiming Leigh’s approach that was unknown to him being disruptive to the squad and no doubt his plans for the rest of the year.

And it is disappointing for the fans that they will not get to send him off with a rousing lap of honour, something that has been all too common with some departing players in recent times.