INCREASED versatility and experience within the Warrington Wolves squad appear to be the reasons why two half-backs have been allowed to leave ahead of the 2021 season.

But it does raise a question about another area of the field.

Scrum-half and stand-off are key positions for any team, speciality roles that make a team tick with their kicking game, organisational abilities and line-break potential as well as being able to defend.

Such quality performers do not grow on trees.

Dec Patton had been The Wire's back-up half but his contract was not renewed and he will be plying his trade at Salford Red Devils this season.

So a few eyebrows were probably raised yesterday when rookie number six Riley Dean, a highly regarded young pretender with two Super League games under his belt so far, was released to York City Knights on loan for the year – albeit with a two-week callback clause in the deal should The Wire hit into problems with injuries.

International stars Blake Austin and Gareth Widdop, who didn't hit it off together as often as everyone would have liked in their first season together in 2020, will again be the men in the shirts and will be pivotal to The Wire's ambitions.

However, it seems unlikely there will be a player sat in the stands waiting for one of them to sustain injury or run into poor perform to take their place. In some ways that's a good thing, because whoever steps in is unlikely to be rusty with their match fitness.

Instead, it looks apparent head coach Steve Price would have to shuffle his troops.

It would seem likely that Stefan Ratchford or Greg Inglis would be the go-to men to provide cover – unless there is a surprise in store and impact hooker Danny Walker gets to show his potential worth in the role.

Ratchford and Inglis are world-class talents to call on though, and The Wire are fortunate to have such luxurious alternatives even though the departure from their expected starting positions would leave big holes to fill.

Moving Ratchford, a consistently high performer at full-back, does make room for Matty Ashton to slot in at the back after he made such an immediate impact in his first year with the club after having stepped up from the Championship with Swinton Lions.

And there is additional cover there in the shape of up-and-coming Josh Thewlis, Australian utility Jake Mamo and Inglis, though the Kangaroos Test legend looks destined to be in the centres in his comeback from retirement and his first crack at Super League.

But if Ratchford and either Austin/Widdop should happen to be sidelined at the same time, and touch wood The Wire have a good year with injuries and this doesn't happen, Inglis looks the likely man to step in.

And then The Wire would start to look thin on the ground for out-and-out centres, and this is as long as all goes well for Inglis after having retired and not played for so long.

With Toby King the other dead cert and Keanan Brand having gone on loan to Leigh Centurions for the 2021 season, it would seem Mamo is next in line and has shown he is very capable in the position but after him Price would be looking at rookie Nathan Roebuck, who so far has just one Super League appearance on the wing, or instead any number of second-rowers needing to be asked to play a little wider.

Jack Hughes, Ben Currie, Connor Wrench and Ellis Longstaff would be the likely candidates, unless The Wire have a trick up their sleeves and are looking at Sitaleki Akauola as a possible suitor – after all, the Tongan was granted limited game time in the pack last season and was handed one start on the wing.

It is a squad game, it is accepted that versatility is required, and in many ways The Wire have covered themselves by being able to call Dean back from his experience-gathering mission at York at two weeks' notice.

But is centre a position where you really want back-rowers?

If The Wire are going to fill one of their two remaining quota positions as the season unfolds another centre option would seem a good shout.