IF you can’t beat them, sign them?
Warrington Wolves feel they should be where Catalans Dragons are i.e., challenging for the game’s top honours.
So in the most basic of senses, the addition of two big components – literally and figuratively – of the Dragons’ winning machine should at least send them off in the right direction, shouldn’t it?
There is, of course, a lot more to it than that but Daryl Powell has shown his hand in terms of the kind of player he wants in his pack.
They got a taste of what Sam Kasiano and Gil Dudson are about a couple of weeks ago as they piled through the Warrington middle in Perpignan, and everyone of a Wire persuasion hopes they can look forward to that kind of display more often.
Sam Kasiano put in a dominant display for Catalans against Warrington earlier this month. Picture by SWPix.com
In Kasiano, they have certainly signed one of Super League’s most imposing figures at 6ft 5ins and tipping the scales at nearly 20 stone.
Supporters have been craving the signing of a ‘monster prop’ in the mould of the big Kiwi and now, they have the man himself.
It is not just his size that stands out, however – he has shown on more than one occasion that his offload game and sleight of hand can cause major issues, especially given he tends to attract three or four defenders in every tackle.
There will be those that question these signings particularly in terms of age – both players will be 32 by the time they arrive at The Halliwell Jones Stadium.
Dudson in particular would probably fly under the radar and would not be particularly high on the wish lists of those in the terraces.
Having started the past two Super League Grand Finals, however, he is a man who has become accustomed to operating in the type of occasions Warrington are aiming to get back to.
Gil Dudson. Picture by SWPix.com
While Kasiano will probably be expected to come off the bench, the onus will likely be on Dudson to lay the groundwork from the off and be the kind of solid starting middle that Mike Cooper and Chris Hill have been throughout the years.
Whether Dudson, Kasiano and Wests Tigers powerhouse Thomas Mikaele are being brought in to supplement Cooper or offset his departure remains to be seen, although rumours of him opting to leave upon the expiry of his contract are starting to accelerate.
The future of Robbie Mulhern is as yet unclear, too, but with the aforementioned three plus Joe Philbin, Joe Bullock and James Harrison all tied down for 2023, the front row appears well stocked in terms of personnel.
Now, we wait to see how it works in practice.
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