WHEN everything is put on the table, the signing of Josh Drinkwater appears to make a lot of sense.

Warrington Wolves are bringing in a half-back who is extensively proven at Super League level with a style of play that fits what they need.

Of course, there will be those who question the move but I for one cannot remember a signing that has ever been universally popular.

In short, Drinkwater is a player brought in to try and bring the best out of others as much as himself.

An “old-fashioned scrum-half” whose strengths lie in his organisational play and kicking game, he could be just the man to steer the sizeable pack Wire have assembled around the field.

Is he the kind of player Warrington have been missing? There are plenty who say he is.

While he is a player capable of greatly influencing games in his own right, the great hope among those both on the terraces and in the corridors of power is that Drinkwater can help bring the best out of George Williams.

Let’s have it right, the England man is Wire’s prized asset and their chances of making a success of 2023 hinge greatly on whether or not he fires.

His escapades with the national team at the Rugby League World Cup have demonstrated – if it wasn’t already clear – just how dangerous Williams can be behind a dominant pack and with the right partner alongside him.

At times in 2022, Williams played as if carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders so if Drinkwater can come in and lighten that load, it can only be a good thing.

“But what about Leon Hayes?” I hear some of you ask and it is true – if Wire were after a left-footed general, they have an exciting, homegrown one sitting right under their noses.

The 18-year-old is undoubtedly the future of this club’s half-back position and he will be given plenty more chances in the short and medium-term, but Drinkwater’s arrival will allow him to develop a little more at his own pace.

A bit of a flick through social media will find some comparison’s being drawn to the signing of Kurt Gidley for the 2016 season and in many ways, I can see the resemblance.

Now I am not for one minute saying the two men’s careers and statures within the wider game are in any way comparable, but hear me out…

When Gidley arrived, he took on the role of organiser-in-chief within the Wire side to allow Chris Sandow to wreak havoc alongside him.

It worked a treat, with some sparkling rugby produced before injuries suffered by both players at various points put the skids under their partnership.

If Drinkwater can play a similar role in enabling Wire’s most precious attributes for a more sustained period, the signing can only be hailed as a positive one.

As ever though, actions speak so much louder than words.