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Warrington Wolves Mike Cooper joins Wigan Warriors for 2023 season


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6 minutes ago, Waynebennettswinger said:

As an outsider looking in, he always appeared as one of Wire’s better players, so I am surprised to see him going.

Is this because the quality of those around him has deteriorated though?

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Cooper is still a good player, and easily Warrington’s best forward this season.

It would appear the reason behind his fall out with Powell is that he has been stopped from leaving training early to run his business, a practice that was previously accepted.   Looks like a small issue from the outside, but I guess Powell wants his senior players to display a good work ethic and set the bar for the younger team members.   

To be honest, a lot of fans who are more ‘in the know’ than I, have been saying that the club management has been a bit too ‘pally’ with the top players. There’s nothing wrong with a good working relationship, but you’ve got to be careful you don’t idolise or favour the ‘stars’ at the expense of the team. It’s also no secret that tue salary cap spread at Warrington is rather lob-sided.

“There is perhaps no better a demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world.”   Carl Sagan

 

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6 minutes ago, Damien said:

It's just a poor signing by Wigan. He is 34 come next season and has always been an average enough player anyway. We are not short of depth when it comes to forwards like that.

I think that might be a little unfair, he’s definitely been above average during his career. He’ll sometimes make a silly offload decision or get rattled though.

We don’t know what his deal is at Wigan. He might be on less money with the proviso that he’s a backup option and gets a bit of time off training to run his business, something that Powell definitely doesn’t buy in to.

I expect Briers has helped engineer this move. It adds a bit of strength in depth for Wigan.

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“There is perhaps no better a demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world.”   Carl Sagan

 

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he'll do well at Wigan as he'll have a good pack around him, Warrington are relying on him too much and he doesnt seem to be able to do that job (not many can to be fair). Shame to see him go as always quite liked him. 

If @Desert Skipper is right then it seems strange that there would be special rules for players. IMHO your there to play Rugby first and therefore your first priority. I know everyone needs a retirement option as its a short carrier but that has to be built up around the Rugby not the other way round. If its starting to flip over, and i totally understand that, then it sounds like someone wants their cake and eat it. I am sure another club may offer that possibility but somewhere like Warrington right now need people in the training rooms to help the team build and younger players learn from the senior players, if he cant give that commitment then probably best for both parties to part ways.

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38 minutes ago, Desert Skipper said:

I think that might be a little unfair, he’s definitely been above average during his career. He’ll sometimes make a silly offload decision or get rattled though.

We don’t know what his deal is at Wigan. He might be on less money with the proviso that he’s a backup option and gets a bit of time off training to run his business, something that Powell definitely doesn’t buy in to.

I expect Briers has helped engineer this move. It adds a bit of strength in depth for Wigan.

We don't need more strength in depth in the forwards, especially an average 34 year old. Forwards are one thing we aren't short of. If he was extra quality that would be different but he is not.

The second paragraph is certainly something Wigan shouldn't and wouldn't contemplate.

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Real puzzling signing,if we’d have brought him in 2 seasons ago to take the pressure off our young forwards I could have understood it but those “ young” forwards have plenty of Superleague experience now.

The only people looking forward to a front row of Singleton,Powell & Cooper will be the disciplinary.

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24 minutes ago, Damien said:

We don't need more strength in depth in the forwards, especially an average 34 year old. Forwards are one thing we aren't short of. If he was extra quality that would be different but he is not.

The second paragraph is certainly something Wigan shouldn't and wouldn't contemplate.

Well Wane must see something in him, having worked with him at international level. Maybe it’s his offloading game.

Anyway, it will be apparent next season.

“There is perhaps no better a demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world.”   Carl Sagan

 

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1 minute ago, Davo5 said:

The only people looking forward to a front row of Singleton,Powell & Cooper will be the disciplinary.

Pretty sure Cooper is okay in that regard.   Whilst his age is unquestionable and his quality subjective, I’m not sure there’s any evidence he’s a dirty player or picks up more bans than the average.

“There is perhaps no better a demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world.”   Carl Sagan

 

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10 hours ago, Desert Skipper said:

Cooper is still a good player, and easily Warrington’s best forward this season.

It would appear the reason behind his fall out with Powell is that he has been stopped from leaving training early to run his business, a practice that was previously accepted.   Looks like a small issue from the outside, but I guess Powell wants his senior players to display a good work ethic and set the bar for the younger team members.   

To be honest, a lot of fans who are more ‘in the know’ than I, have been saying that the club management has been a bit too ‘pally’ with the top players. There’s nothing wrong with a good working relationship, but you’ve got to be careful you don’t idolise or favour the ‘stars’ at the expense of the team. It’s also no secret that tue salary cap spread at Warrington is rather lob-sided.

If the reason he's leaving the Wolves is because Powell stopped him leaving training early to run his business, then I'm with Powell on this.

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10 hours ago, Desert Skipper said:

It would appear the reason behind his fall out with Powell is that he has been stopped from leaving training early to run his business, a practice that was previously accepted.  

If this is true then him leaving for Wigan suggests that Wigan are willing to allow him to do this which I find amazing.

Surely Wigan are right up there when it cones to attitude and professionalism.

Wasn't it hinted that Zak Hardaker got the boot because he lives in West Yorkshire and refused to return to Wigan on the team bus from a game near his home because it would only mean him having to travel back to Leeds later on the same day?

Like I said, amazing if true.

 

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1 hour ago, Old Frightful said:

Like I said, amazing if true.

If the rumours are true (and Powell says he won’t go into it) then I’d guess he’s been brought in at Wigan to provide a bit of prop experience/guidance to the younger guys, and as a playing backup, perhaps on a reduced deal that allows him scope to focus on his business also.

If it’s true, which hasn’t been confirmed, just pasted over the internet.

“There is perhaps no better a demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world.”   Carl Sagan

 

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11 hours ago, Desert Skipper said:

If the rumours are true (and Powell says he won’t go into it) then I’d guess he’s been brought in at Wigan to provide a bit of prop experience/guidance to the younger guys, and as a playing backup, perhaps on a reduced deal that allows him scope to focus on his business also.

If it’s true, which hasn’t been confirmed, just pasted over the internet.

Happy to accept some truth in the work point, but I also expect as with fans these things are blown out of proportion and context. 

I'm not sure how RL training works, but based on what you see on social media, it doesn't look like they have 9 to 5 jobs, which does give time for other activities. The three named have been some of our best (and fittest) players over the last few years, including last season. So I would expect that if players are doing other things, there is plenty of opportunity to do so without it being intrusive. These things were never mentioned before. 

But, it is Powell's prerogative to change this approach, and its right that he gets control - the one risk is that coaches do come and go based on a few results here and there, maybe he is making that impossible to happen as he has tore the squad up and is half way through a rebuild? 

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14 hours ago, The Future is League said:

If the reason he's leaving the Wolves is because Powell stopped him leaving training early to run his business, then I'm with Powell on this.

It's 2022, Mike Cooper (he/she/her/him/it/they) should be allowed to work from home 😀

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