Warrington Wolves coach Daryl Powell was left to rue his side’s fragility after a second defeat of the season by his former club Castleford, while Wakefield’s win over Hull KR left them second-bottom.
It was a second successive loss and sixth in seven outings for Warrington, who led 12-0 at half-time at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
It’s been a highly disappointing first campaign for Powell, who left Castleford at the end of last season to succeed Steve Price on a three-year contract and has been tasked with delivering a first title since 1955.
It ends with games at Huddersfield today (Monday, August 29) and Salford on Saturday, and a major squad overhaul is already under way.
“We are a fragile team at the moment and it’s not a new story, it’s obvious to see. What we have done all year happened again (against Castleford),” he said.
“We have two games left and are going to have to dig unbelievably deep because of where the boys are at.
“We need to show we have tough human beings in our club because that’s what Rugby League is all about.”
Having already brought in Canterbury Bulldogs fullback Matt Dufty, Wests Tigers prop Thomas Mikaele and Wigan second rower Matty Nicholson, the Wolves are adding four international forwards in the formidable shape of Catalans pair Sam Kasiano (New Zealand and Samoa) and Gil Dudson (Wales), St George Illawarra Dragons’ Josh McGuire (Samoa and New Zealand) and Canterbury’s Paul Vaughan (Italy and Australia).
Frontrower Mike Cooper has already left for Wigan, who will also take centre Toby King, currently on loan at Huddersfield (with Jake Wardle at Warrington as part of the agreement), for the whole of the 2023 campaign.
And it’s been confirmed that captain and versatile forward Jack Hughes, former NRL halfback Gareth Widdop, loose-forwards Matt Davis and Jason Clark and prop Robbie Mulhern will all leave at the end of the season.
The Wolves have also agreed full-time contracts with eight Academy graduates – centre Jack Darbyshire, hooker Aiden Doolan, halfback Leon Hayes, second row Adam Holroyd, winger Josh Lynch, prop Jamie Reddecliff, centre Jake Thewlis and frontrower Luke Thomas.
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