21 June 2023 , 12:32
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Warrington boss Daryl Powell has expressed his dismay at the murky Josh McGuire saga and says the club is now redoubling efforts to find a replacement.
The controversial Aussie forward, 33, has headed home after leaving Wolves by “mutual agreement” this week. The decision came after ex-Queensland State of Origin star McGuire racked up a staggering 19 games worth of bans in just two separate instances of using unacceptable language on the field this term. World Cup winner McGuire had only arrived on a two-year deal in the autumn as part of Powell’s rebuild to try and turn Warrington into title winners. But the expensive flop played just seven games in his brief five month stint.
McGuire had a chequered disciplinary record in the NRL and, asked how disappointing the situation was and if it was always a risk signing him, Powell replied: “I don’t want to go into that too much. The water is under the bridge. It is what it is. I am disappointed it came to this.
“We wanted him to come and be a huge part of what we were going to do and that hasn’t materialised for different reasons that everyone knows. I am disappointed. It leaves us really light in the middle unit and has an impact on everyone else which is a further disappointment for us.”
Warrington's Josh McGuire before his exit (Olly Hassell/SWpix.com)Powell had already seen New Zealander prop Thomas Mikaele head back to the NRL in April for “family reasons” leaving two big holes in his pack. Warrington, who crashed out of the Challenge Cup quarter-finals with a limp display against 12-man Wigan on Sunday, are joint-top of Super League ahead of Friday’s trip to Castleford but out of form.
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Powell hopes to have scrum-half Josh Drinkwater fit enough to return in that game while he remains on the search for new forwards. He said: “We have got two quota spots so we are looking. We’re looking all the time. But we don’t want to make a rash decision. We’ve got Lucas Green who’s come into the team and done a decent job as a young player coming through so I’m keen to give those guys opportunities. They have got to hold their own in there and Lucas has done OK. He’s done a pretty good job but we are looking pretty hard at the moment.”