We had this debate when Fa'afili was shipped out in favour of Hicks. Fa'afili had scored 70 tries in 91 games for Warrington and was top scorer in the league in his last season, a lot of our fans were sceptical about the wisdom of replacing him with a 30 year old Australian. Hicks then went on to have a better try scoring rate than Fa'afili did.

Joel Monaghan is 5 years younger than Hicks and had a better scoring record in the NRL, that doesn't guarantee he will do better in England but comparing Monaghan in 2011 to Hicks in 2008-10 is a false comparison, the choice was between Monaghan in 2011 and what Hicks would have done in 2011....he was at the end of the day going to be a 34 year old winger.

I'm not whinging about the signing of Monaghan, Sal, but, at the end of a certain day in August, a 34 year old winger scored a hat-trick of VERY DIFFICULT tries against the current Super League champions.
I just feel that this whole episode is beginning to "smell a little" and I don't like it.
P.S. I hope Monaghan turns out to be as good a replacement for Hicks, as Hicks was for Fa'afili

Looks like he could be off to Paramatta! http://www.warrington-worldwide.co.uk/a ... Page1.html

Looks like he could be off to Paramatta! http://www.warrington-worldwide.co.uk/a ... Page1.html

he was always going to sign for another club.... lets face it.. he has plenty of rugby left in him... im just glad its in the NRL and not SL.

Good luck to him. Wish we could have kept both!!

we might well of had both if the situation had arisen earlier before we signed hodgson

I don't think there's any underhand dealings, I don't see who the loser is.

If Hicks has had a payoff from Warrington and ends up back home in Australia near his family, playing a final season in the NRL, then looks like he's laughing.

If as rumoured Chris has had a payoff from Warrington and he is then able to play a season in the NRL I would imagine he would be chuffed with that arrangement.

He would getting two years pay for one years work

Hodgson was the missing player we need to improve our position. By signing both Hicks & Monaghan would not have improved the team.

It looks obvious to me Warrington and hicks have come some financial agreement on the condition he doesn't play for another SL club,we get Joel instead of Hicks for next year with the possibility of future years with improved terms when there is more room on the salary cap.Hicks get's to go back home paid up.It's a shame because he was such a popular player but hopefully Joel will be outstanding for Warrington next year.