Warrington Wolves' full-back options assessed - who could replace Dufty?
Stefan Ratchford is among the options to replace the injured Matt Dufty at full-back (Image: Paul Currie/SWpix.com)
AS they pick up their Super League campaign again, Warrington Wolves will do so with a fresh injury to a key player.
Full-back Matt Dufty fractured his eye socket during Saturday's Challenge Cup Final defeat following a head-on-head collision with Hull KR's James Batchelor, who received a Grade C head contact charge and five penalty points as a result.
Advertisement
After the game, Sam Burgess said they would be without the Australian for 'a while,' with a further update on his condition expected this afternoon when Burgess addresses the media to preview the trip to Leeds Rhinos this weekend.
Matt Dufty is treated for the injury he suffered at Wembley (Image: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com) At the very least, The Wire can plan to be without Dufty for the game at Headingley, which brings about the question of how he will be replaced.
The waters are muddied given youngster Cai Taylor-Wray, who has established himself as Dufty's understudy, is also injured – he tore his hamstring playing for the reserves back in April and is not expected to play again this season.
Oli Leyland also has history of playing at full-back but his season is also over having suffered an ACL injury, meaning Burgess' options have narrowed.
Advertisement
Below, we look at some of the potential solutions he could opt for…
STEFAN RATCHFORD
The veteran utility man replaced Dufty for the latter stages at Wembley having been named on the bench primarily as half-back and centre cover given George Williams and Toby King's fragility as they returned from injury.
Simply drafting him in from the start would cause the least disruption to other areas of the team in terms of selection – he would simply move from the bench to the starting side, with Max Wood then seemingly favourite to take his interchange spot.
Full-back has been his most common position during his long Warrington career – of his 351 appearances for the club, more than half (182) have seen him start in the number one shirt.
Advertisement
However, the last of those starts at the back came nearly three years ago during a 35-22 defeat at Castleford Tigers in July 2022.
Stefan Ratchford could slot into full-back having played extensively in the halves during 2025 in George Williams' absence (Image: Paul Currie/SWpix.com)
JOSH THEWLIS
Another option could be moving Josh Thewlis into the position many had earmarked him for long-term as he became an established first-teamer.
As recently as the start of last year, the expectation was that Thewlis was next in line for the club's number one jersey, but Dufty's resurgence in form and the emergence of Taylor-Wray through the academy means his future is set to lie on the wing.
Advertisement
However, he remains a natural full-back and would no doubt relish the prospect of more time in a position he is still keen to play in.
Moving Thewlis to full-back would create an opening on the right wing, which would likely be filled by either his younger brother Jake or Connor Wrench, who made two bright appearances against Wakefield and Hull KR having recovered from his second ACL injury in as many years.
His last start at full-back came in June 2023 during a 22-6 defeat to Leeds Rhinos at The Halliwell Jones Stadium.
Wembley try-scorer Josh Thewlis spent his academy and early first-team career at full-back before moving to the wing (Image: Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com)
FLYNN HOLDEN
No doubt the most left-field and unlikely option, but could Burgess put his faith in a youngster who has been in fine form for the academy and reserves?
Advertisement
Livewire full-back Flynn Holden has been a key part of flying starts to the season for both sides, scoring 10 tries in 11 appearances to date.
He would be making his senior debut should he be given the nod and given the more experienced options available, the likelihood is he may have to wait but Burgess has shown his willingness to put faith in the club's young talent – even this year, Holden's teammates Ewan Irwin and Zack Gardner have made their first-team debuts.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Everything Sam Burgess said after another damaging Wire defeat
Sam Burgess watched his Warrington Wolves side fall to their seventh defeat in nine Super League games (Image: Alex Whitehead/ SAM Burgess admitted Warrington Wolves got exactly what they deserved from their clash with Huddersfield Giants – nothing. Although he was critical of aspects of referee James Vella's performance – particularly the penalising of Jordy Crowther in the lead up to the Giants' second try – he offered no excuses for what his side dished up on the field. Advertisement The Wire's 24-16 defeat at The Halliwell Jones Stadium was their seventh in nine matches and with fans booing the team off at full-time, the heat is starting to turn up on Burgess and his players. Here is everything the Wire boss said in his post-match press conference… Q: Your thoughts on the game and your side's performance first please, Sam? SB: It's a disappointing result. We didn't deserve to win – we got what we deserved. Q: You seemed to make most of the early running in the game but then conceded a breakaway try and another off a penalty – is that symptomatic of how things are falling for you at the minute? SB: Sometimes when it's not going your way, it's tough and you have to work extra hard. Advertisement The intercept try is tough because it looks like points our way, but then we couldn't quite run them down. The penalty before the second try – I'm still bemused by it. He said it was late contact but I'm not sure what's late about that. It was a kick pressure and there's so many of them in the game – it had some force in the tackle but he tackled him. In terms of every bit of guidance – the minimal you do get from the game – it was textbook kick pressure. The game was two hours long today and the control of the game was completely lost in areas. I'm not complaining or saying that's why we lost the game, but I don't think it's good enough for this level. Advertisement Q: Jordy Crowther was involved in that and another incident with Taane Milne on half time that went on report – have you been made any clearer about that? SB: There was a complaint about eye-gouging. I don't really understand it so I'm just going to be quiet. We'll see what happens. Q: You tried to fight back late – at any point did you think you were on to bring it back? SB: I don't like to live in a world of ifs and buts. We weren't good enough and we didn't deserve to win – it's as simple as that. We worked hard in areas and we did control the game with a lot of stuff, but not enough – we had too many one-on-one misses and big moments are getting the better of us. Advertisement Q: It's seven defeats in nine Super League games now – clearly a difficult run. What is causing it? Do you look at the injuries taking their toll on those left or is it something deeper that needs to be fixed and if so, how do you fix it? SB: I can't really use any excuses and I don't like using them. We just weren't good enough today – we had enough out there to win the game but for whatever reason, we didn't. Q: Where do you go from here in terms of the rest of your season? Can it be turned round and how do you go about doing so? SB: We've got to work hard. We've turned things up and we're working hard, but we've got to work a little bit harder still. Advertisement We've got stuff to work on – one-and-one stuff and other moments – and the only way we're going to get through it is by working harder. That's not going to stop. Q: You named Toby King on the wing today as you did last week – what's the thinking behind that? SB: He played there last week and it's just what I've got. I think Wrenchy is a centre so based on what we have, I thought Kingy was our best option on the wing. Q: Judging by the reaction at full time, there's clearly a lot of fans out there who are struggling to see a way forward for you and your team. What would your response to them be? SB: That's a good question. Advertisement I don't really need to say too many words about that. Our actions have to help them see a way forward. We can only fix that by moving forward, getting some work done and getting some better performances out there. Q: The next few games coming up – how crucial are they for you? SB: I'm not looking any further than review tomorrow. We've got a bit of stuff to do so we can't get caught up in that – we have to focus on what we need to do to get better, and then how we're going to do that. Q: Do you feel like because a lot of these players are playing in combinations they won't have envisaged, does that make it more difficult for it to improve? SB: I don't agree – it's their jobs to adapt. Advertisement The season is so long and everyone goes through it. We're not the only team going through it. It's their job to adapt and it's my job to coach the team to be better. And we've got to be much better – there's no doubt about that. Q: Do you think there was nervousness around the group? The outside noise from fans was that this was a game that, if they turned up properly, they would win – did that creep through? SB: Not with me and it shouldn't with anyone. Noise is noise but it's relatively quiet here compared with what I'm used to. Players really should be educated enough to understand they have to get their jobs done. Advertisement Q: You mentioned there were a lot of one-on-one misses – is that a confidence thing in part? SB: Potentially – you could see a little bit of that. There's a lot of ball on the ground, poor skill and hesitation and that's confidence. You've got to try and make it work for you and the moment, it's not. We've got to find a way to relax ourselves. Q: How do you improve that confidence? SB: I wish I knew the answer. We've got to get back to what works for us. It sounds nuts because we lost the game but there were parts of our game I liked. We were in control early in the game but had a breakaway try and then on the back of a good defensive set, we get penalised for a kick pressure. The ball went out on the full but in that set, we get scored on. We've got to be better defensively in that set but that's the first 12 points. Then we're playing catch-up and it makes it a tough day for us.
New York Post
6 hours ago
- New York Post
Nick Kyrgios takes dig at BBC and his potential on-air replacement: ‘Their loss more than mine'
Nick Kyrgios is apparently competitive on and off the tennis court. In an interview with The Guardian, Kyrgios ripped the BBC for not bringing him back as a commentator during this year's Wimbledon, taking a dig at his replacement in the process. 'I know I'm a great commentator,' Kyrgios said. 'All I've done for 20 years is play, study and breathe this sport. I also think tennis needs commentators who say things that not everyone says. 'It's unfortunate but it's probably their loss more than mine,' he continued. 'I understand they've got Chris Eubanks but he hasn't beaten the greatest of all time multiple times. When someone's beaten Federer, Nadal, Murray and Djokovic and has incredible insights, it's very strange you wouldn't want that person adding knowledge to tennis fans. Nick Kyrgios (AUS) hits a backhand against Karen Khachanov (not pictured) on day four of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium in May. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect 'I'm sure our paths will cross again. I only ever want to add humour, some knowledge and some great atmosphere.' Eubanks, an American tennis player who is ranked No. 108 in the world, has not been officially named by the network as part of their Wimbledon coverage. The Australian Kyrgios was on BBC's airwaves in London during last year's Wimbledon after he sat out due to a wrist injury. The network faced significant blowback for hiring Kyrgios for their television coverage after he previously admitted to assaulting his ex-girlfriend. Nick Kyrgios of Australia looks on during a practice session ahead of The Championships – Wimbledon 2023 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 02, 2023 in London, England. Getty Images Kyrgios, 30, has not played at Wimbledon since falling to Novak Djokovic in the 2022 final thanks to nagging injuries. He won't participate in this year's tournament after suffering yet another injury setback, this time a knee problem. 'Unfortunately, I won't make it back for grass season this year,' Kyrgios shared in an Instagram story earlier this month. 'This is just a bump in the road… I'm already working hard to get back stronger.'
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
INSTANT REACTION: Wire booed off as fans make their feelings known
Toby King is denied a try during the defeat to Huddersfield Giants (Image: Alex Whitehead/ IT was another hugely disappointing afternoon for Warrington Wolves - and their fans made their feelings known. The Wire were booed off the field at The Halliwell Jones Stadium following their seventh defeat in nine Super League games, with visitors Huddersfield Giants claiming just their second victory of the campaign. Advertisement In a game you felt they had to win, Sam Burgess' side ended up falling further adrift of the play-off spots as their season continues to be in danger of fizzling out. Check out instant social media reaction below, including the on-the-hooter thoughts of our reporter Matt Turner...
