Q&A with Warrington Wolves head coach Daryl Powell

MP: What a boost for Friday's game against Wigan and of course beyond that the deals for George Williams and Paul Vaughan have been extended?

DP: Two class players. George is in unbelievable form this season and we all know how good he is, and he's been super consistent and super competitive.

I think it's unbelievable news for us obviously, and for the game in this country as well that a player who is right at the top of his game has committed to stay with the club.

Paul Vaughan’s been exceptional since he joined us. He’s been exceptionally consistent, he’s challenged every defensive line and his exits are fantastic.

Both are in different positions in the team but nevertheless two real crucial re-signings.

Vaughany’s come in fresh and the fact that he wants to stay shows that we're on the right track. That's awesome that he's done that.

I think with George he's someone who would have been in demand pretty much everywhere in the world of rugby league, including Australian clubs. He keeps getting asked the question about that, having played Down Under previously.

It’s probably doubly impressive for us that he's decided to stay, based on the fact that he would be in such demand.

It all says a lot about the playing group and what they're doing, and the club as a whole, that players of this calibre want to be part of what we're doing at the club.

MP: The fans can see what George Williams and Paul Vaughan are producing on the pitch, but they must be bringing so much to the dressing room and training field as well. Can you provide a flavour of that?

DP: Paul’s personality is great, he's a pretty relaxed and calm individual and clearly very experienced. He’s played at the highest level internationally, so he brings a lot of experience and he’s a great guy to have around the place.

George has grown as a leader. We all know he’s a champion player, but I think he's growing to be a leader that everybody looks towards.

He leads by example with what he does on the field, but what he says off the field is carrying a hell of a lot of weight.

I think for George, it’s a development area. It's something that he hasn't always had as part of his game but it’s certainly growing now.

Both of them are massively well respected and George’s voice within the group is huge.

MP: And no doubt the pair are acting as role models for the younger players at the club?

DP: 100 per cent, both are really good professional players.

There are different types of players, some professional ones who get away with a hell of a lot and can still play at a high level.

These guys are top-quality professional players who will show young players the way they prepare themselves, the way they look after themselves, how diligent they are with getting themselves ready to play the game.

So they’re great role models for the club. I think there's an unbelievable job being done with youth development at the moment and these guys as role models play a big part in that.

MP: And for you as head coach, you have certainly been given the backing of the owners and board from day one in terms of bringing in and keeping the players you need - that must be pleasing?

DP: I don’t need to delve into the happenings of last year, but we had the commitment from everybody – the board and the management of the club – with regards to holding their nerves around a tough rebuild. And of course allowing us to re-sign these guys, so their commitment to the club is fantastic.

I think they'll want to give the fans the very best on the field. There is a great feel and vibe around the club at the moment and there’s a whole number of reasons behind that, where Stuart (Middleton), Simon (Moran) and Mike (Lomax) alongside Fitzy (Karl Fitzpatrick) are doing a fantastic job in allowing us to maintain the quality squad that we’ve got, while we’ll also be looking to build and grow off that.

MP: There are players who are out of contract at the end of this year, so can it be assumed that talks are ongoing?

DP: We haven’t got a massive amount off contract this year. I think we’ve been really proactive with recruitment and retention ever since I’ve been at the club, and we saw that with the squad we put together this year, and we’re continuing to work really hard in that area.

MP: With having lost the services of prop Gil Dudson for five matches through suspension, has it heightened the search to find a replacement for the recently released front-rower Thomas Mikaele?

DP: The one thing you don't want to do is to have any knee-jerk reactions.

Clearly we're a little bit skinny in that area at the moment – Joe Philbin's got a two-match suspension as well so we are a little bit light but that doesn't change the fact that whatever decision you make it needs to be the right decision.

And you also need to give an opportunity to young players to show what they can do.

Lucas Green’s got a very strong chance of playing this week. He was out in France with us last week and that would have been a tough game to put him in. As head coach I need to get that balance right, giving opportunity to young players but mindful that we don’t want to leave ourselves too light.

We've got a couple of players coming back after the international break, Jimmy Harrison and Joe Bullock. And a couple of suspensions to come back as well.

If I ever manage to get our best team on the field we’ll be in a great place. But the boys who have been out there have done a class job so far.

MP: I do need to ask you about Gil Dudson's sending off for punching Tom Johnstone while he was on the ground in a tackle. Were you disappointed by Gil's actions and how do you feel about the whole scenario?

DP: It's not great on the eye and Gil knows that. We went to the disciplinary and held our hands up, because it’s not something that you can be doing nowadays in rugby league. And yes, fully apologetic about that.

Gil’s had a couple of bits that’s put him under a bit of pressure off the field, but I won't go into any detail on that. He just reacted in an emotional way and I think there’s a lesson there for Gil.

Sometimes these emotional reactions happen, whilst we don't want it to.

He was getting a fair bit of stick from the fans over there as well so that reaction that was seen to the television camera wasn't to the camera, it wasn't a flippant one, it was a reaction to the abuse he was getting from the fans. I don’t want any misconception around that.