The club legend, 35, acknowledges that he may need to adjust to the “different” situation after being left out of the thrilling victory at Hull KR, the team’s third straight under new manager Sam Burgess.
Captain Stefan Ratchford, who has been a regular at Warrington for 12 years, is having to adjust to the strange situation of knowing he isn’t a lock to start.
The former England player is unsure of when he will make his next appearance after only making one in the Wolves’ first four games of the season. It’s a hard situation to understand for a club legend who has nearly 350 appearances under his belt, two Challenge Cups, and four Grand Final appearances with Wire.
The utility back, who is oddly a year younger than his boss Sam Burgess, won’t be found debating with him, though. Burgess was once his international teammate.
The 35-year-old has lost his starting position to Connor Wrench, a gifted Academy graduate. Ratchford, who was named man-of-the-match and won the Harry Sunderland Trophy when Wolves lost the 2018 Old Trafford title final to Wigan, said, “It is a different situation for me.” This is a new situation for me.
“Before the season began, Sam and I had a discussion about how my role would likely change this year. Regretfully, I suffered an injury shortly before the season began, which caused me to miss the first few weeks. I was able to get some playing time against Castleford, and Sam was really pleased with my performance in that match.
“When Wrenchy pulled out, I shot into that right centre position. However, it’s clear that he’s been playing well, so Sam said he would insert him again, which is acceptable. There will be more opportunities to get some playing time because the year is long.
Not only is it unlikely that Ratchford, who is also a full-back, will be acquired,stand-off or loose forward, considering that Sam Powell, a former Wisconsin star, was brought in for his versatility.
And this Sunday, Warrington, who are in fine form and have already loaned out hooker Brad Dwyer (Leigh), prop Joe Bullock, and winger Matty Russell (both Hull), go to London in search of their fourth straight victory. On the first weekend, they only made a mistake against Catalans. On Thursday, they prevailed 22–20 at Hull KR.
Ratchford claims that Burgess’s decisions are supported by the entire team.
“We’re all fully on board—not just me—with not playing,” he stated. We have some guys who aren’t playing right now, but overall, our squad and group are pretty close. Everyone is aware that some players will miss out on opportunities every week. Only 17 can be chosen.
“It’s me in and out right now, but eventually someone else will be, I’m sure. Everybody is confident in the 17 players who show up on game day with the intention of winning.
Josh Drinkwater, an injured Australian playmaker, crocked and missed the victory at Rovers. George Williams, the captain of England, missed the previous two games. Burgess could have easily resorted to Ratchford’s expertise to function as a half-back. However, he decided on the 19-year-old, and Ratchford maintained that Leon was the best option.
“A natural half-back, Leon has improved over the past two years after getting a taste of game action. When George left school, he made the right decision. He’s performed admirably there, and his skill will only grow with more playing.
He mentioned that he felt pretty good about me defending alongside him [against Castleford]—that experience—and that George was his half-back partner on Thursday, so that’s another star he can grow into and learn from. He’s a fantastic young player and is currently going really well.
“We have to continue supporting him, assisting him, and making the most of him while he is here.”
