Warrington Wolves are set for a major recruitment drive in 2026 in the forwards, following the announcement of Paul Vaughan’s move to York Knights next season.
The 34-year-old has been one of the Wolves’ most consistent performers since his arrival in 2023, making 76 appearances so far.
Head coach Sam Burgess is losing plenty of experience in Vaughan, as well as missing out on Hull FC prop Liam Knight, who the Wolves boss was said to be keen on signing, has decided to remain at the Black and Whites in 2026.
In 2025, Burgess has had to shuffle his forward pack on multiple occasions due to injuries, with Ben Currie being the club’s only ever-present in 2025.
However, despite losing Vaughan’s experience, 2026 could be a year of a fire-powered pack for the Wolves, but they could be light on numbers, so Burgess is likely to add at least two more players.
Warrington Wolves potential forward pack for 2026
Whilst the club has already announced the signing of Tevita Pangai Jr from Catalans, Burgess could be looking overseas to bolster his pack.
There are also reports that Liam Byrne from Wigan Warriors is also joining Warrington from next season, so there’s no doubt they’re going for size and experience, alongside current Warrington props James Harrison and Joe Philbin.
The Wolves have signed Salford Red Devils forward Sam Stone and Parramatta Eels second-rower Ryan Matterson on loan deals until the end of the season, but it remains to be seen if either of them will stay beyond this season.
Second-rower Tom Whitehead is set to join Hull KR from 2026, so they could be light on numbers, with just Ben Currie, Lachlan Whitehead, and Adam Holroyd.
However, it looks like they might need a couple more options in both the front and back row to provide competition for places and cover for injuries.
John
July 27, 2025 at 1:58 pm
The problem isn’t in the forwards, or the backs!