31 January 2023 , 18:43
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Warrington signing Josh McGuire says even his own wife gets him confused with lookalike team-mate Daryl Clark.
But the main mix-up they hope to create is in opposition defences during the 2023 Betfred Super League season. The capture of experienced Australia loose forward McGuire is seen as a crucial part of Daryl Powell’s plans. And rivals might be forgiven for thinking they’re seeing double with England hooker Clark, 29, running at them, too.
The bearded duo have a striking resemblance. World Cup winner McGuire, 32, admitted: “Me and Clarkey have been mistaken for each other. Even my wife jokes about it. Apparently, I look like the younger brother so that’s nice!
"His beard’s not as big as mine but when I first got here we both had big ones so we were mistaken a bit. But I can have worse blokes to be mistaken for than Daryl Clark. With him making his dummy-half runs, I might get some extra fantasy points if it happens when we start playing! He’s been a fantastic player for a long time and is a Man of Steel so I’m super excited to play with him.”
Warrington need both to be firing as they try to recover from last year’s dismal 11th placed finish. Powell has brought in Queensland State of Origin forward McGuire from St George Illawarra, Canterbury’s ex-Kangaroos prop Paul Vaughan and Catalans trio Sam Kasiano, Gil Dudson and Josh Drinkwater to stop the rot. And Brisbane-born McGuire showed his commitment to the cause by turning down the chance to play for Samoa in last autumn's World Cup.
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Ahead of the February 16 kick-off against Leeds, McGuire explained: “I got over before the World Cup. I was going to play for Samoa but the club and I decided it was better off for me long-term to not do that and get straight into pre-season. It's been good. I feel really good, fit and ready to play some footy.”
Josh McGuire in action against England (AFP via Getty Images)But Samoa caused a stir by knocking out England to reach a first-ever final where they fell to Australia. Did McGuire, set to debut in Ben Currie’s testimonial against Leigh on Saturday, have any regrets about his decision?
The tough-tackling player, who earned seven Samoa caps before winning the 2017 World Cup with Australia, conceded: "There were pros and cons. I was definitely cheering them on and jealous of not being in the situation but also thankful for the opportunity to come play for Warrington.
“I knew how important it was to have a good pre-season. If I’d been at the club beforehand, it might have been a different story. But with not knowing anyone and the way the season went last year it’s important we have a big year.”