Warrington coach Paul Cullen admits he needed to revamp his squad this winter to ease the burden on inspirational skipper Lee Briers.
Half-back Briers, 29, has been a key player for the Wolves for close to a decade but Cullen accepts there has been an over-reliance on him in recent seasons.
Cullen has tried to address the problem by recruiting in a number of key positions and superstar Australian centre Matt King heads an impressive clutch of new signings.
Winger Chris Hicks, second row Louis Anderson and another half-back in Michael Monaghan will also increase Cullen's options having arrived from the crack NRL competition Down Under.
Cullen said: "Lee briers has definitely been over burdened, he has been overused.
"It is not by design, it is simply the way it has worked out.
"Instinctively, we have hit him on too many occasions because he - and Martin Gleeson - demand the ball more than any other players we have got.
"When he's been good, we've been good but he has played on far too many occasions when he has been carrying injuries and has been flat.
"When he has been flat, we've been flat. We needed to address that balance.
"On paper the squad is much stronger, but it is probably more important that it is more balanced. One thing follows another.
"It now gives us an opportunity with the likes of Kevin Penny on the left wing, Matt King at left centre, Louis Anderson at left second row and Michael Monaghan at scrum-half to have more strings to our bow."
Warrington open their Super League XIII campaign when Hull visit the Halliwell Jones Stadium on February 8.
They will step up their preparations with a friendly against Leigh on Boxing Day but the new signings are unlikely to feature at this early stage of pre-season.
Nevertheless Cullen is confident his men will be up to speed by the start of the campaign - as they cannot afford anything less.
Warrington were hampered by injuries throughout last season and ultimately missed out on a play-off spot by a single point.
Cullen added: "We need to be ready to hit the ground running. I don't see any side that is going to be weaker this year than last.
"It is important we start well and stay healthy. The margins are getting tighter every single season and we have not stood still."
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