Ilford WT fibre is a lovely paper, with plenty of contrast and bright singing highlights. I have found that the developer does make a difference. In Neutol WA it goes slightly warm, but then goes a cool purple in Maco selenium. I like it better in Ilford's own warmtone developer which gives a warmer tone than Neutol WA, and goes even warmer when selenium toned.
Forte PWT is a very nice paper and its old fashioned look is perfect for some subjects, but Ilford WT has more "zing" and has been my paper of choice for a while now. Whether it is the best replacement for PWT I couldn't say as I've not used some other papers. I am more than happy with Ilford WT.
Alan Clark