I like Ratchford but Thewlis' kick percentage has improved a lot recently.

If we played Ratchford anywhere in our back-line, he will be targeted and exploited by Wigan.

I am pretty sure Musgrove will play. He is big, very experienced and perhaps a bit more motivated with silverware on offer.

It sounds as though Crowther is fit again and on the basis of his workaholic contributions this year I would expect him to play.

Bullock had a good game on his last outing but his defence worries me. He tends to be a bit flat footed. And why has he just managed to turn his performance up a notch a third of the way through the season ?

Holroyd still needs to put on muscle as he is a bit too light taking the ball up. His tackling however is really motoring and Im looking forward to seeing him next year.

So for me, it's a toss up between leaving Holroyd or Bullock out of the 17. My guess is that Holroyd will drop out, but who knows ?

Only two players remains from the 2019 CC Final winning team. Ben Currie and Toby King.

It was a shoulder injury for Crowther but you are right regarding going straight back into the team. Wrench is in that position now of waiting for his chance again. Under Price and most definitely Powell (Mata’utia) they would go straight back in regardless of form or not.

Spoken with a few people who think he should play for his goal kicking being that it’s a final. Where would you play him he is not going to replace current centres and other options well the player are doing well there to which would leave a bench spot but that would be a waste.

Not least because, if he was picked for his goal kicking, he'd need to be on the field all of the time.

Crowther will be straight back in to the 17. Burgess loves him.

The team picks itself IMO. The only question mark is Wood or Bullock on the bench and I think he'll go with Bullock.

Yeah I agree with you. If Thewlis had not improved his kicking then there would be a case for Ratch over Tai.

Just watch Thewlis shank a vital one tomorrow

For evidence of shanking a vital one under pressure, I refer you to the kick that would have given Stef the world record! Shows that it can happen to even the best.

and by comparison it wasn't a difficult kick

For me it’s hard to drop anyone out but, I can see the positives in playing Stef. Might need the extra experience in the final and he can also kick. But also with saying that, there has to come a time when we use a new kicker and Thewlis has been on the money for me.

Tough one to call but in Sam we trust. Hoping for a cracker of a game. Now the wire.

Sam will pick what he thinks is the best team on the day and hopefully they will all bust a gut for the Primrose & Blue!

That will do for me.....Come on you Wire!

It’s not a tough one to call - Ratchford should be nowhere near that 17 and thankfully I think Burgess would agree. He was the worst Wire player last week, luckily for him Rocky Hampshire made him look good. Ratchford should be behind glass only to be broken in case of an emergency.

It's tricky with Ratchford the connection is an emotional one I remember sat close to the pitch at OT in 2013 watching him come back to the sidelines in his boot and felt his frustration in not being able to directly influence the game. Being the best player on the pitch in the 2018 gf and still losing. We want him to do well and have the success he deserved.

Truth is though as others have said he's not in the best 17 in the club anymore and although i still feel he has a job to play in the squad he isn't in our strongest 17 and shouldn't play.

This is true. Stef at the moment is reminding me of when Ben Westwood was in his final season with us. We admire and respect them for how excellent they have been over many years, and it's always good to have them around, but time catches up with everyone. As Ratticus said in an earlier comment, Stef is still there if we need him in an emergency, but with fine young players coming through, the times when we will need Stef are now becoming less frequent.

I’ll be honest I’m up for this game. I have a lot of confidence in this side. If Stef plays or not I hope he’s touching that cup.

Up the wire.

Defend as we did against Catalans, and the world's our lobster. We'll always create chances especially on the roomy pitch at Wembley, gotta think Dufty, Ashton et al will relish it. Flip side, so will French and Field if we let them.

Just need to keep calm and trust the process and all will be well. NTW!

Thewlis has kicked very solidly this season, Ratchford is only marginally better than him and therefore doesn't play unless we have injury problems.

I'm confident we'll win this game, but we'll lose it should the match day squad worry over the competence of our goalkicker. They won't be worried about, and nor will I.

We need to shut down Smith and French quickly - Smith controlling the game and kicking and French for being generally dangerous. I don't really worry too much about Field. I saw a post recently comparing his stats to Dufty and he didn't come anywhere close, especially in line breaks, tackle busts and metres. Other than that, control the ruck and i think we will win this.

It's sod's law though that he'll suddenly pop up tomorrow and have a stormer. Hopefully not, obviously! And with any luck, Marshall isn't 100%.

Starting 13 as expected.

Bench
Musgrove
Powell
Bullock
Crowther

No Holroyd

Shame for Holroyd, great news for Bullock. Hope Musgrove makes the most of the faith put in him.

Personally I’d start to be looking at Holroyd ahead of Crowther in the pecking order.

You are spot on mate, Crowther is not good enough for a top team. 100% player but doesn’t have the attributes that are required.