There must have been a plan for early injury to an outside back v St Helens. My guess is that Hughes or Thompson would have gone to Centre and that Goodwin would move. This had to be so that G King could be included as an extra forward.

vs. Wigan
Patton has to play in case we lose Clark early on.
My preference would be to bring in Atkins for G King. But I wouldn't think the plan that we had for the Semi will change. I think it's risky.

Definitely not Thaler. He cannot manage the PTB and it will kill us if he refs. I think Hicks is a better option at least he tries to keep the game going. Wigan will be doing the 3 men in the tackle slowly getting off but still showing "movement" to the ref. Farrell will have his hands in everywhere and Lockers will be conning the ref for penalties dropping the ball in the tackle on the 5th. Discipline will be crucial.

You'd fit in really well over on Red.Vee

Agree we can't drop Toby. His defence recently has been up there with the best. We can't split the King brothers as it's one of the mental battles of wanting to do their absolute best to win the game along with lets do it for Jon.

We could buy George King I suppose. Win the GF and Wakey will want 6 figures for him

Probably be thaler as hicks got the Wembley gig and Wigan like Thaler if Friday against cas is owt to go by

The Pies will hit us hard like the last time, they will play the dark arts and all be running at the ref at every decision he makes. We have to be whiter than white in every thing and crucially find a way of breaking down their line defence. Prayer beads are out and ready!

I'd go the opposite way, play them at their own game, you fall and stumble over any er that's in the ruck, you play the ball into them, if lockers is on his knees to the side of the acting half obstructing the pass, he gets a rhino ball right in the kisser. Penalty to us.

Except, chances are they'll go back to enforcing that properly, this week .

God you really cant count on them can you.

The fittest team available will be the key ,no room for injuries. It 's 80 minutes from a trophy & the team need to do what Roosters did to Melbourne , full on attack & ruthless defence & knock Wigan out of their stride. The ref will be another matter but it would be nice to see one pull Wigan for moving forward off the mark at the ptb to get a penalty.

Leave the team as it is..Trust the boys who beat the top team and not try and shoehorn Ryan Atkins in.

Think it will be Thaler who gets this gig as Hicks did the CC Final this year and he is due one. Open invitation for Wigan to carry on with the "Dark Arts".

I think we should give away a few early penalties by mimicking and exaggerating the Wigan techniques such that the referee hopefully will find it hard to ignore when they start using them.

I thought Childs might get it.

He got the final last year. Doesn't seem to have been around many of the big games this year, apart from a VR perspective

Really don't understand this obsession Wire fans have with constantly wanting to shoehorn Atkins into the side. No, no, no and no. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. We've played and looked our best this year when he's been sat in the stands. He wastes more chances than he finishes and he's a right scav on the ball. More interested in his own personal glory and pulling stupid faces when he scores than doing the best thing for the team.

We'd have won the GF in 2016 if he passed the ball instead of trying to go it alone.

Why on gods green earth would you even think about, suggest or consider dropping an actual forward from the team at to accommodate a hit and miss Centre into the second row? In the Grand final, when he's never played there in his life. The mind boggles.

Because his back is knackered from that game at Widnes where Houston ran into him twice. The rumor is, I believe, that he has taken legal action against the incident.

I am sure you a referring to Phil Bentham!!!

Ahhhhh Bentham... I thought it was Thaler! never mind

I think most of the ideas where based on the need for having cover for the outside backs in case of an early injury. Am I right in thinking that you don't rate Atkins then?

I think its mainly Smiffy and W71... everybody else has got it.

No I don't. Cover in the outside backs would come just as easy having Patton on the bench. If worst came to worst, and we needed a centre huges would have to fill in. Clark would go to 13 (like he has done quite alot this year, and Patton would jump in at hooker with the loose filling second row.

Atkins on the bench would be a complete waste of time. to bring him on at centre would disrupt the team by un-necissarily moving players about. bringing him on at 2nd row would disrupt the team because... HE. HAS. NEVER. PLAYED. THERE.

Oi

Keep the winning side.

So basically play it like you normally do then. You do watch your own team don't you? Ryan Atkins 'dive at the play the ball' was used as an instructional video by Tom Daley at this years Olympics and as for Ben Westwood, Chris Hill etc. the less said the better! Grow a pair you soft melts. You're starting to sound like Saints fans!

you must be a part time wigan fan since you didn't mention blake green in that rant.

Just to clarify. I want us to pick a threequarter in the 4 subs. It is far too risky to pick three forwards plus Patton. We need to plan for injuries. My favourite choice would be Atkins.

Why is it too risky? it's more risky asking Clark to play 80 minutes at hooker. what if clark gets injured? who goes to 9? Brown or Roberts? Right ok, who then steps into the halves? Ratch? Right ok, who then goes to fullback? A winger? Right ok, who then moves to the wing?... Think about it.

Having a centre on the bench is laughable.