I really don't think sandow is fit, let's be honest we haven't missed him as much as any of us thought we would. If someone said to you just before the challenge cup final that would be Sandows last game of the season do you think you would have expected us to have played the way we have since then? Bar 20 minutes against Wigan and maybe the second half against catalans we have played really well and that's having fielded teams that we would say we're weakened every match on that time.

We are playing that well that we don't need to take the gamble. That said if sandow was fit then I am sure he will play.

Yes I've said on another thread. Sandow disappointed me at Wembley. He hasn't reversed that performance since. I didn't envision how a knock to Gidley's head could affect Sandow so badly.
I'd look to replace. I think we're seeing what baggage he is.

Smith did his job last night. Gave Clark 10 minutes rest and didn't miss his tackles. Nervous with the ball, but at least he continued to have a crack, and backed himself with a kick as well. That game will teach him more that a season in the 19's. That said, next week is of for him.

Big stage, big game against a big team, momentum is key and we can't have a 10 minute 'cling on' period. If he's fit, Sandow on the bench would be great. Would really lift our crowd when we throw him on. Gidley is more than competent defending in the middle and has good distribution. A little bit of magic from Sandow could be what we need to break down a tough Wigan team

Redvee suggests Dwyer has spoken to Saints but too expensive. Then again they do have over a 100 pages of transfer speculation, most of which was wishful thinking.

Maybe ever if the rumours of on a plane back to Australia day after grand final are proven to be right

Straight swap for Andre Savelio.

Does anyone think Clark even needs to be rotated? It is not as though you look at him and think he needs a break. He is far too good to be off the pitch at any point IMHO.

I am tempted to suggest Sandow should be on the bench and be used in case of emergency.

With regard to Dwyer if we let him go that would leave the club with no specialist hooker in any of the teams apart from Clark. One would need to be signed; I would suggest McShane as an option.

I don't know how he is playing these days but don't we have Andy Ackers on loan in London ?

I don't know what the problem is with Dwyer but he always seems to add an extra spark when he comes on.

I'd take that.

Ackers was never offered a contract. The starting hookers in the Academy from last season have both now left the club. The reserve team had the halfback from Rochdale covering the role and Sean Kenny who is now at Salford.

Very thin on the ground.

Dwyer in for Smith definitely (just because he was dropped I'm not clear why people refer to the naughty step). A couple of weeks rest could have helped but I'd have liked to have seen him play on Thursday.

Only other possibilities are Bailey for Philbin (Joe did nothing wrong,but Bailey has more presence if 100% fit) and Sandow for patten. But Dec played really well and there's no way Sandow is 100% match fit or possibly even fit.

Big call though as Sandow is mercurial. Can we afford him on the bench with Dec moving to hooker for 10 mins resting Clark? Dwyer would miss out then....

Talk last week was saying Sandow won't be fit.

Don't forget the last GF defeat when we lost stef and Joel. We really needed a spare back then. Sandow on bench for me if injury free, not necessary fully fit

Actually my concern with the GF is Wigoons illegal / borderline 3rd man below the knees tackling. I'd say it was the main factor last time in our loss.
I really hope the refs are on top of that this time.

Give it a rest ffs. It's been proven plenty of times that tackle by Hansen was around th hips of Ratchford.

Because of which the law was then subsequently changed

Proven by whom??? It was a career threatening tackle

It was a shoulder charge to the hips when Ratchford was already tackled.

The best way to play this final is to play Wigan at their own game. Niggling,outright aggression, ignore 10 yards at play the ball, ignore having markers square.Wigan will bend or break every rule they can to win on Saturday & we should be prepared to do the same. Rules go out of the window in this competition. The club could do worse than get a copy of the Shaun Wane coaching manual.

Push the extent of the rules until you start to get penalised for breaking them. Standard really.

Lol. Couldn't paint a truer picture of event.
During the game Lockers twice twisted the foot of Ratchford. He went in as 3rd man, lifted his leg by the foot and gave it a 180• twist. HH finished the job.

We all know the agenda Wane had. We saw the same agenda during the TV documentary.

Either way I don't deny Pies the win or the way they done it, coz it was their only way. I blame TS for dropping Hodgson and leaving us short in the backs on field and playing 4 forwards on the bench.
Whatever spat LB and BH had during the week leading up to the final...I'm sure that could have put it behind them for 80 mins!

UFC rugby league, anything goes except for eye gouging!!

....or we can just do what we did the other week but not take our foot off the gas this time

Which is exactly what we'll do. I honestly think we'll win comfortably: we've had the measure of Wigan all year, and if the game the other week had been the final we'd have won by 30+. Wire by 20.

Westwood on Green didn't do us any favours last time, so I'll say stick with the 2nd option and play for the full 80.

I do not want us to play like them! I'm not suggesting we are squeaky clean, The Chillmeister certainly knows how to slow a ptb when necessary!