A brickie then?

I think that deserves a crackerjack pencil.

Can the mods move this to a' pre match bickering thread'? We normally have one before these games, don't we?

With such a strong 19 TS will have a real headache selecting his 17.

I have gone with Monas starting at hooker and Simon Grix interchanging with him, my reason for this is to give Mickey H a rest and then play him at Broncos & Wembley and then Brad Dywer giving Monas M a rest next week so he is fresh for Wembley.

Tyrone to interchange with 11, 12 & 13.
Moz & Woody to rotate with Gaz & Hilly.

The only fly in my ointment is if Ben H is not fully recovered, in which case I would place Coops on the bench and have Tyrone at 13.

1 Brett Hodgson
2 Chris Riley
19 Stefan Ratchford
4 Ryan Atkins
5 Joel Monaghan
6 Lee Briers
7 Richie Myler
10 Garreth Carvell
9 Michael Monaghan
20 Chris Hill
11 Trent Waterhouse
12 Ben Westwood
13 Ben Harrison

15 Simon Grix
21 Tyrone McCarthy
8 Adrian Morley
16 Paul Wood


14 Micky Higham
17 Mike Cooper

[size=150If Bridgey is fit for Wembley then I really don't know who I would leave out, Ratch deserves his place. As does Coops, Rhys Evans & Matty Blythe. Some very very good players who have put their bodies on the line for the Primrose & Blue this season will have to be left out. [/size

According to Brett Finch on BBC Radio Manchester tonight he is playing on Saturday - despite what Wane says. When will coaches learn that mind games really don't work.

Never thought I’d say this but I’d start with Higham on Saturday, with Monas on the bench.

IF Powell plays i think game tactic number 1 would be target the bejesus out of him.

Any money Finch plays though, not that i'm bothered.

I think Finch will play, but i will add that Powell is more than capable of flattening an attacker with his tackling technique so that might not be your best option.

To be fair, he hasn't had someone like Westwood run at/over him time after time.

If the situation was reversed, that's what I would want to see from our forwards.

Hodgson
J Monaghan
Ratchford
Atkins
Riley
Briers
Myler
Hill
Higham
Carvell
Waterhouse
Westwood
Grix

M Monaghan
Morley
Wood
McCarthy

I thought the point of the 19 was that it was the final decision of who will play? Obviously you can swap someone out if they get injured after the announcement, but if you can just change them around for no reason then what's the point of it?

From memory, you can make one change to the 19 man squad.

Powell would have come into the Wigan squad much earlier in the season had he not broke his leg in an U20 game v Wire at Orrell.

You can make as many changes as you like to the squad as far as I'm aware, but within reason. If a player is ruled out through injury but passed fit to play later on he can be added to the squad, or if players are injured they can be replaced. You couldn't name a 19 and then play a completely different 19 though obviously.
Last week against Hull the team was announced on Wednesday and on the Thursday three changes were made. If Finch can pass his fitness test he'll be added to the squad either today or given until the last possible moment to prove himself fit.

If Finch doesn't play and Wire's tactic is to target Powell down Wigan's left hand side then I wouldn't be too worried. Without Hansen on the right hand side that side of the pitch might be a little weaker and Smith will be the important man in the halves. The less he has to do in defence the better it is for Wigan.

Hodgson

Joel
Ratchford
Atkins
Riley

Briers
Myler

Carvell
Higham (in better form than Monas atm)
Morley

Waterhouse
Benny
Grix

Hill (Bigger impact off the bench imo)
M. Monas
Harrison
Wood

Cooper is prone to throwing ridiculous offloads from time to time,
And even though Tyke has been playing brilliantly lately, I don't trust that he'd come through V Wigan.

Cooper is also prone to giving penalties away for high shots!

The problem is - how can you announce a 19 man squad not including Finch about 1pm for him to say to a live radio audience about 8pm that he is definitely playing. There's no way in a space of approx 7 hours he's miraculously overcome an injury.

What's the point in the 19 man squad? You did the same last week with Lockers. IMO you should stick with the 19 men you picked 2 days earlier. If you pick a not fit player, that's a risk you take and should suffer the consequences of not having the chance to call a replacement. That or just drop the whole thing altogether as its pointless.

It's either really poor mind games from Wane or he's starting to crack up now we're reaching the pressure end of the season.

I'm not just having a dig at Wigan because all teams do it, but this is just blatent and makes a mockery of the process.

HKR did it with Dobbo against us this year in our home game, that didn't work either.

In all seriousness, tyke has been easily playing towards a wembley appearance. Why needlessly stunt him showing his best for a nothing game against Wigan?

Tyke is the first name I'd put on the bench. Has shown he has what it takes and I want to see him perform against a real opponent.

Shaun Wane playing "mind-games" - Jesus Christ imagine how much his head is hurting now.

he couldn't open his banana today.

interesting point, my dad looks like Shaun Wane, and hates me pointing this out, he'll be reading this later on sat there calling me a swear word.

Might as well rest him then, save him for the important games coming up the next two weeks.

Honestly thought TS would have made changes and seen this as a game we don't have to win. There is no point in finishing first, despite what Wane says, and I though he would have taken the chance to "rotate" the squad.
Shows what I know!!

People saying they don't want to see him against Wigan (a hard team) is like saying I don't want to use this fire extinguisher on my sofa, which is on fire, cause it might not be good enough.

Use it and see how good it performs. If it doesn't work then use a different one.

I don't think Tyke or anyone else is being rested for this game, I think TS wants to build up some momentum and confidence going into the playoffs. Tyke has definitely been great recently, especially off the bench when he is breaking tired tackles more often, and while Wigan aren't going to tire as easily I reckon we need him anyway to make those extra couple of breaks that could make all the difference to the result.

McCarthy and Coops have missed out.