That looks about right for team selection. We will have to see if Russell and Fages are fit otherwise we may see Cogger and Pryce at half back. I think that Watto will choose Leroy over Jake as he has had some really steady performances this season and he has done a great job for the team. Its a tough choice between Wilson and English, but I have to agree with you that Ollie has been fantastic recently and has probably done enough to get into the cup final team. I hope Seb is fully fit and can play as he could do a massive job for us against their big forwards. Whatever the team is though lets hope we can put in a great performance and bring the cup home

The Leroy wardle one is a tough call. Wardle has the pace and footwork but Leroy has the experience and has such an excellent rapport with Jerry. I don’t think wardle will play, he has little match fitness right now and this is going to be a very intense full on game. If he had been playing then wardle would be the choice but he hasn’t so It has to be Leroy for me.
It’s a difficult one for the props, I agree Wilson has been playing well, and could you perhaps put both Wilson and English out there- local academy products - instead of trout?
Between Seb and English I think it maybe boils down to who is the fittest in terms of their injury recovery.
The key is whether fages and Russell are able to play- the last thing we want is either of them to come off part way through the game. I’m not sure that fages isn’t a bit of kidology going on and they are just making super sure he’s fit.
Nervous for match review panel too.
Whoever plays they all need to be absolutely at the top of their game- we can’t afford for them to panic or the nerves get to them as wigan will take full advantage.,

I definitely think Watson was keeping Fages safe for the final, he will be the one to implement the game plan and really direct our attack and Watson was taking no chances with him. If Russell were to be injured i would want Pryce instead of Cogger, i really think Cogger is a journeyman half and does just enough. Pryce is only 19, but the youngest ever lance todd trophy winner was also a 19 year old half back. I think we know who that was right? Maybe it's an omen

Anyone seen in regards to ticketing that sections that were showing as sold out are now showing as having plenty of empty seating?

If Russell has done his hamstring he is not going to be 100% so not sure he can be risked. I don’t really rate Cogger but suspect Watson would go for him over Pryce as his style is more similar to Russell so you can keep to the same game plan. I also worry that Ikahlfho looks nowhere near fit.
I agree that Trout and Wilson seem to be ahead of English at the moment and I certainly think Cudjoe will get selected before Wardle.

If everyone is fit the team will be the same as toulouse with fages for Cogger and mcqueen for Hewitt.

I'd be tempted for pryce over golding if Russell is a doubt. Golding has been really good but if he has to go to fullback in the final it will completely stifle our attack.

but our defence will be better which could well be key in a final.
also he can cover at 9 - who else can do that?

Completely agree on the defence, and I don't like the idea of pryce coming back for such a big game after so long out, if he was going to play off the bench Watson would have run with it against toulouse.

However im just pointing to the fact that often in big games if both defences are tight you need some magic or individual to win it. And pryce offers that. Unfortunately for Golding he's good defensively but that's the end of it.

Regarding hooker cover both Russell and Fages have played there plenty previously.

If Russell doesn't play Cogger will play imo

Watson couldnt play pryce on the bench against Toulouse as his ban was still in force.
russell and fages cant be cover for hooker as the point is we are likely to have either one or both of those not available. and we really do not want to be taking out our main attacking player to put into the hooking role to cover injury in a cup final.
golding offers cover across the whole of the backline and hooker. allowing tui to move in to cover the halves, with forwards on the bench that then gives us cover across every position on the field! to me that's preferable than playing a green kid who's been out for two months and has actually got to prove himself yet.
I know this wont go down well but I feel a lot of this stuff surrounding Pryce has been hyped up out of proportion. he's good but he's very raw and hes not the messiah. Im sure there will be a backlash to that statement but the reality is he's played half a season so far

Looks like no suspensions for either side. I reckon Pryce only makes the squad if both Olly & Theo are out. Personally, I'd play him in the halves if Theo wasn't fit. I do agree about Pryce, though, Jools, to me he has real promise but that's all it is at the moment, and even if he was match fit, I don't think he makes our best 17.

I think it would have been the same side as for the semi final but for Russell's injury. I hope Chris Macqueen is available. I would play Cogger too.

Sounds like McQueen is definitely fit and going to play which is excellent news.

I reckon Cogger is definitely in if Ollie isn't fit. I hope he makes it as he has done really well since the back end of last season and this one as well.

He definitely deserves to get a chance to play in a final. He’s come on loads in the last 12 months.
Let’s face it you want to see both sides playing their best players in the big games.

If you'd told me last year how much I'd be hoping for Olly to be fit for our biggest game in many years, I'd of laughed hard. Happy to admit how wrong I was and how much credit Olly himself, Watson and all the coaching team is owed.

I think both Theo and Ollie are fully fit and Watson is trying to force Wigan to have gameplans for all our halves and spend less time on each. Would be suprised if both of them don't play.

Agreed regarding pryce he has been overhyped, last year Russell was the star of the show in terms of control and assists and he's carried his form into this season. Didn't know toulouse was pryces last game serving his ban thought he completed it the week before.

Lots of talk this week about matty playing in the final, I assume that means he will be playing for Seb?

Disappointed with the injuries affecting Fages and Seb but hopeful for Saturday.

Pryce, McGillvary, Leutele, Golding, Lolohea, Hill, Levi, Lawrence, Jones, McQueen, Yates, English, Greenwood, Cogger, Trout, O'Brien, Wilson, Cudjoe, Russell, I Senior, Hewitt.

Ive seen two teams named in the media- first one had fages in it - the second one did not! It looks like Fages is out which is a massive blow. you would think watson would name him anyway just to keep wigan guessing though!!!!! seb out too and no wardle so leroy will definitely play.
the only thing is will it be pryce or cogger.........
tui
jerry
leroy
leutele
I senior
cogger / pryce
russell
hill
levi
english
jones
mcqueen
yates
greenwood, wilson, trout, golding

Oh dear, i am trying to be upbeat but Fages is really who makes us tick against the better teams, i'm disappointed in the safe options in there too, lawrence and cudjoe are past it for me and it should be wardle and seb. Struggling to see us winning with this team

Leroy has been excellent recently and I think Seb is injured.

How many tries has he scored this year? Would he have scored the try wardle scored against Wigan? Yes, he can give a good pass to Jerry but that's about it in attack

if you think this game is going to be about how many tries one player can score then you are going to be very disappointed. Its cup final rugby. right back at you - would wardle have had the body strength to make the break leroy did last game out? leroy has been excellent this year and has outshone wardle when hes played by a mile!!!!! lawrence is in the squad, he may not play but I think you do these players a diservice tbh!
How many games has wardle played this season? - when he's played how good did he look? is he match fit to play a full 80 minutes at full pace at top speed - he was pretty anonymous when I saw him play tbh and he does not have the match fitness. Leroy has looked good every game. His defence has looked solid, he is good in the air, has a good pair of hands and can contest the ball against which is going to be important. these little one percent games are going to make all the difference.
yes Fages missing is a blow as his short range kicking game is the best we have - but we have to deal with that and make do without him.

If wardle isn't fit fair enough, otherwise, when defences are as you say on top in a cup final, you want the player who can do what others can't, Wardle has incredible footwork and can score in very tight spaces and that may be the difference. I do not do those players a disservice, they have been at the club a long time, and during that time we won nothing and were mostly uncompetitive.

With Fages it's much more than his short kicking game, he goes directly at the line and passes late creating space for others, we look SO much better when he plays. Cogger is a journeyman and shouldn't get close to a cup final team, and Pryce is untested. I'd probably take the risk and play Pryce because theres a chance he will be brilliant and we win, and theres a chance he plays badly and we get hammered, With Cogger he plays at his level and we lose, but by less than if Pryce plays badly.

a tough one to call for the Fages replacement.

If Pryce plays, at what cost? he will get targeted by wigan defensively as he did by them earlier earlier in the season (which paid off for them!) and his defensive record is quite poor really whilst Coggers is much better. We cant afford to cover defensively for a player in a final as effort will have to be at maximum from everyone. He doesn't have the match fitness as he's been out for two months, which could add to that problem but has he been working on other things to improve this part of his game?-
but then a player like pryce might be able to bring that little bit of magic in attack, - is it worth the risk?

Cogger has played the last few and done well. He held his nerve to take the drop goal last week in the last few minutes, that's the kind of level headedness we need. Defensively he is much better, he has an ok kicking game but not the running spark of Pryce.

Watson doesnt seem like a risk taker - what do we think he will do???