Have we still got Ridyard or is his loan up yet?

Would expect to see Taai back and would also expect Daniel Smith to play before Dickinson.

Ridyard is on a week by week now. AFAIK there is a minimum initial four week then anything after that is up to the parent club.
We've been expecting taai back for almost 6 weeks




Rick stone mentioned Tyler as one to come in. Smith wasn't mentioned. TBH I'd forgotten about him!

has to be mason straight swap for rapira.

Think id go:

Darnell
Jerry
Leroy
Gaskell
Murphy (Murphy Gaskell combo was going well on Friday 1st half)

The only problem with Gaskell at centre is his defence can be suspect and we will get tested out wide against Wigan as they score lots of tries out wide.

Brough
Ridyard

Seb
Leeming
Wakeman

Mellor
Ferguson
Hinchliffe

O Brien
Mason/Clough
Taai
Roberts

I think our young blokes are doing extremely well in the 2nd row ...Roberts and Mellor these 2 really could be stars for us for years to come. I think Mellor will be even better next year after a full pre season here. With Bruno due back soon I don't think I would actually recruit 2nd row in off season if Symonds is to leave id like to see us recruit another prop.

If Taai can get back to earlier form at prop it will be great to spell him with Seb.

Im hoping Wigan may have a few sore bodies such as Bateman, Gelling and Tomkins after not playing for so long and then playing with a 6 day turn around.

I'd like to see Dan Smith get a good consistent run so we can see what he's got. Always liked him when he was at Wakey but hasn't had an opportunity to prove himself.
Wakeman started slow and is improving every game, I hope Dan Smith can get that opportunity soon. Will be like fresh legs and increase the competition for props

I had the same concerns as you about Gaskells defence- I watched him carefully last week and he looked quite solid. Made some important tackles and didn't miss one that I saw. Perhaps him defending our wider is better.

Historically you've always sent your players to Wakefield to coach them to a level above they've been playing at shudds, prime examples being Drew, Grix, Wood, George, Snitch, and not to put too finer point on it Craig Huby is now showing the skills you paid good money for, maybe it might be good business for your club if we took Daniel Smith back till the end of the season and coach him to the standard your club does not seem to be able to do.

Aww bless, wakey think they are actually a good team and not just having a staggeringly lucky season

That's a staggeringly imaginative mind you possess squire if you think that we have been staggeringly lucky to finish in the top 8 two seasons' on the trot, where as last season you finished bottom and this season your hardly setting SL alight and will do well to escape the middle 8s again, good team or not, I don't think it would be fair to your club for you to draw comparisons between shudds and Wakey.

As soon as the split has happened wakey will go back to their loosing ways. we have had a ridiculous amount of injuries that has crippled us the last 2 seasons we will be back.

back on topic.

shame about obrien being out but leeming being fit is a boost!

mcintosh
mcgillvary
cudjoe
gaskell
murphy

leeming

brough
ridyard

ikahihifo
wakeman

taai
hinchcliffe
ferguson

bench-
roberts
mason
clough
mellor


wood and dickinson to miss out

wigan missing tautai and gelling

giants 2/1 under dogs for the win with bookies...

2/1. Might be worth a few quid after our last 3 showings and Wigans inability to get points in the league. 1 point against dreadful Wire in the last 7 league games.
Home advantage and an extra days rest.

Most of Wigan's injuried players all came back last week which to me suggests Wane got desperate and maybe one or two of them might not be as ready as we are lead to believe.

However Wigan is Wigan.. will be tough!

It's not Wakey you should be worrying about Arnie it's Wigan on Friday, personally with all their injuries you might probably be just a bit two much for them.

If we don't win the forward battle I don't see us winning this.

Wigan have only 2 props on Friday night and we are going to have to take advantage of that.

I would play Ukuma at prop personally to replace Rapira.

1. McIntosh
2. Jerry
3. Leroy
4. Gaskell
5. Murphy
6. Brough
7. Ridyard
8. Seb or Taai
9. Leeming
10. Wakeman
11. Ferguson
12. Mellor
13. Hinchliffe

14. Taai or Seb
15. Roberts
16. Mason
17. Clough

I would let Kruise play the first 40 mins.

Hinchliffe to hooker for first 20 mins of 2nd half and let Clough go to loose forward for that time.

Taai to prop for me to try keep the momentum of Seb going. I may be even tempted to let Ukuma start and let Seb rip in the last 20 mins of the first half.

Tautai has been Wigans best prop in recent weeks so will be a big loss to them.

yeh 2/1 is temptin, still available with stan james.

I'd go with Gaskell at full back, as per start of season. Also go for a physical strong team vs Wigan.

Gaskell
mcgillvary
cudjoe
Mellor
murphy

leeming

brough
ridyard

ikahihifo
wakeman

Ferguson
Roberts
Hinchy (got to keep him at loose)

bench-
roberts
Taai
clough
Dickinson

Given Wigans supposed lack of forward options it makes sense for us to load our bench with forwards, although I'd rather have Murphy at centre over Mellor given how mobile Wigan are with their shift plays. Also, Roberts in the team twice there

mcintosh has gained experience at full back early this season, this is when those games will benefit him and the team

gaskell stays at centre for me , was doing ok last week with murphy..

think it will stay like this till we get mamo and turner back.... but dont forget rankin will be here soon so i think he will go to full back then instead of mcintosh.

playing in different conditions to the last 3 weeks later with the weather changed... be abit wet on the ground...need to hold onto the ball and win it in the forwards!

think we only gave one penalty away last weekend!!!!

we have certainly cut this out of our game, great to see after the anderson era where it was full of pens

If anyone thinks Murphy is a centre watch the Wakey game again

Gaskell at centre, Murphy on the wing.
Darnell at full back

Simple

Same old Wigan

Brough would have been sin binned if he spoke like O'Loughlin did to the ref

Wigan did not deserve a point from that game

That was the worst performance I have ever seen from a referee! Sam Tomkins head is bigger than Birkenhead he isn't fit to lace Hardacker's boots....

Sorry Campbell- I take it back- you are NOT the most useless ref in SL.

Unbelievable, but I found myself wishing we had Childs referring us again.....