We failed with tony smith, can we make it a lucky third with wane.
Catalan play wire- so at least one of those two will get points to creep closer to the top 8. (Widnes play Leigh also)
Another important game IMO. I reckon Three wins will see us safe in the top 8, (four is the mathematical absolute requiremebt but I doubt Catalan /wire will win all their remaining games) we should be targeting our three home games as the ones to win.
Wigan finally have their big names back in the frame- as well as the long termers we have been missing we could be without kruise and Mamo - two players who have been massively influential in our recent wins.
This will be a close, ugly game I reckon.

Yep a tough game and no mistake, they ground out a win against a very poor Warrington in the cup
Let's hope our injuries aren't as feared and our defence can stand it's ground

If so we can take these 2 points like we should at their place

rankin debut?

taai back?!





fingers crossed for mamo and leeming

possibly be without

taai
obrien
leeming
mamo

and now rapira is banned

just when you think things are turning for the better



hinchcliffe will have to go back to hooker and poss do 80mins, shame has he has been great at loose forward

Rapira has not bee. Banned- he has been charged.
I see Percival got off with it....

You are saying o brien is out too- is this something you know (a bit like taai is back in two weeks) or are you just assuming- he was limping at the end but had just gone down with a leg cramp just before.

O'Brien mentioned in a YP interview about a scan for a possible fracture.

Rapira charged with raising knee in tackle. Submitted early guilty plea, so banned for 1 match (the one against Wigan)

Rankin won't be playing Friday. Still no visa.
Darnell at fullback- he did really well against Wigan there last time round.
Then Gaskell at centre with Ridy and brough in the halves.
Tyler at loose with Nathan Mason in for Rapira.
I'm not even factoring In taai- it's been pointless for the last month!
We could look something like this
Darnell
Jerry
Leroy
Gaskell
SMurph
Brough
Ridy
Wakeman
Hinchy
Seb
Oli
Ferguson
Tyler

Mason
Clough
Adam o b
mellor

If taai IS back then Tyler will prob miss out. Then Clough will possibly go to 13 and taai at prop.
We need mellor on the bench in case we get an injury in the backs.

yep.

lets hope its ok

While losing Mamo is a blow, Darnell is a good back up to have

Leeming and O'Brien fit is more important

yeh no news on the two hookers as yet.

RS has said AOB is in the running for Friday and his injury is not as serious as first thought.
Hope so as 80 of hinchy at hooker against Wigan, the way they play the ruck, would be an absolute disaster.

What is O'Brien's injury?

Also, in Zaminer re Mamo injury 'likely to miss three weeks' and 'could take a couple of weeks' are mentioned?!!

Gaskell
Jerry
Leroy
Murphy
Darnell
Brough
Ridyard
Seb
Hinchliffe
Mason
Roberts
Ferguson
Clough

Wakeman
Mellor
O'Brien
Dickinson?

Leeming if fit in for Dickinson and Clough to bench as normal.

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