38 Ben Austin, 20 Greg Burke, 32 Joe Burgess, 17 Dom Crosby, 16 Gil Dudson, 36 Connor Farrell, 5 Anthony Gelling, 3 Darrell Goulding, 26 Ryan Hampshire, 14 Jack Hughes, 28 Jordan James, 31 Dom Manfredi, 9 Michael McIlorum, 19 Sam Powell, 23 Dan Sarginson, 7 Matty Smith, 37 Ryan Sutton, 8 Scott Taylor, 27 George Williams. Read more at www.wiganwarriors.com/WContent.a ... 7dSq2JC.99 I'd like to see: Sarginson Manfredi Goulding Gelling Burgess Hampshire Smith Taylor Williams Crosby Burke Hughes McIlorum Dudson Sutton James Powell

38 Ben Austin, 20 Greg Burke, 32 Joe Burgess, 17 Dom Crosby, 16 Gil Dudson, 36 Connor Farrell, 5 Anthony Gelling, 3 Darrell Goulding, 26 Ryan Hampshire, 14 Jack Hughes, 28 Jordan James, 31 Dom Manfredi, 9 Michael McIlorum, 19 Sam Powell, 23 Dan Sarginson, 7 Matty Smith, 37 Ryan Sutton, 8 Scott Taylor, 27 George Williams. Read more at www.wiganwarriors.com/WContent.a ... 7dSq2JC.99 I'd like to see: Sarginson Manfredi Goulding Gelling Burgess Hampshire Smith Taylor Williams Crosby Burke Hughes McIlorum Dudson Sutton James Powell

Bateman needs resting for sure but it's a surprise again to see nobody back. Are these injuries worst then first thought? Or are we just playing it very cautiously and having a bit of a mid season break ready for the back end?

Going off the squad we'd have to be looking at-

Hampshire
Manfredi Sarginson Gelling Burgess
Powell Smith
Taylor Williams Dudson
Hughes Burke McIlorum

James Crosby Sutton Goulding

Austin and C Farrell to miss out.

Hampshire
Burgess
Sarginson
Goulding
Manfredi
Powell
Smith
Taylor
McLlorum
Dudson
Hughes
Gelling
Burke

Williams
Crosby
Sutton
C Farrell

Something like that for me.

I didn't get the point of Goulding on the bench against Leeds, presumed he wasn't fully fit?

Tend to agree. I think that side I picked is what Wane may go with although possibly with Hampshire on the bench and Sarginson at fullback.

That side you pick there is probably what I'd like to see tbh but he'll start Powell at 6. He's already admitted that much.

How good is it to actually still have so many different options with 3 of our 1st choice spine out and one playing out of position!

who is the better LF for this opposition.....Greg Burke or Mickey Mc....???

Hampshire

Manfredi
Goulding
Sarginson
Burgess

Powell
Smith

Dudson
Micky Mac
Taylor
Gelling
Hughes
Burke

Williams
Farrell
James
Crosby

Sutton ran his blood to water on Saturday so that's why I think he'll be left out. I think Gelling would go great at second row on current form.

That should be enough to get the job done I reckon. I'd go:

FB 26 Hampshire
RW 31 Manfredi
RC 3 Goulding
LC 5 Gelling
LW 32 Burgess
SO 23 Sarginson
SH 7 Smith
P 8 Taylor
H 27 Williams
P 16 Dudson
SR 14 Hughes
SR 20 Burke
LF 9 McIlorum

S 17 Crosby
S 19 Powell (used at H unless Sarginson struggles at SO)
S 36 C.Farrell
S 37 Sutton

I'd like to debut Connor Farrell now against Salford than have to throw him in the deep end against a big side next time injuries hit. Think Powell will prove a better half than Sarginson long-term but would rather have him and Williams just focus on the hooking role for this one whilst we're having to use McIlorum at loose.

Did consider using Gelling in the pack instead but I think we should really try to avoid disrupting him for now while things are finally coming together for him. If he gets shifted to SR and has a bad game I can see loads of 'fans' jumping straight on his back again and him losing the form he's found. Plus MM had a cracker at loose with loads of tackles in defence and a try in attack so we know he can perform there

Swap Sarginson and Hampshire around and I agree with the rest.

We'll go with what we've got and all us speccies can ask for is 100% effort and commitment, win or lose.

Hope you give them a good kicking!!

Wigan missing for Thursday at Salford....

Bowen
Charnley
Thornley
Green
Flower
Farrell
O'Loughlin
Pettybourne
Clubb
Bateman

And then... Not injured but Logan Tomkins and James Greenwood would certainly play if they were not tied down to loan deals.

Can't remember it ever being this bad for us 10 players out who are always in the 17 if fit.

I wonder which other clubs could cope with an injury list like that? I'm still confident we can compete. Can't wait, it would be great to go there with a team of youngsters to prove to Koukash you can't buy success.

I worry that soon we will start to struggle, asking so many young guys to perform at such a level as they have in recent weeks is a huge ask. The effort the team put in last week was monumental, I doubt that can be repeated this week and no doubt Salford will be well up for this with Harris, Hock and Hansen. Last week was a siege mentality, to play every week like that is a tough ask.

add Tomkins, Greenwood, Hopkins, Lloyd (out on loan) & Tierney (Dual Reg) to the 10 injured plus 2 of the 19 and we have another matchday team

Not wishing to be too harsh on him but Sarginson's defence isn't currently good enough for full back IMO, in fact I worry about him at centre to be honest, particularly after his five missed tackles in the Leeds away game. I'm sure he'll come good in due course but wouldn't use him as our last line of defence whilst Hampshire is an option. Not forgetting Hampshire is the only likely candidate to take over from Bowen next season or the season after so he could do with the experience given that it can be a very exposed position to play

The experience the young lads will gain is more important than 2 competition points at this stage of the season. Look at the Hull game the week after the CCF last season. We're in a good position to start to consolidate a top 4 finish, there's no point rushing senior players back if they're not 100%, let the young lads have a crack and then hopefully we start to get some bodies back over the next couple of weeks before the QF.

FWIW, and no disrespect intended, I still think there's enough in that squad to beat Salford.

Jeeezz, that's some injury list you have, there's some real quality in there. Having said that I can't see us getting anything on Thursday, we're poor defensively on our fringes and I think: Goulding, Manfredi, Gelling and Burgess will have more than enough to break us down. You'll win by 16-20 points.

I don't see any evidence to suggest that Hampshires defence is any better than Sarginsons.
I thought Sarginson defended very well on Saturday, and better IMO than Hampshire has shown previously. Add that to the fact that I never feel safe with Hampshire attempting to catch a high bomb.

In all honesty, I don't think there would be much difference in swapping the two around, it's just my personal preference.

Guys like Hock, Hansen and Gleeson will be firing for a game against Wigan and I can see Salford pulling out their best performance of the season.

Close game IMO.

there is nothing to say we don't do what we did when Sam was having a crisis at the back......Pat dropped back when they attacked on 4th/5th tackle and helped out.....Manfredi and/or Burgess could do the same and Hampshire comes into his own once we have the ball in attack........ It would confuse the feck out of the kickers in salford attack if they didn't have a clue who was going to defend where..??

Goulding was dropped last week. Couldn't drop Gelling as he'd played well the previous two weeks. I suspect it will be the other way round this week though with Gelling coming off the bench as forward cover.

I would leave it as it was last week with Gelling in the centre, you have to remember that Goulding and Smith (who plays right side) will have to contend with a fired up Hock who will be out to prove something.

Wigan may need a big player like Gelling to try and counter the Hock threat.

Something like that for me too. I cant say I rate Gelling defensively in the centre and thought he was poor at times against Leeds, leading to him being taken off after his bad miss on Moon for the last Leeds try. Still too many brainfarts too such as his stupid offload 2 yards from his own line that was very lucky not to have ended up as a Leeds try.

Noone apart from pettyborne was expected back this week, at least 4 played with injuries at the weekend so im surprised there arnt more out