Obviously it's always great to beat St Helens, and we could do with some form, but is it in our best interests to win next week? Assuming Les Catalans beat Bradford, which they almost certainly will, then we play Saints if we win, or Les Catalans if we lose. I would back us to win either game but I'd much rather play Les Cats than Saints in the play offs. Plus not needing the win would allow Wane to make a few changes to see how fringe players perform, rest knackered players and give some of them a kick up the backside going into the play offs. Thoughts?

This shows the stupidity of the playoffs, if we battle hard and beat the saints, we give wire the easier fixture against catalans (who struggle playing away). Wane would never let us lose to saints though, and Rushy would want to break his wigan hoodoo so i imagine both teams will go full throttle. Play off system is an absolute joke. We could end up beating saints in the league, losing to them in play off game one, and then play them away in the elimination semi. That would make it twelve games v saints in 2 years, massive overkill of the derby.

We don't need the win and, by the way, neither do Saints. I want to beat them but I think it is more important that we get our attcking and defensive lines sorted with both Tommy and Pat returning than it is to go for a win at all costs against Saints. Saints will now be fully focussed on their trip to Wire the following week. The most important game for us is against either Catalans or Leeds that weekend also so I say rest any tired/injured players and lets give some of our young guns a game - option two for me.

its Saints, we need to win

I reckon that Cats are a more difficult opponent than Saints.

If our players take it easy to prevent injury, the only outcome will be injuries.

Get torn into them and win and take that win into the next game.

I don't get this logic when bashing the play-offs as stupid or unfair. We get people complaining that the League Leaders Shield should be given more prestige because the winners have come out on top after a 27 game season, but then Catalan are perceived as 'the easier fixture' after finishing a place ahead of St Helens. How can that be? Yes, in this instance Catalan would have a tiring trip to Warrington whilst we end up with a hotly-contested derby fixture, but there's no play-off structure that can mitigate against that. You can't argue with the league table.

For me, given that we possibly face a three-game series against Saints with only the last one really counting for anything, I'd rather get the inevitable defeat out of the way in this week's dead rubber - but then that would probably leave us not facing them in the play-offs until the final, should we both get there. If we go 4-0 up for the season against them on Friday, I'm not sure I'd fancy our chances the following week in the first round play-off. Surely Saints couldn't screw a fixture up five times in a row?

Beat them soundly and break them mentally.... Thats what you do in sport... ***face palm***

In my thirty years of watching Wigan RL I'm quite sure that I've never walked into a ground not wanting my team to win. The fact it is St Helens even more so.

Smash um. We'll worry about what happens after that next week.

Wane has had all season to do that (re:Widnes). At this time of the season we need form. Full strength and match fitness all the way. There is no time left for experimenting or resting.

That's true he has had all season to tinker with the squad, but I reckon dropping Mossop and McIlorum for example, a week before the play offs could push them to regain the form shown earlier in the season whilst giving some valuable exposure to Dudson/Fielden/Crosby and Powell/Logan. Having said that I do wholly understand the form argument also. Perhaps we should roll over in the first half so they will definitely win, then play for form in the second half. Hang on, maybe that's what we were doing yesterday!



Personally I would drop/rest anyone who is carry a knock or looking particularly fatigued and tell the lads to go out and focus on the basics, completing our sets, not giving away daft penalties and defending well. I do think it would be more beneficial for us in the play offs for us to lose the game, but if we beat them with a few players out whilst using the game more as a training excercise, then we should be very confident of turning them over a week later with a full squad fighting for a week off and semi final spot.

Of course we want to win but I wouldn't be taking any major risks if players are carrying knocks. I'd like to see Fielden given a run out, derby game, we are already guarenteed top of the league, what better chance for him to stake a place for himself in our play off side.

I'd run with something like

1. Sam Tomkins
2. Josh Charnley
3. Darrell Goulding
4. George Carmont
5. Pat Richards
6. Brett Finch
7. Tommy Leuluai
8. Lee Mossop
9. Mike McIlorum
10. Ben Flower
11. Harrison Hansen
12. Gareth Hock
13. Sean O'Loughlin

14. Stuart Fielden
15. Jeff Lima
16. Liam Farrell
17. Matty Smith

i do not care if we win or lose as long as we show some purpose and not the pathetic crap we have been served for the past 10 weeks. we need to show composure, attacking structure and defense. the following should be dropped as they have not performed: Mossop, Micky Mac, Finch, might give them the kick up the they need rather than thinking they are guaranteed to be on the team sheet.

For the Saints game I'd like to see this team -

Tomkins
Charnley
Goulding
Carmont
Richards
Finch
Leuluai
Lima
Smith
Lauaki (assuming he's fit, if not Fielden)
Hansen
Hock
O'Loughlin

McIlorum
Mossop
Dudson
Farrell

Dudson was very good before his injury and deserves a chance to stake his claim for a place in playoff team. McIlorum and Mossop were shocking once again against Rovers but both could make a huge difference if we're going to reach the Grand Final, so drop them to the bench and make sure they realise that (in McIlorum's case) with Leuluai/Smith and (in Mossop's case) Dudson/Fielden back to fitness and pushing for places their selection is not guaranteed if they don't pick up.

We beat Leeds soundly but didn't break them mentally! Beating Saints now counts for nothing and so I would play reserves and players coming back from injury. It won't be the same team the following week so nothing given away.

That against

1. Paul Wellens
2. Tommy Makinson
3. Michael Shenton (if fit)
4. Josh Jones
5. Francis Meli
6. Lance Hohaia
7. Jonny Lomax
8. Josh Perry
9. James Roby
10. Anthony Laffranchi
11. Tony Puletua
12. Sia Soliola
13. Jon Wilkin

Bench

14. Gary Wheeler
15. Mark Flanagan
16. Paul Clough
17. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook

Wigan should have little problems if any at all on Friday in my honest opinion.

Come on Bradford!

Only if we get job done against Saints, otherwise we end up playing Leeds, IMO the toughest of our three potential opponents. Having said that I really can't see Bradford going from getting 70 points put past them by Hull to turning over Les Cats in one week. Shame though, they would be right in the mix but for the points deduction

Wane needs to decide the best thing to do to get to the GF and then have a plan to win it. He won't be happy losing, especially to Saints, being a Wiganer, ex-player and fan.
Wasn't it Wayne Bennett who said if you listen to the fans, you'll end up sitting with them?
This match is a dead rubber as the League is already won, so a loss won't mean anything unless he puts a full team out. If we lose that, then I fear for our GF chances.

Sam Tomkins
Josh Charnley
Darrell Goulding
George Carmont
Pat Richards
Brett Finch
Thomas Leuluai
Jeff Lima
Mike McIlorum
Lee Mossop
Harrison Hansen
Gareth Hock
Sean O'Loughlin
-----------------------------------------
Stuart Fielden
Epalahame Lauaki
Liam Farrell
Matty Smith


Absolute no brainer - get them absolutely smashed! I don't care whether we play Saints ten times in a season, they're our rivals and I want to see them hammered. Heck knows in times gone by (seems a distant memory thankfully) they gave us our share of beatings. Times have changed and now it's our turn to exact some batterings. Destroy them and build some confidence for whoever we get in the play offs week one.

Win and win well.

Defence is the key to our form. It's been powderpuff recently and it has to improve massively if we're to stand any sort of chance of reaching Old Trafford.

I'd not risk any players carrying knocks but still hope the team go hard for the win. Beat them again the week after to earn Club Call. Then pick a Catalans side that have spent the playoffs lapping the English Channel. Let Leeds/Saints deliver Wire's annual choke.

Easy

Beat them. It's Saints.

Ridiculous thread.

Lock it mods.

If his fitness is good, then get Dudson in. He was in fantastic form before his injury and he's a beast. The two big games we've lost this season we've been bullied up front and that's why we lost. We need our biggest and best on the field and frothing at the mouth for the next few weeks.

Drop Mossop for Dudson, will decide whether Gill is fit and would hopefully give Moose the kick up the backside he so clearly needs!

How many games has Fielden played for the under 20's now? How's he looking? I couldn't imagine anyone bullying him the way he was playing in 2010, give him a run out!

It's not rotation, it competition in a deflated and currently failing pack!