Sounds like there’s a good chance of Flower, Greenwood and French being involved. What we thinking regarding the line up?

I’d struggle to leave out Liam Byrne after last week but if those three come in you’d have to think somebody will feel pretty unlucky. I’m thinking-

Hardaker
Marshall Sarginson Gildart Burgess
Williams Leuluai
Navarette Powell Clubb
Isa Farrell Partington

Flower Byrne Greenwood French

I’ve said it before but I’d give Smithies a little break now and let him freshen up for the run in after the cup final. He’s a fabulous young player and currently in our top 17 for me but no need to over burden him when we have a few options.

I am a big fan of Greenwood but have we really missed him? If it was more beneficial i would let him get some more contact training into him. He has hardly played recently. Thank god the reserves are back next season. How many injuries do you reckon players have picked up because they have been thrown into matches without being ready for them? Not just us but everyone.

I was speaking to Ian Gildart at hull last Thursday and he said that if Greenwood gets another concussion this season he will miss the rest of the season he needs to start wearing a scrum cap

I would argue that if he get's another concussion in the near future it could be career defining. You can't mess about with a brain. You only get 1.

A scrum cap does absolutely nothing for concussion, in fact possibly makes the chance of a head-knock even higher.

That does not apply to everyone

If Greenwood gets another concussion this year he should be made to retire from the game altogether for the good of his own health.

From the 19 named I'd go

FB 20 Hardaker
RW 17 Marshall
RC 3 Sarginson
LC 4 Gildart
LW 43 French
SO 6 Williams
SH 37 Sammut
P 24 Partington
H 9 Powell
P 10 Flower
SR 15 Isa
SR 12 Farrell
LF 38 Smithies

S 7 Leuluai
S 8 Clubb
S 11 Greenwood
S 36 Byrne

Missing out - 5 Burgess and 14 Navarette

I'd go with that but whichever prop misses out can feel really unlucky.
Unfortunately I can't see Sammut starting which is a shame because I think there are a lot more points in the team when he plays, he really seems to know how to free up Williams and his kicking game is miles better than Leuluai's. I wouldn't be surprised if he misses out altogether.

How good is it that we’re not desperate for Flower and Greenwood back.

Bryne Smithies and Oli P have been that good.

not entirely true, if they have good padding on. it can lessen the impact

I'd go with that. Isa and Faz must start. Greenwood benched.

Fascinated to see what position French would come on at should he come off the bench.

It's not the impact zone that's the main issue, it's the back of the brain hitting the back of the skull from the impact. As studies have shown with CTE sufferers from the NFL, the helmet, which is considerably more solid that a scrum cap does little, if nothing to protect the player.

Lam didn’t give much away on Wigan TV saying he’ll be on the bench and could come in at stand off, full back or on the wing.

I played 7 years of American Football and was lucky to come away with only 2 concussions. In a way you think of the Helmet as a weapon, so you think nothing of slamming it into someone else, forgetting that it's meant to be keeping your face a bit more intact. The foam padding on the inside is less than an inch thick in most places and is more for comfort of general wearing & making sure it doesn't fly off than protecting you.

Think this is a potential banana skin particularly considering the weather forecast - storms due all day.

There have been a number of scientific studies done in scrum caps and whilst there is some disagreement most of the evidence points towards them having no affect or actually increasing the chances of concussion.

The mechanics of concussion as above are related to the effects of the brain hitting the inside of the skull.

Scrum caps increase the size of the impact zone and also give the wearer more confidence which can lead to increase in numbers of concussion.

Scrum caps do without doubt reduce the potential for cuts but not concussions it is generally agreed.

The best way would be to look at the mechanics of his run and impact, and look for improving technique.

He is a tall rangey player which will mean he will have larger areas exposed and to work on.

From a purely firm point of view though Isa and Faz need to be starting secondrows.

Greenwood had a great start to his Wigan career, however I’ve not been too impressed for much of his time at Wigan thus far.

Yeah your right.
Additionally it's now been proven that brain damage isn't just from concussions but from any 'reasonable' head trauma, think a jab to the head which snaps the head back as opposed to previous thinking that only a KO or partial KO would lead to a concussion.

CTE is something still relatively new in terms of finding out how many damage is actually done. As you'll probably know as a NFL fan and former American Football player, the NFL do what they can to protect their name and brand and don't want any medical reports which highlights the serious issues with the game. (Will Smith made a film about the Dr who fought the NFL for such reports to be visible to the outside world.

CTE has led to psychosis and other mental issues, all from head trauma. I think in years to come we'll truly see how bad contact sports have been on the brain; this very much includes RL.

I'd see if Burgess shows any improvement otherwise French on for Budgie

Win's a win but I thought that was pretty awful, good job KR butchered those first half chances or it could have been a very different story.

STORY OF OUR SEASON PAL WIN ONE LOSE ONE

How ironic that the gamechanger came off two ridiculously forward passes for the Burgess try (who was having another below par game up until that point).

I thought Marshall was tremendous tonight.

I had other rugby commitments today. Where did French play when he came on, and how did he look?

Wasn't on long, 15-20 mins. Came on the wing for Burgess.

Did okay, took the ball in dummy half a couple of times and made decent yards. Did a little run-around with Williams.

His best piece was a half break where he chipped the ball inside ended up coming to nothing but was enterprising.

Made one tackle I think. Like I said did okay.

Marshall absolutely superb. Playing out of his skin and has done for weeks.

A lot smaller than burgess, probs on half his wage but double the size of his heart.

Burgess bang out of form and looks disinterested, French to start next week.