Very unlikely top of the table clash coming up, Aidan Sezer has obviously had a big effect on them and it will be a tough game especially with our record in Yorkshire, personally I’d keep the same team that played against Hull but I can see George Burgess coming in for someone probably Bryne

Can you really see Burgess being fit?
He’s allegedly been nearly ready for 3 weeks but I just don’t see it.
I’d have Byrne before Clubb and Clark

I think Lam suggested Burgess would likely be another week and there’s certainly no need to rush it. If he is fit then I’d play him in the reserves this week and then ease him in to what looks a more comfortable fixture on paper the following week against HKR.

I’d go the same again but swap Leuluai and Smith round. We can’t afford to get pinned on the back foot away from home with a poor kicking game.

I don’t think Burgess is fit but I can see Lam putting him in even when he’s 70%. I would have Bryne before Clubb and Clark but Clubb seems undroppable and Clark has been solid tbf.

Burgess needs to have a go in the reserves before throwing him back in IMO. Same team as Hull for me. Should be an interesting game

If Clubb is to be a starting prop then I'd have Bullock the other starting prop with him.
Partington, Byrne & Clark off the bench.
Smith to start and TL off the bench.
Otherwise same as v Hull.

If you’d have looked at this fixture before the season you’d have thought it wouldn’t be much of a test but they’re looking the underdogs at the min Huddersfield and going about their business very well. It’ll be a hard earned win against them IMO.

I’d go with a strong pack again, playing slightly wider targeting Sezer and Gaskell to tire them out. They’re the main threats IMO.

1 French
2 Marshall
3 Bibby
4 Zak
5 Manfredi
6 Smith
7 Hastings
8 Bullock
9 Powell
10 Clarke
11 Faz
12 Partington
13 Smithies

14 Bryne
15 Lockers
16 Havard/Tommy
17 Isa

It's weird, on one hand I'm hearing Wigan are extremely concerned about the ongoing hip injury G Burgess has and on the other hearing he's only a week or so away from making a comeback.

One things for sure those fifteen minutes against Wire was probably the worst I've seen from a Wigan forward for many a year. He looked about two stone overweight and unfit (think back to 1980s Rugby Union prop body shape) and he was blowing air from the first few minutes.

I just can't see him being ready for weeks (and I'm only talking about his fitness not his hip injury here).

George needs a good run in the reserves prior to stepping back into the first team. Ideally he’ll be back in the squad 2 games or so before the Good Friday derby and be good for that game.

I don’t think the club can afford to rush him. It’ll be a financial disaster if they did.

The way the season works we have no reason to rush him back at all. Bring him back into the fold after several games in the reserves and when he is 100% around July/August time ready to push us towards OT. The young lads ran out of gas last year come playoff time. With Burgess and Flower both out at the moment we have the chance to make sure that doesn't happen again.

Not a chance I'd be throwing him straight back into first team. He was miles out of shape, surely that hasn't fixed itself in the meantime whilst he's had an injury. Get him in the reserves if he's fit to play.

Looking forward to welcoming you all over. Hopefully a good game with no injuries. A real shock start from us to the season. Would be huge to carry it on but you are a fine team.

The way AL is talking it looks like he’s going to throw him back into the first team fold immediately and probably alongside Ben Flower. We can go on all day about how they should be in the reserves for a few weeks but throwing them both back in opens up huge competition in the pack and surely Clubb is looking most vulnerable. I’d argue Partington is at risk too, although he can be switched to the back row.

IMO it sends the message that name matters more than form if he walks straight back in. The lads aren't daft, they'll know if he plays reserves this weekend they'll need to be on their game to keep their spot the week after. If he comes straight back in and plays like he did against Warrington then fans will really start to turn on him and confidence becomes a factor.

but Powell came straight back into the team

He had to do though, he’s our best hooker by a mile. Our attack and defence improves with him and he plays 80 min

Burgess might be our best prop by a mile

He might be but judging off his first game and the fact he’s clearly not 100% if he plays Sunday suggests he won’t be for a while and he’s done nothing to suggest he should be picked. Powell has earned the right to come back in

his first game was poor but so was Powells as he never got a chance to show it either, since then Powell has played well but went straight back into the team

Can't understand the thinking in throwing Burgess straight back in, 30/40 mins in the reserves is surely the way to go and if he comes through that unscathed then an on paper easier game against HKR at home to ease him into the first team.

The difference between George Burgess and Sam Powell is with George we have injury and match fitness issues. With Sam we had only an injury issue which has been cleared up.

I don't think Sam Powell first game this season was poor, he was putting in a decent shift which would have resulted in a clever try for him had he not been decapitated.

Powell was one of our best players last season and was playing well in that first game until he nearly had his head taken off. His performance on Sunday justified why he was brought straight back in and he was clearly 100% fit. Burgess hasn’t done anything at Wigan to show he should be picked straight away and should play in the reserves this week to see how he goes

hes only played 15 minutes until injury, so what your saying is new signings should get treated differently to players who have been here years?

No. I saw George Burgess's 17 minutes against Wire and they were utterly embarrassing. A disgrace. Now had this been due to an injury in the first few minutes of the game I could understand but it wasn't. He came into that game and put in that performance after a full preseason. His debut performance was that bad he was promptly yanked off and wasn't seen again which was clearly a waste of an interchange and effectively reduced our players on the day to fifteen.

I sincerely hope he does regain full fitness but let's not risk a first team place until he can put a performance in. I would say we have been guilty with doing it with Clubb) clearly injured) and I don't agree he should have played either.

so he wasnt yanked off due to injury?