Just read Wigan are appealing Isa’s ban.

I may be wrong but I don’t feel Wigan in recent years have appealed many bans, could we be desperate with Farrell being a doubt?


Can’t see him getting off and may get another game and miss the Warrington match. He’s not got the best record has he!

If the incident that resulted in the ban is the one I think, the the appeal is totally justified. It’s the most innocuous thing I’ve seen in years.
However, now that the RFL have been served legal papers from over 100 former players for failing to protect them properly, I’ll not view it with any hope.

Need to get the wording spot on if you're appealing, it's what's deemed a frivolous appeal that gets the extra match, Saints seem to have it sussed out


To be honest I wouldn't mind him missing this one, he is extremely partial to getting binned against Saints and that's the last thing we need

Liam Moore on Friday, he shouldn't be anywhere near this fixture

That so wrong its actually quite funny

He's the best ref in the comp by a distance.

Followed in second by Stevie Wonder.

You’ve nothing to worry about playing to the rules as you do…..

Isa has lost his appeal

Plus the RFL conspiracy against you.

Saints fans really like him, which says it all in truth. He’s an absolute horror show for us, simply because he seems to want to prove he’s not a bias Wiganer.

Funnily enough I rate Chris Kendall but Saints hate him and don’t get him very often due to the fuss kicked up after every game he takes of yours.

We've had Kendall for two of our three home games this season

What about away games?

Have you?

I read you had him in your first home game against Leeds and then it was Moore against Hull and Jack Smith last week. As far as I was aware you’d not had him since the titty lips came out after that Leeds game (either at home or away) but happy to stand corrected if that’s not right.

It wouldn’t be the first time Saints had moaned that much about Kendall, that the RFL bottled putting him on your games for ages afterwards.

Yes. He was the ref last Friday against Wakefield so that’s 2 out of 3 home games.

Must’ve been a misprint I read. Fair enough, they’ve not bowed down to the pressure this time, which is positive.

I just don’t understand why the game puts itself in a position of having a Wiganer in charge of The Derby when they don’t need to. It leaves him open to allegations of bias either way.

I think that there are about four Wigan based refs so it would cut the choice down considerably?

Just don’t see why it can’t be Kendall or Thaler. I get that the pool is cut hugely because the Moore brothers, Jack Smith and Griffiths (I think) are from Wigan but unless there is no reasonable alternative, it seems easily avoided.

I’m also happy to admit that these guys aren’t biased but it just leaves that stick there to beat them with. Saints seem to like Moore and I think he’s dreadful. That isn’t going to be him going hard on Wigan because he doesn’t want to seem bias (in all likelihood) and the truth probably is, that his reffing style just doesn’t fit with our playing style. I always think Kendall is fine and Saints seem to detest him and again he isn’t going to be bias against Saints, it’s probably just that his style doesn’t lead to good outcomes when it comes to how they play the game.

“The Wigan Head Coach has made three changes to the squad, with the inclusion of Iain Thornley, Junior Nsemba and Tom Forber.

Willie Isa is unavailable for the Warriors after picking up a one-match suspension, whilst Jai Field and Cade Cust are unavailable through injury.”


No Astley so Sam Powell in the halves.

If everyone’s fit I’d go

French
Miski
King
Wardle
Marshall
Powell
Smith
Byrne
O’Neill
Cooper
KPP
Farrell
Smithies

Shorrocks
Havard
Ellis
Singleton

Although i would like to see KPP drop to the bench in favour of Shorrocks, and if i really had my way Shorrocks loose and Smithies SR, i think this is the most likely team.

NSW team will be the 17 you’d imagine (presuming Marshall and Faz are ok). Missing a few players isn’t ideal but we can’t complain with the luck we’ve had so far this season and I’m sure we’ll give it a real crack.

Looking forward to it. Good Friday always feels like Christmas Day did as a kid, now I’m fat and old and get pleasure from drinking beer and watching rugby.

That's as strong as we could have hoped for.

I'm slightly gutted that Astley isn't playing. Not because I'm raving about him as a player, but these games have a history of young lads coming in for the derby and just playing well. Obvious comparison would have been Luke Robinson's role in the comeback victory at KR, or Brown at the DW. Didn't one of the Coyle brothers also have a blinder at Leeds once?

Me too, on all fronts

https://www.saintsrlfc.com/2023/04/0...y-squad-named/ 1. Jack Welsby, 2. Tommy Makinson, 3. Will Hopoate, 4. Mark Percival, 5. Jon Bennison, 6. Jonny Lomax, 7. Lewis Dodd, 9. James Roby, 10. Matty Lees, 11. Sione Mata’utia, 13. Morgan Knowles, 14. Joey Lussick, 15. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, 16. Curtis Sironen, 17. Agnatius Paasi, 18. Jake Wingfield, 19. James Bell, 22. Sam Royle, 23. Konrad Hurrell, 25. Tee Ritson, 30. George Delaney. Probably: Welsby Makinson Hurrell Percival Hopoate Lomax Dodd Paasi Roby Lees Sironen Matautia Knowles Lussick Bell LMS Wingfield Looks pretty strong even without Walmsley (and Joe Batchelor). I think Hopoate will get the nod over Bennison; there is an argument for both. A sobering thought for Saints fans - the last time we will see James Roby in the vee on a Good Friday

https://www.saintsrlfc.com/2023/04/0...y-squad-named/ 1. Jack Welsby, 2. Tommy Makinson, 3. Will Hopoate, 4. Mark Percival, 5. Jon Bennison, 6. Jonny Lomax, 7. Lewis Dodd, 9. James Roby, 10. Matty Lees, 11. Sione Mata’utia, 13. Morgan Knowles, 14. Joey Lussick, 15. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, 16. Curtis Sironen, 17. Agnatius Paasi, 18. Jake Wingfield, 19. James Bell, 22. Sam Royle, 23. Konrad Hurrell, 25. Tee Ritson, 30. George Delaney. Probably: Welsby Makinson Hurrell Percival Hopoate Lomax Dodd Paasi Roby Lees Sironen Matautia Knowles Lussick Bell LMS Wingfield Looks pretty strong even without Walmsley (and Joe Batchelor). I think Hopoate will get the nod over Bennison; there is an argument for both. A sobering thought for Saints fans - the last time we will see James Roby in the vee on a Good Friday

As a Wiganer, I also find it sad that Roby will play his last GF game. He has been a credit to the sport.