first thing you guys think about when planning an away trip no doubt

Knowsley Rd at Xmas. Bring it on!!!

Yeah it's helped get me through these lean years

That's another four games that you'll have to read Bilkos reports then.

So you have stuck with the team, but you can't remember any of the games

All dayer appearance for Conroy i'm thinking

I seriously don't know how he does it. He drinks as much as the rest of us.

ps wouldn't give bilko the pleasure of reading one of his shucking match reports

.

Pretty much except the home ones.

Nice one. Think we need to take advantage. Whoever gets in looks like they're gonna repeal the 24 hour licensing. Always punish us responsible drinkers

Amen brother!

Nice new crisp home shirt WITH sponsor

, new shi'itehouse prop making his debut and a few jars and beat Saints at their place and not have to put up with the jip and dissapointment of getting beat.

yer i doubt it'll be at the DW in the heart of the football season around the busiest time in the season too. Should be a good old traditional xmas derby, depending on signings etc.

cannot get too excited, to be honest about this, if it like any other friendly one team will play a strong side one will play a team of juniors with the odd first team cameo.

I know it's early days but does anyone know what time it will KO? I'm wanting to know 'cos I'm due to work that day

That's exactly what I was thinking.

Same here.

Hate friendlies with a passion. I completely ignore them and just hope we don't get injuries.

I personally think both teams will play a mixed side tbh.

Will pre season training have started in any meaningful fashion by that date?

It'll be a nothing game with both teams full of kids.

If Shaun Wane has anything to do with it, we'll put out a strong side.
What's the point of playing kids when the first team need to 'hit the ground running'?

Didn't Ian Lenaghan say something about pre-season training kicking off in November? I'm sure he mentioned in it on a club website video.

Because you need to concentrate on fitness at that stage, and getting players injured for no reason would hamper them getting fit for that season. You also need to hit the ground running in February, not the beginning of January.

There is a reason that teams build up the intensity of their pre season training as it gets nearer to the season rather than playing full blooded friendlies near the beginning of the training starting.

Whilst I'm sure that Wane will be part of a stricter culture at Wigan, I think a few of you are going a bit overboard in what he's going to do. He's not stupid and he won't risk the season on a pre season friendly, even if it is against Saints.

If that's the case I think you may find most of your players exhausted come the business end of the season. Whilst Noble had you far too under done at the start of the season, there's no point going to the other extreme and ruining your season by going too far the other way. Do teams really do 4 months of pre season training?

Still, that comment may show why he isn't a head coach or conditioner...

Congratulations, you clearly do not have a clue!

Lenaghan says November 16th is the start of pre-season training.
[urlhttp://www.wiganwarriors.com/news_full.asp?newsid=5210[/url

I'd put more store by your comments had you not been so insistent for such a long time that a fat, and plainly unfit, Feka was more effective than a slimmed down version would be, however I don't see you plying that theory much these days.

I don't pretend to be an expert, I'm just going off what I've read successful coaches in a few sports say. Pre season is all about getting a basic level of fitness early on, not about ball handling. Hardly any professional sports teams that are successful play full blooded friendlies until far later in pre season, the risk of injury isn't worth it.

Unless it is, in which case, why don't more teams do it? Surely full paced friendlies are about getting timing and ball handling right, rather than improving fitness, would a December friendly really be worthwhile for that purpose?

The question about the timing of pre season training was a genuine one btw, one that has been subsequently answered it seems.

It's more likely that the friendly will have a smattering of first teamers and will be a bog standard slow paced friendly that will be used to generate revenue more than anything else.