Yeah, why not? Gildart didn't do much wrong that I recall in either of our last two games, and did quite a bit right! Rocky was fine at full-back, although he wasn't put under any bomb pressure.

Don't know I'd drop Gelling just to give Bateman a place in the centres, though. Of course Bateman should be the first name on the team sheet, but as long as he's there somewhere...

Annoyingly, I'm probably going to struggle to see this one. Apparently there's some kind of rugby union international at the same time, so if there's football on too at the same time, that's the two pub TVs taken care of... so may have to resort to dodgy internet connection. Can't really justify another trip to St Helens, been once this season, and I'll hope to go to semi and GF.

Bowen
Burgess
Gelling
Gildart/Charnley
Manfredi
Williams
Smith
Flower
Mclurom
Mossop
Tomkins
Bateman
OLoughlin

Clubb
Crosby
Patrick
Hampshire

I would go with with Charnley, but it will be good to see if Gildart can perform if he is targeted by Saints. Hopefully Farrell fit

Bowen
Manfredi
Gelling
Bateman
Burgess
Williams
Smith
Mossop (started to find some form now IMO)
McIlorum
Flower
Tomkins
Patrick
Lockers

Subs
Clubb
Crosby
Sutton
Powell

Powell - no charge. TT faces a 3-5 game ban.

Bowen
Charnley
Gelling
Gildart
Burgess
Williams
Smith
Flower
Mcilorum
Mossop
Bateman
Tomkins
O'Loughlin

Clubb
Crosby
Sutton
Powell

Too big a game for Gildart I think. B
Bowen,
Charnley, Gelling, Bateman, Burgess,
Williams Smith.
Crosby, McIlorum, Mossop,
Tomkins, Patrick,
O'Loughlin.

Clubb, Flower, Sutton, Powell.

Subject to injuries Ted I think you are spot on

I'll be disappointed if Bateman is back in the centres.

Wouldn't be too down hearted to see Tautai done for the season. I can't trust him when I watch him. You just sense the next big error or crazy penalty is always around the corner. People may point to stats to say he's not that bad in both those areas but I reckon if they worked them out per minute he's on the field it must be huge!!

He can be a big player for us but he's got work to do.

We need to have one of Clubb or Flower on the field at all times as they are our best two props so one will start and the other will have to be on the bench. We can't put the pair on from the start and try to steam roller stains as their pack is too good.

I just don't think he's got it in him.

It has been worked out by others on another site, there are far worse offenders in the team, but as he is not Wigan born and bred he is made to be the scapegoat

Don't agree with this at all. NickyKiss is spot on. I feel exactly the same when i see the ball going his way. You are always expecting a knock on, loose carry or penalty.

To pinpoint Tautai as because he is not Wigan born is nonsense. Mossop, Crosby and Charnley have all come under scrutiny this season and rightly so. Tautai has been bloody awful for us since game 1 and questioning his place in the squad is more than justified. He is a bad ball carrier and a penalty machine.

We need our best props on when Walmesley is on for them. When we have the ball, focus totally on attacking Walsh, who is a worse defender for them than Tim Smith was for us. Simple IMO.

Walmsley isn't playing Friday.

But in reality he hasn't been awful, it just looks like he is, like i said there are others far worse than him who get more praise, i'll see if i can find the thread and post a link to it on here

I agree that he is a poor ball carrier and hasn't justified the faith placed in him.

However to be fair he has made 25 appearances and conceded 10 penalties. So he gives away a penalty every two and a half games.

I'm not sure but i think Tomkins may have been one of the ones that was worse than TT

And Joel has had considerably more game time.

I think that Wigan have cleaned up their act since the beginning of the season when the indiscipline cost us dearly. In fact only three clubs out of the 12 have conceded fewer penalties.

Still the 'dirty Wigan' tags stick, though, don't they?

I do think JT in particular is one who ought to be told (ought to know, as senior player!) to keep his trap shut and let his rugby do the talking. He is an embarrassment sometimes.

Wait until next season when Sam returns. Refs will have it in stereo!



Actually as far as I'm concerned that's no bad thing. The likes of Sinfield and McGuire have been doing it for years. I know that a few refs get fed up with it and it counts against you, but most are easily swayed, especially at home.

I realise we have drifted off topic but Joel has been the biggest disappointment of this season for me. When he returned to the club I was expecting - after a period of acclimatisation - that he would be like Ben Westwood used to be. He has all the attributes of size, pace and aggression but he looks nothing like that to me. Instead, a younger, smaller player in Bateman is embarrassing him on a regular basis. I accept he has been moved from pack to backs but so has Bateman and Ablett does it regularly also. It's a shame, but how good could he have been if he hadn't gone to RU? Still, I don't suppose his bank manager would agree with me.

I feel the opposite. Joel has had a good season for me. I wasn't expecting much and I think he's done well considering not many return from Union. His offloads are amongst the best in the comp and his 'soft hands - inside pass' to the fullback is very difficult to execute properly and very difficult to defend against.

John Bateman has embarrassed most players this season anyway. I'm just glad that we have both Joel and Batty along with Faz and Lockers. I'm sorry that we had to let Jack Hughes go, because he's had a good season at the Giants, but there was no way he could force his way in past those 4.

Waney has had his standard pre-derby chirp

Only in response to Wilkin saying that "Saints were the only team to stop Leeds". I've been critical of Wane doing teams' prematch teamtalks for them but what he's said this week (so far) is fair enough AFAIC