I don’t think a cut on his foot will keep him out but we’ll see. We could really do with him available if we work on the presumption that Field is out and Wardle will likely be banned.

Worst case scenario is that we'll be missing our 1, 4, 5 and 6 due to injuries and suspensions. Big disruption but a performance like last night will trouble Saints. We let Leigh off the hook so many times in the 1st half with Field trying to score off every play once we got in their half.

It's likely we'll be looking at something like this below. Maybe one of Astley or Forber will have to come in?

French
King, KPP, Thornley, Miski
Powell, Smith
Cooper, O'Neill, Byrne
Farrell, Isa
Smithies

Ellis, Havard, Shorrocks, Forber/Astley

I’d play Astley but it doesn’t look likely with Peet stating post match that we’ll likely use lads who’ve been playing first team recently. Looks like it’ll have to be Powell in that case, with the only other option being an outside punt on somebody like Shorrocks or Wardle (who will probably be banned anyway).

I’ve got to be honest and say that if Astley is a specialist half, is considered to be a first team squad player and they have hopes for him going forward, I think he should be playing. I know it’s an intense game but that can help sometimes, as every player is switched on and covering each other. It’s a weird one with Peets background in the academy but he does seem wary sometimes of giving the juniors a chance in any games bar when we’re resting everyone. A lack of injuries hasn’t aided that but now we have some, there are opportunities not to have to put round pegs in square holes.

I take your point. In some respects its a great game to throw them in. I remember a very young Wigan side beating us at Knowsley Road in 2003 where Kevin Brown had a great game.

In 2017 just after Cunningham was sacked, Grace made his debut on Good Friday at Wigan, scored and had a good game.

Dont worry, we will receive some bans after tonight to even up the players you have injured

I do agree with you on this one. You can guarantee either Knowles, Lees or Sironen will cop a ban, possibly two out of the three

Or maybe they just start playing to the rules?

Brown and Robinson were excellent. We obviously had the famous win in 2003 were a number of kids (lead superbly by the senior pros) played a blinder as well. It’s a baptism of fire but I’m totally the opposite way on it being a bad game to be thrown in to, especially with it being at our place. I’d rather pay him on Friday than I would away at Cas, HKR, Salford etc (days were we might not be as switched on across the park).

Don't sweat it, you'll get Liam Moore as ref next week proudly wearing his I'm from Wigan but totally not biased towards them t-shirt, just like last year

FWIW, it's a sad state of affairs in the game that potential bans are being discussed in relation to the biggest game of the season so far. Wardle shouldn't get a ban, but will IMO.

It speaks volumes of the performance last night that us fans are optimistic about next week, considering the players we'll potentially be missing. We needed a good performance, and we got one.

You are quite correct however I do feel there is some inconsistency being applied. I've seen similar types of late hits in the televised games not being punished. There's other players hitting late.

The stat I saw the other week was there had been 8 players banned and 4 were from Saints.

Be interesting to see how Saints go tonight, if they don't put 40+ on Wakey at home the pitchforks will be out over the lump

It's a conspiracy.

Team of thugs, nailed on they try to take French out next week

Clearly you're being a bit daft here but I can give you two recent examples of poor decisions.

Lees gets sinbinned during the Leigh game (during which time Leigh score 2 tries) and then the MRP don't even reference that in their minutes, effectively saying there was nothing wrong with it. He actually gets charged with a separate offence, of which there was no further action on the field.

During the Hudds game, Lomax is taken late by Ashworth and is given a green card for it. Ashworth stays on the field however is then retrospectively charged after the game, again showing that the ref got it wrong at the time. Had Lomax not been a tough bugger and if he stayed down like Myler does then Ashworth would've been sinbinned no question. Instead we are penalised for this.

These examples don't even include the last minute shoulder charge against Leeds of which Walters was also retrospectively charged.

Now I don't for one minute think that there is a conspiracy or that the RFL are trying to stop us winning 5 in a row, thats silly talk.

However that doesn't mean I can't be frustrated with the above.

I don't recall anyone saying there was inconsistency going on a couple of seasons ago when Smithies got 6 (IIRC) games for a crusher tackle that was practically nothing whilst another player didn't even get a ban for one that appeared worse and led to an injury. That was down to Wigan being thugs.

Just like us, you play the game on the borderline of the rules in terms of physicality and this year you're paying the price with bans. There's a simple fix.

Saints have announced today that Wigan have released to them a further 300 tickets in the North Stand.

Walmsley with a hamstring injury now.

Will somebody cut them a break

Not good in this weather. Fingers crossed nothing serious

The RFL will probably ban him for 2 games.

Agreed, he’s huge for them, but still want to see the best of both teams on display for the occasion.

If Wardle is banned then we need to bin the sport.

Forber nor Astley will play, Peet will go for experience.

The same happened at the DW.