Seeing as Thornley, Charnley, Pettybourne and Flower will most likely miss the game against Leeds, what are we thinking team wise?

Even though Gelling bad a good game yesterday I'd like to see Sarginson and Goulding in the centres with the two youngsters out wide. As for the pack, I thought Dudson had a blinder yesterday and young Sutton didn't put a foot wrong.

So I'd go for:

Bowen
Manfredi
Goulding
Sarginson
Burgess
Green
Smith
Taylor
McIlorum
Dudson
Bateman
Farrell
O'Loughlin

Clubb
Sutton/Crosby if fit
Hughes
Williams

James will probably be in the squad but I don't think he's good enough to handle the Leeds pack.

Lets get Hunslet out of the way first

Not much to get out if the way though, is there?

Dudson is facing a two match ban after being charged with a grade B for his shoulder charge yesterday.

EGP will mean that Dudson just misses the Hunslet game

True enough however there could be one or two injuries picked up from it, hence my comment.

We've Hunslet to play yet, which may be particularly important in deciding who gets picked in the backs

Put the first team out against Hunslet. Keep the kids fresh for the Leeds game

What?!

Hunslet are first up but it should be a Wigan win.

As for Leeds, I don't go with the Sarginson/Burgess left wing partnership. After seeing what happened to our left side defence at Cas we shouldn't be risking a repeat of that. Gelling should go to 4 if Thornley is out as he gives us physical presence against the likes of Watkins.
Props wise it will depend on fitness. If Flower and Eddie are out then I'd go with Taylor, Crosby (if fit), Dudson & Clubb, James if Dom doesn't make it. Thankfully we have a lot of depth at prop.

My 17 -

Bowen,
Manfredi, Goulding, Gelling, Burgess,
Green, Smith,
Taylor, McIlorum, Crosby,
Farrell, Bateman,
O'Loughlin,
Bench - Dudson, Clubb, Hughes, Williams.

Should be a cracker!

Bowen
Burgess
Gelling
Goulding
Sarginson
Green
Smith
Taylor
McLlorum
Crosby/Dudson
Farrell
Bateman
O'Loughlin

Williams
Dudson/Crosby
Clubb
Hughes

Assuming that Flower and Eddie are injured. If Crosby is still injured then James.

Hope one of Flower or Pettybourne can make it - both work tirelessly and could make the difference.

Having Dudson and James as two of the four props doesn't inspire confidence.

Haha, my reaction too. Been disappointed with Dudson, doesn't offer much go-forward and gives away cheap penalties. Taking out a half-back with a cheap shot when you're 84-6 up isn't big or clever.

Metre stats from Monday;

Clubb: 154m from 14 carries (11 m/carry)
Sutton: 120m from 13 carries (9.23m.carry)
James: 73m from 8 carries (9.13 m/carry)
Dudson: 82m from 13 carries (6.31 m/carry).

I was very impressed with Sutton. Had a good bit of (controlled) agression about him and has a decent frame to fill out. Clubb was exceptional and ran in every ball at 100m an hour. Think prop might be his position long term. James isn't Wigan standard but will do as an experienced filler for now. Would be disappointed if he's still playing come the end of the season.

Agree. Was really impressed with Sutton, did not look out of place at all on his debut. Probably played about 55 mins as well. Clubb is doing a quality job also.

6.31m per carry is embarrassing from Dudson. Fairly sure he took 3 or 4 kick-off returns up also!

Many, including myself, were underwhelmed when Clubb was signed. But, he puts a shift in for sure..

After seeing Clubb play for us, especially at prop, it's easy to see why Waney signed him on a 4 year deal.
Likewise I think prop is his best position.

I said on a thread on the VT this morning that Clubb is the biggest surprise signing I've seen at Wigan for a long time and probably since Carmont. I thought he'd be very ordinary but when playing prop the bloke is a beast. He is a mountain of a bloke who hits the ball like a train and his leg drive in contact is outstanding. He's carrying defenders with him and edging extra yards.

He will need to step up these next few weeks with Flower and Pettybourne out and play more minutes. Hopefully Crosby will be back in the team this week and I've got full confidence in Taylor, Clubb and Crosby to carry the team. After that the 4th choice prop spot will be between Sutton and Dudson and on Sunday's showing Dudson will be very lucky to get a game even with the problems we have.

Gotta agree about Clubb, couldn't understand why we wanted him but he's showing me why game after game, on the other hand two players who need a massive boot up the back side ASAP are Dudson and Hughes.

Hughes and Dudsons form is making the squad look thinner then it actually is because I've got no faith in them to step up at the moment in the absence of others. Both are physically ideal for their positions but a mixture of poor skill, poor discipline and attitude is holding them back.

They both need a big game soon or the time may have come to move them on at the end of the season.

Looking like Burrow will be out, big blow for Leeds, especially considering Aiton is out also.

I didn't think Leeds looked that sparkling today, but then again they didn't need to be as Saints were very poor again. Despite their 'big' players making it back for the game!

Like the Wigan vs Saints game last week the result, imo, was never in doubt.

I've been banging on about it for a while now and I'll continue to raise it week in week out that these Saints kids just aren't that special.

Makinson especially is ridiculously over rated. He's not in the class of Hall, Charnley or Briscoe and by the end of the year he'll be behind Burgess in the race for an England spot.

Others like Swift and Jones were shown their level by Briscoe and Watkins.

Saints better pray Lomax doesn't leave.

They were in that game and leeds were rocking with 15 to go but two mistakes by saints took all the pressure off

To say it was never in doubt is way off, but leeds experience paid dividends late on against the younger saints players

There was only one side winning that match today and it wasn't Saints.

They can have them rocking all they want but they aren't good enough to see it through. Let's not forget Leeds bommed a few chances as well.

Been an awful couple of weeks for Saints. The LLS, Challenge cup and grand final trophy awarded to them by Eddie and Stevo have all been taken back and put back up for grabs for the rest of the league!

Even Walsh has been forced to hand the man of steel award back as well.