Just watched an interview with Wane from today on Wigan TV and it looks like good and bad news on the injury front!

Lockers, Powell, Tautai, Mossop and Rhodri Lloyd should all get some minutes at the weekend at Workington. On the downside Dan Sarginson is still 'a few weeks' away from being fit which is far from ideal considering Thornley is out long term.

I'd be more inclined to play Burgess at centre or Bateman then Joel Tomkins. I think we need Joel's size in the backrow.

I would like to see Bateman in the centres instead of Joel if Dan is out for a few games. Failing that how about a wild punt on putting Charnley at centre and Manfredi on the wing, Josh has had 4 years watching his inside man so must know how a centre operates and just think of the pace in attack down the edge

Charnley had a cracking spell at centre whilst on loan at HKR years back. I'd be happy to take a punt on him or Burgess ahead of Tomkins. I never really rated Tomkins at centre before his Union move and he looked half a yard slower on Sunday with Percival causing him all sorts of problems.

Shaun Wane does no do the unexpected, I think he will stick with Tomkins when we have an injury in the centres,
This is borne out with a statement he made in last nights M.E.N when giving a report on Sundays match, in part of his article he said ," We have good players and I have 2 classy fullbacks for instance fighting for one spot.
Matty Smith and George Williams in the halves will need time as Matty did with Blake Green. Once I go with something I stubbornly stick with it ".

I think wane also said hat Bateman picked up a little knock against Saints and so he took him off as a precaution "because he needs him fit for Widnes". With this in mind it seems like he will be starting so i presume Joel Tomkins will be playing centre again. A bit disappointing as Joel's not looked great there in pre-season and he certainly isnt as good a centre as he was before he left for Union. I think Joel's without a doubt best at backrow now as his defence can be questionable. I suppose though we're not in an ideal situation though so rotation is a must.

It is brilliant news that Moose is fit. I had been concerned that we would never see him play for us again. If we get him back near his best he will be a brilliant player for us.
Equally, I always hold my breath about Lockers - will he, won't he?
I think any of Bateman, Joel or Josh can do a good enough job on their day in the centres. Joel would be my third choice of those 3.

Bateman did well at centre at Saints game on good friday but apart from that I dont see him pass the ball much.

If Sarge is injured for first game centres should be Charnley and Gelling with Burgess and Manfredi on the wings.

I'd also prefer us to use Charnley at centre rather than Joel, who looks too easily wrong-footed IMO. Having said that it's evidently not going to happen given the way we lined up for both friendlies

Against Widnes we need our most experienced pack out there that we can put on the field.
Props, I'd go with Crosby and Clubb to start , Mossop, Tautai & Patrick off the bench. Mic Mac to start. Bateman to left centre as Joel's size is needed in the back row.
In the past we have sent out a weakened team at Widnes, losing twice with the one win.
It's a blow when two of our three first team centres are injured, we have to get on with it though!
I don't want Manfredi on the wing as Brown will bomb all night, same with Hampshire at full back.
If we are to get off to a good start in the season this has to be a must win.
It is very winnable provided we put out the best 17 available.

I would like to see gildart given a chance. If he isn't going to get a chance when two first team centres are out injured when is he?

Gildart is two years younger than Hampshire, Williams, Tierney so it's a bit early to be saying that. He is also part of the first set of lads to be in the Under 19s without being able to play Under 18s first to build up to Under 20s, so some can look further ahead in progress than they perhaps are. Maybe 12 months time is more realistic for him.

I'd have said throw Gildart in before Leigh but he really struggled defensively in that game. He's a top young player and I'm sure he'll go on to become one of the best centres in superleague but it's very early days. If look to get him some games this year but I think I'd wait for a cup tie against lower league opposition or a team struggling in superleague before throwing him in.

I'd go Bateman or Burgess but it will be Tomkins.

Didnt Tony Clubb play for England as a centre? Could he step in if required?

Any team news for Sunday? or any ideas who will be up?

No Lockers, Mossop or Tautai tomorrow. Just seen the squad on the Wigan site. All kids really apart from the odd exception like Sam Powell.

It would be a big ask to throw experienced lads in on what must be a heavy pitch then expect them to back up Thursday night. I just hope those three I mention not playing hasn't ruled them out at Widnes. I'm not too fussed about Mossop as he must be incredibly rusty anyway but Tautai and Lockers are much needed.

So based on that i would expect that Mossop wont play, lockers possibly and Tautai must be 50-50 bet.

Looks like joel to centres but the big quetion is batemen fit as connah farrell didnt play yesterday.

If bateman fit he will play 2nd row with Faz and patrick on the bench or patrick to 2nd row if bateman injured and young faz on the bench.

Greenwood played so Wane must be confident he's got four fit props even if Patrick has to play at 13. One of those three must be in the reckoning you'd have to think. My guess is Tautai will play and the other two not with Patrick at 13 alongside Crosby, Clubb, Sutton and Tautai in the front row.

The bench hooker spot will be interesting. Will he go with Logan or will he play Hampshire or Powell and switch the halfbacks during the game.

I think that he will go with Powell on the bench which is probably the safer option.
My personal preference would be Hampshire but I think that Powell's better defence will swing it for him.

I think he'll go with Logan Tomkins on the bench tbh and rightfully so on pre season form. He looked lively and as though he had a point to prove.

I could see Hampshire starting at fullback with Bowen being held back a week due to the pitch. There doesn't seem to be an increased number of injuries on it to my mind but Wane's never seemed like he trusts it and I could see Bowen along with Lockers and Mossop being held back.

Isn't Tautai a second row? Or is he another one we've "converted" and gonna ask him to just plod it up and not risk an offload while claiming we have the most mobile pack in the league?

Played prop for most if not all of last season at Wakey and was very effective. There's also a bit of talk that he in particular has been given a licence to offload the ball a little more.

I'm with you in that I feel we're a big forward short but later in the season, as the pitches firm up, there is a lot to be said for having a mobile pack. I don't agree with Lenagan and Wane though that we've recruited bigger forwards since the WCC. Mossop is a pretty big bloke but Patrick and Tautai aren't when you compare them to guys like Walmsley, Masoe, Sims, Peacock etc.

After the Leigh game I would have agreed about Logan but against Saints his one-handed carry worried me and I recall him needlessly turning over the ball 2 or 3 times. Plus having a halfback on the bench gives us another option if Williams is struggling. Team I expect in black, team I would like in red:

FB 1 Bowen
RW 2 Charnley
RC 3 Gelling
LC 11 Joel =#FF000014 Bateman
LW 5 Burgess
SO 6 Williams =#FF000020 Hampshire
SH 7 Smith
P 8 Crosby
H 9 McIlorum
P 17 Clubb
SR 14 Bateman =#FF000011 Joel
SR 12 Liam
LF 13 O'Loughlin

S 16 Powell
S 24 Tautai
S 25 Patrick =#FF000028 Sutton
S 31 Connor

*edited after seeing the 19 man squad*

Neither Joel nor Bateman is ideal to play centre but I don't think Bateman would be wrong-footed as easily as Joel seems to be. Plus Joel's size will be handy in the pack given we have looked a bit soft in pre-season

Hampshire is the best 6 at the club now IMO. Really don't get how he keeps being overlooked. Surely even if they want him to make it at FB long term he would at least benefit from SL experience at 6 (as Sam Tomkins did) whilst also improving our team in the short term.

I've not seen a lot of Patrick but Sutton looked the stronger of the two in pre-season for me so I'd give him the nod, and in doing so hopefully send out the message that new signings have to earn a spot in the side just like academy players.

Fair dos. Remember watching a highlight video of him from his Cronulla days and he was wearing either 11 or 13 and did a lot of running out wide.

And yeah we do have probably the smallest set of props. I find it odd that Wane prefers that rather than a bigger/more harder hitting pack. IMO we have the weakest front-row out of the top 4 (or 5). Thank god for McIlorum and I honestly dread him getting a lengthy injury.