Looks a bit of a mismatch on paper with Hull having about 12 players out.

Wane has said he will rotate the squad for this one so Burgess, Gelling, Sutton and maybe even Hampshire (!) could feature.

Hope we can be ruthless if there is an opportunity to score a few points - the points difference gap between us and Leeds is around 95.

I'd say it's less about trying to get to top, highly doubt leeds will let that slip, and more about trying to keep the team fresh for the semi final. I'd rotate a lot,

Hampshire
Manfredi
Gelling
Gildart
Charnley
Williams
Smith (c)
Crosby
Powell
Mossop
Patrick
C Farrell
Sutton

McIlorum (20 minute cameo appearance)
Flower
Tataui
Tomkins

Giving a rest to

Bowen
Lockers
Bateman
Clubb

Giving Burgess another week off and McIlorum and Joel reduced minutes.

The fringe players, Sutton, Rocky etc then have moativation to go out and play well to force there way into the team.

yeah 12 senior players out injured. Probably 3 under 19s to come in to make debuts, to add to players like Logan, Fash and Downs that have played the last few games. Could be a right d*cking for us on Friday!

The points difference could be a lot closer come the end of this weekend but to get top we would have to win our last 3 games by big margins and I think resting players and being fresh for the semis is more important.
The league leaders shield means nothing really,and I don't think finishing first will give you any easier of a game.

Give Rocky a run in the halves?

www.wiganwarriors.com/news/2015- ... nged-squad Squad unchanged Regards , EW

www.wiganwarriors.com/news/2015- ... nged-squad Squad unchanged Regards , EW

Lockers and Manfredi to miss out for me:

Bowen
Charnley
Gelling
Gildart
Burgess
Williams
Smith
Crosby
McIlorum
Flower
Bateman
Tomkins
Patrick

Tautai
Clubb
Mossop
Powell

Grimmy, I think the squad for Fridays match emphasises the position Ryan Hampshires holds in Wanes pecking order at Wigan.

Hull name an 18 man squad.

HULL FC: Abdull, Downs, Fash, Hadley, Houghton, Lineham, Logan, Matongo, Minichiello, Naughton, Osborne, Paea, Palea’aesina, Rankin, Shaul, Sneyd, Turgut, Watts

I count only 9 first choice players in there with Watts apparently doubtful too so you should win comfortably. Hopefully the kids will put up a decent showing though.

against a normal Hull side I would expect a decent game and a 10-20 point win, against a team laced with kids it could go either of 2 ways......a 50 point win in a one sided game, or the kids will turn it on and make it close either way.

A 50 point win would be nice table wise, but I would prefer a close game, as long as its them playing well and not us playing awful

Rest for Lockers and Charnley left out as he's been the third best winger at the club this year.

Bowen
Manfredi Gelling Gildart Burgess
Williams Smith
Crosby McIlorum Flower
Tomkins Patrick Bateman

Subs-Clubb Mossop Tautai Powell

There is no way that Bowen can play every week due to his fragile body and age yet SW keeps the same squad against a club that is struggling to field a team. For what?
The day Hampshire goes is the day I cancel my season ticket.
Smith at best is average and he no longer takes goal kicks therefore, what is the benefit of him?
I suspect Hampshire isn't tough enough and can't wrestle.
Hampshire has pace and when Burgess goes we haven't anyone else in the squad who is capable of scoring from anywhere which is a skill that is beyond a price.
i genuinely believe that SW would prefer a Jimmy Fairhurst type player to Hampshire in that he would have a dig and play to a plan even if the plan was total shoite. For you youngsters Jimmy Fairhurst had zero skill, pace or rugby brain but gave 100% every game. Oh and was part of the shower that got us relegated circa 25 years ago.
Jim Sullivan will be doing a triple axle in his grave!

If Ryan was as good as you say he'd be in the team every week. Simple as that. No coach ignores match winners especially as according to you we have no one else with pace to match, bar Burgess. I'm not sure why you have to bring Fairhurst into it. Wane has picked and backed Williams at stand off. Smith is his organiser. Hampshire isn't as good as either at their allotted roles. Otherwise he'd be in the team.

As for giving up your season ticket. Do you support Wigan through thick and thin? Or are you Ryan's uncle?

I thought the Hull game might have been a good game to give Rocky another go, but thinking about it, Bowen is in sensational form and has a maximum of 5 games of his career left (probably), so he won't want to be rested. And why would we want to start swapping the halves round so close to the end of the season.

Hampshire's time will come, but some of the hysteria on here at times because a 20 year isn't in the team every week is laughable.

Leeds are away at Catalan. You'd expect them to win that but they could quite easily get turned over. If we put a big number on Hull we could be level on points with nothing in the points diff. I'd love to pinch top spot off them, they can't have all the silverware can they?

It would, of course be nice to get the LLS, and it would have been helpful if we could have beaten Leeds last month.
What's important now is to be ready for the semi final and final.

I've been saying since about round 13 that leeds will eventually tipple over a few games, and now as it turns out wigan have another chance to capitalise. I honestly think we will put a big score on against hull hence the unchanged game squad and leeds could be in trouble IF Cas were to turn saints over as leeds have Cas and hudds still to come who are still in contention (mathematically at this point should I say) for the semifinals.

I certainly think leeds have the tougher final 3 games than us due to how the 8's have panned out. interesting!

all this talk of leeds winning the LLS and GF as well as their CC win will come undone if you ask me, they are there for the taking.

There is a tipping point for most people unless you follow something as if under sort of spell or indoctrination. It's called having a personal opinion and thoughts.
I have watched Wigan on a regular basis since 1966 therefore, have seen many thin years and fortunately many good years.
Hampshire has more skill than Smith however, Smith probably does what he is told and plays to a game plan therefore gets the position. That's great if you steam roller teams but not very good if you need to execute a game changing move or try against stiffer opposition like Leeds or Saints.
You may be surprised but coaches obviously have favourites but I can't tell you why SW favours Smith versus pace a and natural ability or than maybe he doesn't want to play two half backs at a young age in the same team.
Can you explain why we should planning Bowen tomorrow? SW has stated previously that he need to nurture him through the season therefore, why not rest him against what is on paper an eminently winnable game?
By the way if I was Hampshire's uncle or dad I would be telling him to get out of Wigan a sap because he wasting precious years of his playing career.
I may be very wrong but losing Hampshire will come back to haunt us for years to come because a coach feared losing some control in letting the team play a more off the cuff style of play.

A coach lives or dies by his results. He has an idea in his mind of the way he wants the team to play, he has decided Matty Smith is a better option to get that than a young kid who has played a handful of first team games in the halves?

That is his job and why he is paid good money. If we are champions in five weeks he 100% picked the correct side if we aren't he might have questions to ask, but to say your going to give up your season ticket if he doesn't play Rocky is a bit OTT

Spot on. The coach has the right to pick the team that he wants. He will stand or fall by those decisions and if he gets it wrong often enough he will be gone. Personally I would have given Hampshire a few more games in recent weeks, particularly when Williams got those knocks to the head v Wire, but that's just my opinion.

Wasn't it Wayne Bennett who said "If you start listening to the fans it won't be long before you're sitting with them."

Philadelphia Eagles coach Joe Kuharich in 1967, but has been repeated by many since, including Bennett and John Monie, and IMHO very true.

Why would it be listening to the fans? Two people can have the same opinion you know.

The quote everyone is responding to was very OTT.

Despite having an up and down season, we're in pretty good shape at present. We left the Cup in awful circumstances, particularly given that the team who beat us went on to play like absolute chumps at Wembley. At one stage we couldn't win away from home for toffee. And yet now, at the business end, things look to have changed dramatically. On current form, the title is ours to lose. In that regard, having a real pop at Shaun Wane over of his management of a promising kid smacks a little bit of someone trying to find a reason to moan.

I too would consider it a big error to lose Ryan Hampshire, possibly an error akin to the loss of Sean Long and with much less reason. But we ought to remember that he's still a relatively untested youngster. Just how dramatic an issue is this? Moreover, I sincerley hope that Ryan himself doesn't read these forums, because some posters almost sound as if they're encouraging him to leave.

Cruncher I think that some of your comments are a response to my earlier posts so I would like to clarify a few points if I may.
Firstly believe it or not I am a SW fan and I applaud his determination to encourage the development of new blood via our youth system however, for me the potential diamond in that said system is used infrequently and when used is in a position that he obviously does not enjoy or display some basic requirements of the role.
We have lost Burgess and will lose Charnley for next season. Sarginson is also off and add to that Bowens retirement which leave our backs exceptionally exposed.
I work on the premise that no news is bad news therefore, assume that Hampshire will also be exiting.
How many backs have we got left?
We have tried to get Carney but I believe he is off to Hull. I know bugger all about NRL so haven't got a clue who we could sign from there and as for SL who would we like to sign even if we could?
I currently despair at our apparent ineptitude in recruiting and retaining backs of any quality. You may consider that a moan I consider it a fundamental requirement.
I am not a fly by night but neither am I a one eyed spectator who accepts a modicum of improvement as everything is rosy in the garden.
I personally want to aspire to perfection and hopefully achieve excellence. Come on Rouges who is that quoted from?


Maybe I am being too pessimistic or perhaps I'm being pragmatic?
You describe our season as up and down I would describe the majority as bland.
I want pace with calculated risk not a 2 and 5 making hard yards whilst a front row pick their noses and scratch their s.
I'm hard to please? yep I am.
Currently we have probably the best facilities, youth system and infrastructure in SL therefore my expectations are set on these premises.
Losing Hampshire in itself will have no impact on the current season or maybe even next season what it will for me concur is that we can't retain quality or recruit quality which longer term is worrying.
Hey I hope your optimism is absolutely is spot and I am being an owd maudering fart who should accept the glow of today and ignore my impending chill of tomorrow

Much of this, I agree with. But seriously, don't cancel your season ticket. In the days of Jinkin' Jimmy Fairhurst we all had lots of reason to walk away and never come back. Look what we'd have missed if we had.