Who would you go with?

Who starts, who makes the bench?

Does Filed play, does Gilly play, Does Jacko play?

A few unanswered questions until the 21 man squad is named.

Which props start, who makes the bench?

Next to impossible to say at the minute. I noticed Field on the training pitch working with the ball, so I’m hoping he may be ok and that would solve one headache.

If I guess he’s fit and Hastings plays but nobody else makes it from the doubtful list I’d go-

Field
Hanley Hardaker Isa Bibby
Hastings Leuluai
Singleton Powell Bullock
Bateman Farrell Partington

Subs
Havard Clark Smithies Smith

If Field doesn’t play then Hardaker fullback, Bateman centre, Smithies starting and Shorrocks on to the bench.

I've lost track a bit, is our injured/unavailable list potentially: French, Marshall, Manfredi, Gildart, Field, Hastings and Pearce-Paul?

Sounds like that is worst case yes. Fingers crossed a couple of them are available.

I think I'd prefer Bateman to play centre (if Gildart isn't available). Unfair on Isa to cover there, when JB has played that position at international level.

I really don’t like the prospect of Isa at centre however that is where he played in the friendly last week so I’d say that is the route Lam will go down if we are struggling in that department.

Centre is one of the hardest positions to defend and every time Isa has covered there he has been exposed including a few times last week.

He lack the lateral movement in my opinion to successfully defend the channel.

I certainly hope more of the lads who are potentially missing play as if not we could have a few issues out wide.

How good is it to see a "Team for Friday" thread??!!!

I'm a little concerned our back line will be the same one that played Salford.

Your playing little Leigh.

I am sure you will be fine .

Cheers. If they're all out I'd go:

FB 3 Hardaker
RW 28 Halsall
RC 11 Isa
LC 22 Bibby
LW 20 Hanley
SO 20 Smith
SH 7 Leuluai
P 8 Singleton
H 9 Powell
P 10 Bullock
SR 13 Bateman
SR 12 Farrell
LF 21 Havard

S 14 Partington
S 15 Smithies
S 17 Clubb
S 19 Byrne

What's the crack with Borough? Might be a good day to give him a go off the bench but he didn't play against Salford so not sure if I've missed him being loaned out or something.

Hardaker
A N Other
Bateman
Bibby
A N Other
Leuluai
Hastings
Bullock
Powell
Singleton
Farrell
Isa
Partington

Havard
Byrne
Clark
Smithies/Smith

Loaned to Halifax for the season I think mate.

Pretty sure Hastings will play

Oh ta! Hope he does. I'd still give Smith a run off the bench if so

I think Leigh beats that team

I still wouldn't expect it but it's probably weak enough that they could cause an upset if we have a bad day. Don't underestimate how poor Leigh are.

On paper they certainly don’t. We’ll have to be well off to get beat even with that team but it’s certainly possible. Leigh don’t have players of the class of Bateman, Farrell, Hardaker, Leuluai etc. If our attitude is right then we win the game and it’s that simple for me. I’m actually hoping that having a weakened side guards against complacency and could work to our advantage in that regard. It would take a HKR performance from last year to get in to trouble and surely we won’t be that laid back with most of our back line missing.

It doesnt always come down to the skill on the field, otherwise Salford and Cas wouldnt have beat us last year

Hastings is a must for me.

I'd go with Halsall on the wing and four forwards on the bench, so Byrne instead of Smith.

Hastings isn't injured and he is available.

He looked as fit as the proverbial butchers dog in those club pics last week, definitely playing

One question, how did the management allow us to be so short of threequarters? For us to only have one fit winger at pre-season training is unbelievable especially when you consider Dom's injury record (ignoring the broken thumb). The Club were also aware that there were no wingers emerging from the juniors and knew that Bevan would not be back in time for the start of the season. Extremely poor planning and definitely not how Wigan usually operate.

Just one of those things really. They couldn't have known Field, Gildart and Manfredi would all get injured at the same time. Plus we had no cap space anyway until G.Burgess left very recently. We do have wingers emerging in Hanley and Halsall, it's just that the jury is definitely out over whether they are ready.

Fully agree and I wouldn’t be massively shocked if there was a surprise result. I was just responding to the fact you said ‘I think Leigh beats that team’ without any context. It doesn’t beat it on paper and doesn’t beat it if both teams turn up with their attitudes absolutely spot on. If we turn up thinking it’ll be a walk in the park then we could get burned. If we turn up with a really good attitude then we win the game, even with a weakened side. We’ll have to be on it though without any doubt because Leigh will come out flying.

a few out of position and playing a lot of youngsters against experienced players

It’s far from ideal and the game is way more risky then it would’ve been had we been at full strength. We still should win but it’s far from being a given.

Looking forward to it anyway.