Will Farrell and Bateman play Sunday, what team do you think will turn out as Wakefield is a hard place to visit.

Same 17 as Wire except Powell for Shorrocks.

Powell’s out for at least 3 more weeks. O’Neill is available though.

Peet indicated on his interview that they’ll give Bateman another week. He also hinted on not playing Faz.

Tommy working with a specialist on his calf.

No mention of Thornely I don’t think he’ll play again this year.

I say this every week but I’d like Cust 9 Field 6 French 1. We looked so much more dangerous with that spine. French didn’t get a pass in the first half on the wing and his yardage carries aren’t great.

Any update on Havard?

Injury didn’t sound too serious but don’t think Peet will take any risks.

Hope to see young Halsall get another run out.

4/5 weeks and he’s already missed 2.

Think Will Farrells filming a movie somewhere… I’ll see myself out

Yep and here’s your coat

Feels like a dangerous game - it isn't a glamorous fixture and the Wigan players are probably sick to death of Belle Vue with this being the third visit this year. These loop fixtures are really uninspiring particularly when they're against teams at the bottom end. They need to put that to one side and keep their eyes on the prize of the top 2 and Old Trafford as Wakefield seem to have improved their form.

I agree with NSW (and I've been repeating myself all year as well) - still think we'd be better going with French at 1 and Field at 6. Would be interesting to see how Cust goes at 9 in a run of games although I have a feeling that there may have been an prior agreement between Cust and the club that he would be played at 6 and not at 9. I'm in the halfway house with Powell - he does a lot of good things for us and is a defensive machine but sometimes you think we could get more attacking spark from that position.

Apologies to pick on your post to view my thoughts on the Cust to 9 debate, I was getting frustrated with so many previous posts on the subject but didn't get chance to reply and now I have, yours is the one that has reminded me to reply


Pre game Friday we were in the local Chop House early on and an ex poster from here (ABP) was in and he was very concerned about the game.
Keeping it simple we said 2 things
1/it's always more nervous against a rival like wire/saints because you dread the thought of losing to them more

But
2/ When discussing the game and before we knew the team we said to him play Shorrocks at 9, French wing and Field FB
Plan should be to take them in down the middle for half an hour, and then do exact same thing again, and again, and again, because we would dominate in this area and tire them out.
We then Said Cust to 9 and it also gives us the ability to then "change it up" with Field at 6 and French at FB with slight change in centre I.e. KPP moving there and Bibby wing etc.
We didn't discuss Magos introduction, but that, along with changing things up around the 55min Mark changed the game

But

To change the game does disservice to the hard work and platform first 50mins or so and no way would Cust for example be able to play as he did last 20/25 in the first 20/25
He found that space etc due to the hard work in the first 50/55
Also, I would rather go that way, than start with Miski and play French at 1 and Field at 6 and then figure out how to take players off to mover Field to 1 and French to Wing, doesn't seem as easy and or provide a change up
I believe that was Peets game plan and it worked a treat

Moving forward, is it an option, absolutely

But O'Neil, and subsequently Powell when he returns start the game every week for me.

Great post - you've changed my view on that one. I hope we still retain that option to switch Cust to 9 mid game in the future though - either with Miski or Leuluai on the bench along with the three front rowers.

I'm not sure if it did work a treat. Ultimately we won, so that's a positive & the be all and end all.

That being said, we were poor in the 1st half and a lot of that was due to the poor distribution and general lack of effectiveness from Shorrocks imo. All ifs and buts, but if Wire take their simple chances, it's 18 - zip at HT and we've left ourselves with too much to do. Obviously, that didn't happen but we did get lucky. I doubt Peet's plan was to hold on by the skin of our teeth and then blitz them for 30 mins. If it was, then it's a crazy plan.

For me, in the big games, you pick your best team and against, for me, French - Field - Cust is a stronger 1, 6 & 9 than what we started with. Yeah Cust wouldn't have had run riot right from the start, but he's a better player than Shorrocks and logic would suggest he'd have made the team click better.

I imagine Peet listened to Watson’s half time comment of Warrington collapsing. When you watch their games it’s completely true. They can’t hold a lead and can’t reclaim a lead when down. Their 1 dimensional attack of pass it to Ashton and run has been found out (waiting for Field and French joke) only upturn I seen is when Wardle joined them. Soon as the 2nd or 3rd try was scored it was clear to see Warringtons heads were gone

Regards to this game can see it being difficult but adding O’Neil in will be great. If we tot up a healthy score by half time I’d like to see us rest either French or Field. Maybe even just give Miski a start

I agree with Jukes in that it all seemed very much pre-planned to me, and that puts the first half into a better perspective. All that said, though, i still really like the idea of French at fullback and Field in the halves. At least some of the time.

Without wishing to send funny you have the advantage of hindsight (as do we all at this point).
And Using phrases like we got lucky, skin of our teeth, blitz them for 30mins is a crazy plan etc isnt correct as that wasn't the plan obviously, and is also emotive to fuel the argument one way

I could turn round and say if we'd started with Cust he wouldn't have been as good defensively as Shorrocks and left more holes than a sieve and we would have been 24 nil down
He didn't, We weren't, well never know
Also, Cust is a better player than Shorrocks, but that doesn't necessarily make us a better team, because I could easily say French is a better winger than Miski so by bringing Miski in and moving French to FB etc and making 4 changes we are weaker so it makes the team worse.
Doesn't work like that

Not going to get all eat up about it, and there is no doubt Shorrocks had an average/poor game (I think he's capable of much better than that) but pre game they don't have the advantage of knowing 100% what will happen.

I think Cust9, Field at 6, French at FB and Miski wing leaves us backed into a bit of a corner if it doesn't work, and imo isn't set up for the early part of a game where defense/stability is required more.
The other way round I can see much more flexible options (plus it's the way we'll likely play when either of our 2 x real 9s are back) and it gives us an easier option to switch to if required and again imo, the switch this way gives us an extra step up/attacking threat at the point we may need it.

TBH
All opinions

And my urge to reply Friday night/ Saturday when I didn't was as much to do with some of the predicted responses I saw mainly on the other site (why I look I don't know

).

Yeah that's all true. I'd stay away from that other site & Redvee too - just as toxic and unhelpful as eachother imo.

What a dire 1st half. Usual mind boggling selections of the fan boys.

16 points is far from being over, but we can't start the second half in the same fashion. It feels like another Leeds game, where we think turning up is enough.

Expand?

You could see this coming a mile away. Just didn't think we would have the same motivation that they would have today. Hopefully Huddersfield losing will mean it isn't costly.

Lam out

I just don't get how we are so poor some weeks. Massive highs to massive lows, with no rhyme or reason as to why.

Lost to a better team on the day,lick our wounds and hopefully bounce back.

This was straight out of the Wane playbook.

If we win the league, which we might, it will be forgotten about, but that doesn't make it right imo.

Same as the Leeds game we only need to turn up.

I last went to Wakefield in 1992. It was actually better then.