I'll have a go

French
Miski
Keighran
Eckersley
Douglas
Hampshire
Farrimond
Byrne
Leeming
Cooper
Walters
Nsemba
Ellis

Forber
Hill
Havard
Mago

Still a few names in there I’d like to miss out to avoid injury and or suspension but it’s probably the best line up we could hope fo. If all goes to plan in the final hopefully rest a few the game after (Cas away again!) I think one of French or Fields needs to play due to squad coverage. I’d stick Eckersley at FB but not sure who could cover at centre without just shoehorning someone in

I'd go very similar to that lineup but I think Smith will play. Injuries can occur in a range of scenarios but its probably fair to say Smith is a little less at risk as he's rarely tackled more than a handful of times in a game.

I think Forber got a head injury at the weekend so he may have failed his HIA.

Warrington without Williams which is something at least

One thing I wouldn't want to see happen is Peet get criticised for whatever team he picks on this occasion. There's pros and cons in any of the three options - be it full strength, reserve team or a mix of the two.

Agree completely, it's such a strange fixture at the best of times coming just before playing the same team again at Wembley, and that's before you think about the season that it has been on the disciplinary side. He gets a free pass from me whatever happens.


I really don't know what I'd do selection wise, but I'd probably go more towards changing the whole team rather than play the first team. Definitely in the pack anyway - there's no point having as many options as we do if we're not going to make the most of them for games like this.

I'd go for:

Hampshire
Miski
Keighran
Eckersley
Douglas
French
Smith
Byrne
O'Neill
Cooper
Nsemba
Walters
Ellis


Hill
Eseh
Makin
Forber/Farrimond

I would be more than happy if Matt rested half a team. A win at Wembley has to be the goal.

I trust Peet to make tge right choice. The pack we have we could make up a further competitive side on paper if we choose to rest players. Plus will give fringe players a run out for when we pick up injuries. It always seems like wigan win one loose one when it comes to us playing the same side on the bounce. Plus we play our full side there’s a chance wire just review our game afterwards and look at were to beat us

I think Peet will pick a fairly strong squad, maybe a few changes with players who are nursing niggles. Momentum is key for us and if we were to rest the majority of our wembley side, i think it could come back to haunt us in the final.

It's a shame this game has come a week before Wembley. Ordinarily a Saturday 3pm game on Sky on a dry warm day a few hours before the CL Final was a recipe for a few beers watching hours of Sport. However this has massively diluted the occasion and I doubt both sides will go full strength.

I do think Warrington are building nicely, Burgess is doing a good job and from listening to interviews its clear that the players are really buying into him and have the utmost respect for him. They have a lot of pace in the backline, a good set of forwards with Walker, Nicholson, Vaughan and Harrison to name a few and in my opinion the best 6 in the comp in Williams.

I think the Final will be a great game and its a huge test for Wigan

https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2024/05/ ... rington-a/ Strong squad, missing only Miski, Faz and Thompson

https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2024/05/ ... rington-a/ Strong squad, missing only Miski, Faz and Thompson

Plenty of options there, from that I'd say there's 5 nailed on in the 17. O'Neil, Leeming, Walters, Nsemba and Ellis.
You pays your money and take a chance with naming the rest of the team

Wire are resting everyone, I expect Vaughan/Dufty/Drinkwater/Nicholson to miss out from their 21 so that’s pretty much 14 players rested.

Warrington resting at least 8

Given Wires squad I’d go

French
Douglas
Keighran
Eckerlsey
Marshall
Hampshire
Farrimond
Havard
O’Neill
Byrne
Nsemba
Walters
Ellis

Hill
Cooper
Leeming
Mago

Rest Dupree, Field, Smith, Wardle.

After seeing Wires squad, shame Eseh/Forber aren’t in our squad.

I don’t think Forber is fit but I am surprised that Eseh is not in the 21.

Blooming heck Stu, it should be a good/tight game, it is after all a Challenge Cup Final. Warrington have improved ten fold under Burgess and I do agree that Williams is pure class.

I'm leaning towards including Smith and one of French or Field. Outside of the cup, we're in a fantastic position to finish in the top 2 if we win this game.

Same team for me as well. Looking forward to seeing how the younger lads go.

Hmm, if I was a Wigan fan, I wouldn't want French being risked this week, mainly due to the possible impact of the HIA rules, which I have alluded to on the Wire board. It's a shame we've ended up with a diluted game this week, but it will still be interesting. From a Wire viewpoint, a chance to see a few of our young lads in action and assess where they are at.

Wonder what the gameplan from the weakened Wire team will be? They will have a dig no doubt early on but wonder if they will try rattle us into a ill-disciplined performance hoping we may get a ban or two?

If we can get through this game injury free with a win and no bans we will have done amazingly well.

Out of every player we have named he's the one I wouldn't risk. If he does play I'd be tempted to haul him off if we take a healthy lead early on.

Totally get your point but I think there’s an argument about being over cautious. We’ve played about 13 games this year and French, Smith, Field etc have all survived without getting bans or HIAs.

Wire have wrapped everyone in cotton wool but Paul Vaughan could suffer a HIA in the first contact at Wembley and miss the whole game. Anything can happen.

Thompson missed the WCC but Harvie Hill game in and had a blinder.

If worst thing did happen we’d just play Hampshire and the rest of the team would have to step up.

Sound arrogant but Wigan are trying to win the quadruple, putting a score on a young Wire team would go a long way to securing along Way to securing the LLS.

Announcing a strong side ideally need to put on a big score as the point difference would come in handy. I’m sure it’ll be a tough game as it always is against Warrington. If we can beat them in both I expect Peet to rest a lot for Cas away