https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2024/10/ ... d-final-2/ No surprises in the 21, only questions are is Farrell over the lurgy and is Miski's knee up to it ?

https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2024/10/ ... d-final-2/ No surprises in the 21, only questions are is Farrell over the lurgy and is Miski's knee up to it ?

Quite simply Farrell in for Walters.

Let’s get it won lads!

No Gildart for KR, means Broadbent will be targeted all night long.

Interesting to see who misses out if Faz is fit.

Probably a choice between Walters and Forber, either way it’s a pretty big risk if we run with only 1 hooker or no cover for Faz if he’s struggling.

If they are absolutely certain Farrell is 100% fit, then I'd just make the direct change for Walters. I've always wanted Walters on the bench but they've been working with this rotation of 3 props and Forber for weeks now and I wouldn't change it now.

Yep, agree completely but would also add Miski into the 100% fit bracket too. When he intercepted last week he wasnt running freely (i know he's not the fastest anyway)

we need our team to be as 100% fit as possible, so need Faz and Miski fully firing or replace them with Walters and Eckersley

The bench rotation wont change as its working for us at the minute and seems to be MP preferred option

I wonder if the reduced minute for Thompson over the last few weeks have been building to save him for the GF where he could do the full 80 and maybe have Walters as cover instead

Food for thought. I like the idea. Ellis does big minutes anyway so i could see that working. Thompson has been an absolute machine. What a signing. POTY for me. I was told by an ex player that he was struggling to fit back in at the beginning of the season. He didn't divulge whether that was at Wigan or in England in general but he seems to have cast that aside if it was the case. He is in the form of his career and could easily retire here.

If that would be the case regarding the bench, who would your props be? Mago and Dupree for me. It would be harsh on Byrne and nobody likes being left out but we get more consistency out of Mago and Dupree. With Byrne, i like him but there is always a dropped ball at a crucial time or dodgy tackle in him.

Byrne has outperformed Dupree in the last 4-6 weeks IMO. I wouldn't leave either out but if my hand was forced it would be Dupree to miss out. I thought he did look more like last seasons Dupree in the semi to be fair to him. Byrne is playing with good intensity. Looks much more like the lad we were gutted to see injured in the last couple of months of 2023.

Dupree has a lot of work to do in the off-season.

Agree Dupree has been coasting all year. Not as relied upon given Thompson, Ellis and Havard’s big minutes and output.

But I’m sure he’ll step up on the big stage, especially after missing Wembley.

He’s an England prop and will look to force his way into Wanes side

I doubt Peet will need to do any second guessing about a players fitness. As club captain and our most experienced player, I'm sure Liam Farrell will be honest with the staff about whether he's good to go.

Could be a bad sign, but I'm feeling comfortable with tomorrow and confident we could win by a few scores.

We're a different team from the team that squeezed past them at the Brick a month or so ago. In all honesty, Wire will be hugely disappointed not turning them over last week, they looked like they were going to score every time they went left.

i have the same mindset and it feels a bit odd

My only concern is the forecast. As I said last week I dont think this Wigan team lose on a dry track but rain evens it out a little.

I'm a bit torn on what poor weather would mean for us. We've not always been great in wet weather but in Harry Smith we have comfortably the best in play kicker in the game tomorrow and we could really work them over with that. I do think we have the edge on a dry track though with our pace, so I'm confident if we're at our best we'll be ok if any weather.