Eh??

The pitch is the maximum 100x68 metres.

It's the proximity of the spectators to the pitch and the "ground level" viewing position, that must be giving you this impression.

can only think he's still in shock while visiting the cas ground

Nope. It's full size.

My mistake, wasn’t having a pop, it’s just the fact the view/structure is so similar to Castleford I assumed it was the same size.

Did you think that you were playing Cas again ?
They do have a small one

The Wigan squad for Friday. Hail Mary!! https://www.wiganwarriors.com/#LZrMa7IUIlKIsby8.97

The Wigan squad for Friday. Hail Mary!! https://www.wiganwarriors.com/#LZrMa7IUIlKIsby8.97

Quote ="Rogues Gallery"The Wigan squad for Friday. Hail Mary!! https://www.wiganwarriors.com/#LZrMa7IUIlKIsby8.97'" Wow, I thought there was a slight bit of exaggeration going on when the poster above claimed your whole pack was out but it does certainly look that way. Looking at both squads I would be disappointed not to see a Wakefield win on Friday but I would always expect a tough game against Wigan no matter what team turn up.

Quote ="Rogues Gallery"The Wigan squad for Friday. Hail Mary!! https://www.wiganwarriors.com/#LZrMa7IUIlKIsby8.97'" Wow, I thought there was a slight bit of exaggeration going on when the poster above claimed your whole pack was out but it does certainly look that way. Looking at both squads I would be disappointed not to see a Wakefield win on Friday but I would always expect a tough game against Wigan no matter what team turn up.

Quote ="Rogues Gallery"The Wigan squad for Friday. Hail Mary!! https://www.wiganwarriors.com/#LZrMa7IUIlKIsby8.97'" There's still danger lurking in the backs there - forward pack is absolutely decimated though! We still need to be 100% focused and do a professional job and I'm sure CC will have the squad focused on that.

Quote ="Rogues Gallery"The Wigan squad for Friday. Hail Mary!! https://www.wiganwarriors.com/#LZrMa7IUIlKIsby8.97'" There's still danger lurking in the backs there - forward pack is absolutely decimated though! We still need to be 100% focused and do a professional job and I'm sure CC will have the squad focused on that.

Correct. Our forwards don't need to go out there all billy big balls, they just need to stop Wigan getting the ball out wide in which case we should have a good chance of a win. If they go out full of contempt for a smaller Wigan pack they will undo our big lads and make them look like chumps - I know this because its exactly what we used to do.

Powell and O'loughlin are only doubtful and not out as yet, we are a full front row missing, plus a shoe in second rower, the left edge is missing that was the leading try scorer and the leading metre maker, where does it state that Wigans injuries trump ours?

As we've both said injuries are part and parcel of the sport, nobody wants to see anybody injured so they need to do what the rest do and get on with it, and no I don't think he's wrong and haven't said so, and yes I can imagine a team without their starting pack if that's how it ends up, it's the nature of the beast, fwiw I haven't heard any coach make excuses over their injuries, just the fans of some of the clubs.

My only concern is to the number of injuries we have, you mentioned Cas for some reason over their win against the pies, surely it didn't escape your notice that they had quite a few missing as well, so I don't see the point of your comparison.

My approach to this would be to treat it like any other Wigan team, and do a professional job - they have a good youth structure and a strong record of bringing young lads into the first team, so whomever steps up, they won't be mugs.

Ruthless and clinical should be the approach - otherwise we could end up embarrassed.

Wigan aren't playing well and they are missing some quality players

They still have good strike players that can hurt us though, there back line always looks strong too

I feel we should have too much for them but this could turn in to a banana skin if we are not at our best

Really looking forward to this match

Didn't think you were having a pop...you're not the only one who has this misunderstanding.

For undersized pitches see Cas, Fev, Bradford, York...rumour has it that HKR have actually painted their lines at 9 metre intervals, in order to make it look full size.

Which "full" front row are we missing ?
I can give you 2 out of 3 but, tbf, we've been coping well without Randall and our replacements have been pretty much first choice.
The clue for the Wigan injury list is in the squad numbers of some of their players in the 19 and ok, there could be some tinkering but, the point still stands.
As for mentioning Cas, who, I know have their own injury problems, which makes Wigan's collapse even more stark. It was the ease that Cas rolled them over down the middle.
Of course our game will be different and weak or not, you can never take any Wigan side for granted but, this is a game that we SHOULD be winning.

Com on Trin !

Wigan backs of
Hardaker
Davies
Sarginson
Gildart
Williams
Powell
Escare

Are a match for any SL team. I think Wigan fans are playing mind games by saying they have a depleted team. The forwards they put on the field will play with passion. We need to keep awake for this one.
Just my opinion of course.

I'd say you are correct, Wigan have a history of doing this - I can't remember them ever claiming they were at full strength, certainly in recent years - quite an achievement!

I get where you’re coming from but ultimately we’ll have 4/5 20 year old and under forwards in that team and they probably won’t be physically ready to handle your pack, again not making excuses but that’s just how I see it, ultimately a pack of

Fifita/England/Pauli/Kopzack/King/Hirst will probably beat a pack of Bullock/Navarette/Bryne/Partington/Tautai/Smithies

On paper, it looks like a Wigan win would be an incredible achievement.

We don't play on paper though and this is Wigan we are talking about!

My point a few pages back was that more now than ever it is a squad game with the amount of injuries teams will pick up...it's unfortunate as we all want to see the best players turning out week in week out....it's also unfortunate if a lot of injuries are to certain positions...

Wigan as a club...the current champions and with their record over the years at producing top quality youngsters should still be able to form a strong enough squad to be able to cover missing a first choice pack...

Last week we were missing what you could say was the majority of a first team pack but we have done exceptionally well in assembling a squad with excellent depth in the forwards so that when injuries do hit we have decent cover...here is the example with two packs we could put out...

8 - Fifita
9 - Wood
10 - England
11 - Ashurst
12 - Kirmond
13- Arona

or...

8 - Kopczak
9 - Randell
10 - Huby
11 - Batchelor
12 - Pauli
13 - King

And that is still leaving out three players who all played last week and are in this weeks squad..

Crowther
Horo
Hirst

Which one of those two packs above would badly struggle in any game enough for us to throw the white flag before kick off?

Bigger pack v better backs - should be interesting.

Don't forget it's Wakefield - never assume!

Better backs?

Discuss.

If I was to have a combined team it’d be something like

1. Hardaker
2. Johnstone
3. Tupou
4. Giladrt
5. Burgess
6. Williams
7. Brough
8. Fifita
9. Wood
10. Flower
11. Pauli
12. Greenwood
13. O’Loughlin

Huby, Randell, England, yes we've been coping without Randell, whether we've been coping well without him is a matter of opinion, one thing for sure is Wood plays a lot better sharing the the no9 spot with him.

As for Cas, that's what their forwards do with or without injuries, they roll them over down the middle.

Ignoring the fact we should be focussing on those actually available, there a few wrong 'uns in there.

You can't have Gildart - he plays Tupou's side and Tupou is considerably better.

Williams is THE most over-rated player in SL.

Flower would'nt get on Wakey's bench.

Ashurst is better than any 2nd row, in either squad.

O'Loughlin is a crock.

I’ve heard specsavers are doing some cracking deals at the moment