slacking in your old age

shaul
crookes
crooks
yeaman
briscoe
holdsworth
miller
watts
houghton
omeley
ellis
ticks
westerman

lynch
pitts
heremaia
whiting

only other option is to move crooks to the wing and play horne in the centres, but horne misses out for me due to lack of matches. time for jason crookes to step up, we bought him as 1st choice winger

Wigan Warriors Head Coach Shaun Wane has today named his 19 Man Squad for Saturday's Tetley's Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium.

The Warriors go into the showpiece clash against Hull FC at near-full strength, as Darrell Goulding and Captain Sean O'Loughlin return from injury.

Both the Warriors centre and loose forward missed last weekend's defeat to Catalan Dragons in France but have been declared fit to line up on Saturday. Meanwhile the Airlie birds are expected to welcome Tom Lineham, Kirk Yeaman, Danny Tickle, Richard Horne and Joe Arundel back into their 19 man squad.

Wigan Warriors 19 Man Squad (in alphabetical order)

Josh Charnley, Dom Crosby, Gil Dudson, Liam Farrell, Ben Flower, Darrell Goulding, Blake Green, Harrison Hansen, Jack Hughes, Michael McIlorum, Lee Mossop, Sean O'Loughlin, Pat Richards, Matty Smith, Scott Taylor, Iain Thornley, Logan Tomkins, Sam Tomkins, Chris Tuson

Referee - P Bentham

Only concern with that squad is the centres. Will Yeaman be okay after the injury last week, and is Crooks back up to speed after missing the last month and having recently had an operation?

At least we have Horne and Whiting in the squad who can play centre if one or both of those two are injured.

The forward pack looks strong, though. I reckon Green will be the player to miss out, but may have a chance on the bench if Whiting has to start at Centre.
Forwards something like:
O'Meley
Houghton
Watts
Ellis
Tickle
Westerman

Heremaia
Lynch
Pitts
Whiting

If everyone in the 19 is fully fit then I reckon it will be Horne and Green missing out.

Whiting to the wing to counterract Richards threat in the air, then Horne on the bench?

Green misses out, Horney 18th man

We have a perfectly good winger and we should stick with players in their usual positions.

I'd much rather have Whiting on the bench than Horne. For me Horne either plays FB or not at all. I'd prefer the latter but can see why Gentle [imight[/i be tempted to put him in.

Square peg round hole. Put a winger on the wing Crookes has bags of pace lets put the ball behind Richards keep turning him. Whiting on the wing is a defensive move lets attack.

This.

Horne and Green to miss out for me unless someone breaks down between now and Saturday.

Gutted for Lineham.

That wing spot is a difficult one, everywhere else pretty much picks itself.

Two ways of looking at it really, do we go with Crookes - hasn't had much game time so we've probably not fully seen what he can do, pace to burn, but an obvious disadvantage vs Richards and the high ball. Possibly low on match practise/confidence.

Whiting we know is more than capable of playing there, excellent defense and will be able to compete with Richards better for any high balls that come his way. Although his selection would be more 'negative'.

Personally I'd go with:

Shaul
Crookes
Crooks
Yeaman
Briscoe
Holdsworth
Miller
O'Meley
Houghton
Watts
Ellis
Tickle
Westerman

Heremaia
Lynch
Pitts
Whiting

I just hope Horne does not start at full back, he hasn’t the match fitness, couldn’t run without pain last week and does not offer the attacking threat of Shaul. I have a bad feeling that he will start him for experience as he has with Galea despite his poor form this year. Shaul doesn’t play then we don’t win, whiting to wing to balance Richards who will have a field day against Crookes if he plays!

to say if Shaul doesnt play we wont win is a bit of a drastic statement. Horne was one of our better players in the first half of the season. If he wasnt fit enough to play on Saturday, then he wouldnt be in the squad

whoever gets the fullback spot I hope the fans get behind them and the team, biggest game of our season we don't need fans berating players on the pitch!

I will support Horne 100% at fullback but his form was based on him in the halves and not at fullback. Just think that this one key decision could be the difference between us winning and loosing. Shaul should play no doubt

Er why would they do that?

Gentle picks the team and he is responsible for that decision.

Its our job to support whoever takes the field, whether we would have picked them or not.

Finals are as much about being right mentally as they are about ability. If Gentle thinks that Shaul will freeze or let the occasion get to him in a negative way, then Horne has to come in

For me its simple..

Horne plays FB - Were trying not to lose
Shaul plays FB - Were going for the win

Shaul hasn't played a bad game since coming back into the team and i really feel he could be the difference to winning an losing.

past form, you get the odd idiot who criticizes the team selection on the day


shaul does deserve the spot, but I wouldn't blame gentle if he feels horne has the experience

shaul has been promoted to the team, he hasn't had a bad game yet, fullback is his to keep for the final, plus wigan know less about him than horne

Shaul will play fullback

I think the team selection will include ben crooks and shaul I also have a feeling Horne could be on the bench instead of Pitts or Green, why well Horne can tackle as good as either player and is mobile as Pitts, he also offers you so much else should anything go wrong if I was coach I would have Horne on the bench its the smart move but heart-breaking for the 2 young forwards

need forwards on the bench v wigan imo, wigan will do the same

Green & Horne to miss out for me.

If Horne had been our No.1 FB I could understand him going straight back in after a month out but after 3 months without a game or any sort of full training before such a big game I would be concerned and certainly as he is not a FB. There is no doubt about Hornes ability or experience but just think for such a big game he is just too much of a risk after being out so long when we have a good squad already available.

Harsh on Green to miss out but just think with Pitts we get a little more and we'll need 2 forwards on the bench with Azza & Whitng taking the other 2 spots.

Looks like Motu is the chosen one to hand out the shirts reading the HDM