This will be an incredibly tough game. More so than saints.

I imagine wigan will come out of the blocks, or at least attempt to, at a 100miles/hr. If leeds go a couple of scores down early it will be hard to come back.

The wigan fans will be baying for penalties when leeds start pushing the limits with flat passes, offside and laying on. They have to be squeeky clean otherwise penalties will follow. Home advantage can often be worth an extra few penalties.

The opening 20 minutes will be crucial to leeds chances. Unless one team collapses the game will likely evolve into a tense arm wrestle, so leeds can't afford to ship points early as can often happen when playing wigan.

Tomkins will also be more feisty than usual with yesterdays announcement (finally made official) that he's leaving.

What the hell, leeds by 2.

For starters i am much more confident about our chances against the Pies than against Wire and the extra days rest should be a big help.Like you say, Wigan will attempt to blitz us in the first twenty as they always do, and if we can manage to neutralise them through that period i fancy us strongly to get the job done.Ultimately i think that without O'Loughlin too much is placed on Tomkins to be the match winner.

Leeds by 8 to10.

Could Flanders be fit for this one?

Whoever wins the battle of the forwards. Both have the backs that can do damage but they need the field position.

Tomkins is the key player, with it being his final home game (and possibly last for Wigan) he'll be going all out to be star of the show, we'll have to wait and see if he delivers or ends up trying too hard and makes mistakes with the pressure on to shine on his last DW appearance. We've managed to spoil a few last appearances recently, Sean Long, Daniel Anderson, James Graham, Matt King....lets add another to the list.

Our props looked good against Saints. Our backrow is probably going to be minus one usual starter but Wigan are still without their captain and starting 13 so evens that up.

It could go either way but if Leeds do win they'll make sure it's another one of those final 5 minutes near heart attack level finishes again to watch.

Leeds showed the other week how to beat Wigan by the text book.

Match them down the middle and win the ruck....quick PTB's, keep them moving and leave them starting their sets deep in their half. They don't look overly dangerous when penned in.

Their recent home record is terrible and we have the strong upper-hand between the games so far this year.

Add to that the Tomkins factor and knowing that Leeds knocked them out of both comps last year (and in this exact fixture last year)....puts a lot of pressure on Wigan.

Leeds should be slight favourites (by 4 or so)......but expect a blood and thunder game. When we played them off the park other week, they kept the scoreboard in tact and it didnt blow out, so shows where their commitment levels are in a game where they barely had a foothold in. I expect the same again Friday.

Main focus in training this week should be to get someone 24/7 on the phone to Red Hall to lobby against James Child being the referee.

i would imagine silverwood and bentham will get the games, with silverwood doing ours

No, he's only an outside chance for the GF if they get there.

I don't disagree with the tactic, but Wigan can open teams up from anywhere and the likes of Tomkins and Charnley can certainly start and finish a break very quickly.

The Wigan forwards were outstanding at the beginning of the season. A couple of weeks ago that same group of forwards were a shadow of them former selves. I suspect they really needed the rest. Wigan will without a doubt be much better this time around and our hopes are pinned onto conditioning staff in getting the pack rejuvenated and ready to do it all again after a big effort against Saints.

Not sure about that. I reckon that winning the cup and finishing 4th has taken the pressure off.

I wouldn't be surprised to see O'Loughlin make a miraculous recovery adding fuel to the fire of Hemmings' call for him to be the Man of Steel.

Essentially, we need a typical Rhinos big game performance!

Complete all our sets, finish them with a good kick, take points when they're available even if it means kicking penalty goal after penalty goal.....

We all know the drill!

Leeds seem most vulnerable when teams shift the ball wide rapidly early in the tackle count. Wigan can do this with great effect, when they set up for ''the move'', it's signed, sealed, telegraphed and emailed to the defence in advance, but even though you can see it coming, stopping it is another matter. They always seem to manage to work that overlap for charnley.

To win Leeds have to dominate in the forwards, restrict their quick PTBs and cut off supply to their dangerous runners. If our side were at full strength it would need a top performance on their ground in a semi final, but to perhaps have to start without either JJB or Delaney or both will be a big ask.

Against the Saints JJB went off after about 25 minutes and Delaney followed him before halftime and it was a good job that Kirke and Bailey both stood up to the mark off the bench in the go forward department. Can they repeat this week and can Singleton make up for the lost carries and learn from his defensive mistakes. Can't wait to find out.