I just hope it will be a cracker of a game decided by the players rather than the official. I doubt it though as games between us and you seem to attract controversy.

I'll bet you weren't moaning about the referees interventions at Wembley in 2011

I hope Clarkson gets to play the last 8 minutes again.

This game might highlight the two coaches different approaches. Shaun Wane has repeatedly shown his willingness to throw a youngster in and Wigan have benefitted from having the largest squad in the league full of names that most opposition fans don't recognise, but have gained experience from being given their opportunity by Wane. By contrast Brian McDermott prefers to rely on a tried and trusted smaller pool of players. I'm not saying that either one is right as Wane has made his mistakes (Jack Murphy in the 2012 playoff anyone?) but has mostly got it right with the youngsters (Burgess, Williams, Hampshire, Powell, Crosby, Sutton, Manfredi) and his signings have tended to be speculative (Green, Taylor, Sarginson, Clubb, Smith and Bateman - though most rugby league followers would recognise Taylor and Bateman as class players).

Brian McDermott's record speaks for itself really, though I fancy that he'd want the Challenge Cup in the trophy room. Maybe the draw tonight will be kinder than the last few years (Wigan certainly benefitted last season)

Whether we win or lose on Friday is immaterial, I think that Leeds and Wigan will contest the major honours this season. Wigan at the moment seem to be running into form as Bowen is improving with every game and Tomkins may not be missed as much as I, for one, feared.

I'm relieved that Burrow will be missing and that probably more than compensates for Charnley, Flower and Pettybourne. Let's hope it's a decent game. I suspect that we may see a lot more of each other before (possibly) Old Trafford in any case.

I'd go with..
Hardaker
Briscoe
Watkins
Moon
Hall
Sutcliffe
McGuire
JP
Sinfield
Singleton
Ablett
Achurch
Delaney

Leuleui
Kirke
Clarkson
R.Ward

Looking forward to this game which I may attend for no other reason that the completion of this weekend's round of SL fixtures signal the start of the off-season for me as I switch my attention to proper summer sports like cricket and tennis. There's also the small matter of a soccer World Cup too. The only RL I'll be watching is a few games of NRL and the Origin series.

I no longer participate in "summer rugby" as I'm not a prisoner of Sky Sports scheduling during their soccer off-season. That's all summer rugby is... 10 meaningless rounds of SL and a meaningless weekend of fixtures in Manchester to spread the gospel according to mediocrity and utter pointlessness. Such a shame that Sky haven't got any rights to broadcast the FIFA World Cup. Hardly anyone will be watching their channels for the best part of two months during the months of June and July.

I'll be back in late August in time for when the meaningful fixtures return

For this game:

BJB

Briscoe
Watkins
Moon
Hall

Hardaker
McGuire

Peacock
Sinfield
Leuluai
Ablett
Delaney
Singleton

Kirke
Bailey
Achurch
Ward/Sutcliffe

Or even Friday 20th June.


Or even Saturday 21st June.


Kick off is 11pm UK time for that game but I'm sure you can't wait for the utterly meaningless Bradford V Hull KR on Sky instead. I'll be instead watching Switzerland V France along with the global millions around the world.


Kick off is 11pm UK time for that game but I'm sure you can't wait for the utterly meaningless Catalans V Hull on Sky instead. I'll be instead watching Argentina and Messi along with the global millions around the world.


Would that be the 23rd June or the 22nd? Take a deep breath before you commit to an answer.


That'll be 8pm UK time though there's also Belgium V Russia at 5pm UK time. Sky's mouthwatering fixture to be broadcast that Sunday has yet to be decided. Given their appalling recent selection form guide, it'll probably be London away at Huddersfield

Ah yes , the fifa world cup , will tune in around week 3 , might just get interesting around then , the greatest show on earth , yeah really

I'm looking forward to seeing how wigan's less heralded but supremley slick and effective backline matches up against leeds overhyped band of supposed 'superstars'.