You have to laugh at Wigan's squad. Soooo many key players missing, as many a 9 right?

Or is it just a couple of minor junior players Mr Wane? We should get some smoke machines set up, see if we can make Mr Tomkins' high level infection flare up again. It would be incredibly funny if they suffered some real injuries after all the lies they've told this week.

1. Paul Wellens / 21. Tommy Makinson
2. Ade Gardner
3. Michael Shenton
26. Josh Jones
5. Francis Meli
6. Lance Hohaia
7. Jonny Lomax
8. Josh Perry
9. James Roby
10. Tony Puletua
11. Chris Flannery
4. Sia Soliola
12. Jon Wilkin

13. LMS
15. Mark Flanagan
16. Paul Clough
18. Shaun Magennis

Is likely to be the lineup. Flannery will continue to start as he's an 80 minute player and can allow LMS and Clough to be rotated in with TP and Perry more effectively.

I see Gary Wheeler is back to his old routine of missing most games. If Jones does well he might struggle to keep his place. It's a shame as he was looking like he could cement a centre spot.

Oh the big APE was telling lies was he

Like there was ever a doubt that 9 players were missing

I'd go with that line up and tell TP to terrorise down the left hand side when attacking?

1. Paul Wellens/21. Tommy Makinson
2. Ade Gardner
3. Michael Shenton
26. Josh Jones
5. Francis Meli
6. Lance Hohaia
7. Johnny Lomax

8. Josh Perry
9. James Roby
10. Tony Puletua
4. Sia Soliola
13 Chris Flannery
12. Jon Wilkin

10. LMS
15. Mark Flanagan
16. Paul Clough
18. Shaun Magennnis

Easier to do if you put him in the back row, which is why I'd keep him there.

Let TP and Soliola do damage out wide and leave carting the ball up the middle to JP/LMS/Clough and Magennis.

1. Paul Wellens,
2. Ade Gardner, 3. Michael Shenton,
26. Josh Jones. 5. Francis Meli,
6. Lance Hohaia, 7. Jonny Lomax,

8. Josh Perry, 9. James Roby, 10. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook,
11. Tony Puletua 4. Sia Soliola ,,
12. Jon Wilkin,

13. Chris Flannery, 15. Mark Flanagan, 16. Paul Clough, 18. Shaun Magennis,


Obviously if Wellos appeal does not hold Makinson will drop in, having flannery on the bench offers cover for jones at centre.
I would stick with TP in the 2nd row. He gets more joy out wide and Perry and LMS should be able to hold the line. I know clough and magennis are a weaker set of props to replace, but with Sia, TP , Perry and LMS starting Wigan should feel like they are being hit by props all over the feild. Clough and Magennis are more than capable at this level and Wigan are a little lighter in the pack at the moment too. If we play TP at prop, that would just mean that we would be playing a weaker starting 13, by holding LMS on the bench and having flannery or dixon or flanaghan start in the 2nd row.

I've hit a feeling flannery will play centre Friday.

Is it that time of the week?

That's just my feeling, I've not been told any team news other than wheeler was out. I'll prob get txt tomorrow with the team.

Seams a bit strange to pick jones though and play flannery. Although if flannery did play then that would mean that Dixon would have to be on the bench as the back on the bench policy has gone and even if we did have a back on the bench it would probably not be jones, more likely Ashe or Gaskell.

The fact rush moved him there when Warrington was putting us under pressure makes me feel he will go this way.

As I've said before Lomax will be the Wigan target man. Against Wire he only had nine tackles to make and missed two. Wigan won't let him off that lightly.

pretty much the same as sam will be our target man. i would pepper him with high ball cos he couldn't catch a cold and i would also send big forwards with good footwork at him direct as he couldn't tackle a hot dinner.larne patrick walzed around him like he was nailed to the ground, he never seems to get close to players that come at him down the middle

The threat that sam carries is that he is nothing more than a devastating broken field runner, cut this option from his game and he is there to be targetted
Come on you Saints