Just the tonic.

I agree with the names mentioned being ones to look out for. Steve Menzies has been a class act and I suspect MaGuire will know all about him. Our forwards haven't been too shabby either. Stuart Fielden and Andy Coley have been outstanding in the opening weeks. It's like watching two different players. Joel Tomkins is a real class act. Keep an eye on that lad. The forwards battle, as you say, should be a real cracker. However (again as you quite fairly admit to) I think our backs will be the difference. Our backs are on form, confident and have so much skill to offer I just can't see Bradford containing them.

It's going to take something special to unlock our defence at the minute. It's been superb and that has been a real focus from our coaching staff. Brett Kearney has impressed me more than Matt Orford. The setup from him for your only try against Salford was fantastic. Although the conditions played a part, I did expect Bradford to post some more points past Salford. We played on the same night on a dreadful pitch (watch the highlights) and still managed to score 58 points. I expected a real forwards battle and for it to be a tough, close game (How wrong was I!).

If our forwards can win the arm wrestle then I think the game could definitely run away from you. Once our tails are up we are a very hard team to stop. Once we score one try we tend to score another straight away. It was a devastating 15 minute spell that killed Warrington. Bradford will be no pushovers on their own patch and I'm sure you will give us a game, but I am very confident of a Wigan win. We have the best defence in the league and the best attack. Our lads are playing with confidence and flair. Form is behind us and with Phelps returning I can't see anything other than a Wigan win.

Most of the Wigan fans on their board reckon Wigan to win by 20+, i'm not so sure, i believe it could be a tight one..

Think it will be a tough match, and we are really looking forward to it. Hope it won't be as tense as the "Greatest Comeback" - sorry to bring that up again guys!!

Does anyone know of a decent curry house near to the ground, we are travelling up from Stoke early afternoon & thought we would try & fit in a sneaky curry - thanks.

Helen

Wigan were lucky to get passed warrington and who else have they played really? I am confident of a good victory here and at the same time exposing the myth that Wigan are the team to beat!
I'll go 8-0!

Well sounds like a foregone conclusion then, Bradford may as well just concede now!

Seriously though, we haven't been in scintillating form recently but if we play somewhere near OUR best then I see no reason why we cannot beat an in form Wigan side. If we can compete in the forwards we have enough experience and quality at halfback to put some points on the board. We'll certainly need our best performance of the year so far though.. can't wait already!

I think this is possibly the most excited i've been for a match in a few years. Should be a quality game and I hope we show we can match the best.


COME ON YOU BULLS.

Well taking a look on the Wigan board we stand no chance, let's hope the Wigan players come with the same attitude!

I actually cannot believe the arrogance of a selct few on there!

They've started the season excellently I'll give them that, and they are currently the team to beat, but for one of them to say Wigan by 18+ is guaranteed and the next to say if they don't win by 3 scores they will be disappointed is ridiculous on the 5th game of the season. I hope we can be the reality check they need, by the way a lot of them are raving you'd think either it was back to the 80's or they'd just finished top.

I didn't realise how well our pack has been doing until I looked at the SL stats, I thought they'd been going quite well, but even better.

Scruton, Langley & Lynch are all in the top 25 metre makers in SL and Langley is the top forward.

Langley is 7th in tackles, with L'Estrange 10th.

Fielden is top of the tackle busts though & on top form, better watch out.

Lets hope our pack give it to them from the start, and again : COME ON YOU BULLS.

It's only Monday fella.

I know what you mean mate, there will always be arrogant people, but most of us are just happy to be playing some interesting rugby to be honest. We've had a few seasons of winning one week against a decent team then getting beaten the following week by a not so decent team and the players never particularly looked enthusiastic win or lose half the time. We had a coach who had his favourites and stuck with them resulting in certain players knowing they didn't have to bother putting the effort in because they would get picked anyway. Maguire has made it quite clear that players need to earn their place in the side and aren't guaranteed to keep it, the players have been flogged to death in training and as someone said early on in the thread we may well peak too soon and struggle when it comes to later on in the season who knows? Without any prediction of scores from myself, for the first time in a long time I am confident that we will play some entertaining rugby, we wont give up the moment we go 6 points behind and that if anyone is playing crap Maguire and Wane will have them off the pitch whether they have played 5 minutes or half an hour. If we do that all year I'd be over the moon and a trophy would be a bonus. If we had won the cup last year we'd have had to endure another year of boring 5 drives and a kick so thank goodness for Warrington in the semi.
OUr squad is pretty much the same as last year but the fringe players last year knew they wouldn't get a go unless there were any serious injuries. This year the fringe players are training as hard as first teamers because they know they will get their chance eventually. Nobby's genius idea was to play the same people all the time regardless of the opposition meaning that players ended up getting injured in the 'meaningless' games and by the time it got close to the playoffs we had some younger players in that we all wanted all along (but they had less experience than they would have if Nobby rotated or dropped players from time to time earlier in the year). Wigan fans have been arguing amongst themselves about Nobby and the players the players for too long and it feels like a new dawn to us so please forgive the arrogant ones among us I think they're getting a little over excited, I'm just enjoying Rugby League again and first and foremost I hope its a good entertaining game on Friday whatever the score.

Hmm. That makes you think does it not?

I think that there are a lot of people getting a bit carried away on C&W at the moment TBF. Yes, I concede that they are my tip to take the Crown this season but, with the exception of Wire away, you could hardly have hand-picked a better start to the season if you tried. After all, they have played Hull KR, Crusaders and Catalans all at home in the first four weeks!!!

OK you can only beat what is put in front of you but it would have been a major surprise had they not taken at least 6 out of eight given the start they were given.