Great preview. I think Wigans defensive mentality will be hard to break. If you look down their squad there are alot of average players, but Maguire has instilled a great discipline and belief in the squad. It seems to be running straight through the club as you see when the youngsters come in they have the same attributes.

Just out of curiosity, who do you think are the average players in the Wigan side (a lot according to you)

Alot was probably a bit of an exagertation. I'd say Goulding, Carmont, Leuluai, Hansen, Coley and McIlorum are all average. Wigan are succesful by having a great coach and a great set-up throughout the club. Three outstanding world class talents in Richards, O'Loughlin and Tomkins. Saints carried players like Arnold, Jonkers, Edmondsen, West etc for many years. The same is happening at Wigan. I think your core three are better than most others.

Some of those names were not players I expected to see there.

Carmont is and has been a consistently good centre. Granted, he's not in the World Class bracket, but average is harsh for a classy player like him.

Leuluai can be too inconsistent for me, but does an average player get into the New Zealand team all the time, and win the World Cup and 4 Nations with them?

Coley is a lot, lot better than an average prop. He's improved immensely over the last 2 years

Not one of those players would get into our seventeen man squad. They all do a job, I just don't think they'e integral to what makes Wigan succesful.

Perhaps not, but that doesn't necessarily make them average.

Each team will have good players that wouldn't get into their opposition's 17 given the strength in varying positions.

McIlorum is a better hooker than Clarke or Higham.
Hansen is better than McArthy or Harrison
Leuluai and Carmont would get into any Superleague squad.

All IMO of course.

Comedy genius.

I'm worried the bubble will burst on Rhys this friday, the kid's has a few good games but let's all remember when Kevin Penny was the next best thing til he made a few 'balls-ups'.

I really hope not though, he seemed pretty focused against Leeds, which was a pretty huge game for someone so young to feature in!

Actually, would like to see him have a blinder.

I laughed heartily.

pretty sure that Wire, Saints Leeds, Hudds and maybe Hull KR wouldn't want Leuluai and Carmont. IMO of course.

I disagree with the original post on what won us the game last year. It was the dismantling of the opposition forward pack that won us the game. We showed them up to be a lightweight side playing very good tactics. This year they have corrected the lightweight part. We are very capable of beating them I think we will have to be better than we were last year to do that.

And IMO

Clarke and Higham are internationals and still not our first choice hooker
Harrison is an international
and Leuluai and Carmont may get into any other superleague squad but not ours

So perhaps the Wigan players are average after all??????

Should be a great game, looking forward to it. Hoping for a Wire win just because they play the more entertaining rugby. Also disagree with Leuluai being average, I think he's a top player.

In the first team, possibly not given most sides in the top 8 have a good quality Scrum Half. But the initial point was that he wouldn't make the squad.

I'd imagine Rovers would like him in their squad given his versatility and the fact that they're missing their SH for a while. Ditto St.Helens. Hudds and yourselves have plenty of players for that position, so he wouldn't get in there.