Waney's selection for the opener at Widnes will be interesting. He's often sent a squad to their place with a number of first teamers out and struggled. This year he says he wants to get off to a good start.
Of the first six fixtures, in those respective games last season we won just 3 points.
I reckon there'll be no way Waney will want to lose this one. Still don't think he'll play Bowen on the plastic pitch nor perhaps Lockers. My guess for his 17 -

Hampshire,
Charnley, Gelling, Sarginson, Burgess,
Williams, Smith,
Crosby, McIlorum, Clubb,
Farrell, Tomkins,
Bateman.
Bench - Powell, Tautai, Patrick & Greenwood/Sutton

I think he'll try and beat Widnes with pace. We are faster in the backs, half backs and forwards. This surely has to be in Waney's plans to get the season off with two points?

Two players especially.
Ryan Hampshire for Wigan as I think he's one of the most exciting prospects there are.
The other is Todd Carney, the best player to come to SL from Aus for a long time.

If we really at the start of the season with Flower and Mossop (I assume he is still injured) then.

1 Bowen
2 Charnley
3 Gelling
4 Sarginson
5 Burgess
6 Williams
7 Smith
8 Crosby
9 McIlorum
10 Tautai
11 J Tomkins
12 L Farrell
13 O'Loughlin


14 Bateman
15 Clubb
16 Patrick
17 Hampshire

I have Hampshire at 17 as I'd love to see him given a go at 6 if McIlorum goes off for a rest and William goes to 9.

Then again that might not be good for Williams who needs time to get his partnership with Smith going but I just can't see L Tomkins in the side.

When Flower is back and Mossop fit, I'd expect them to replace Clubb and Patrick with Clubb the most vulnerable.

Can't really argue with that team, although I would start Clubb and bring Tautai on off the bench for impact. Maybe Powell rather than Hampshire on the bench, to act as a straight swap for McIlorum. I'm not a big fan of changing half back combinations mid game or having to move 3 or 4 players into different positions to accommodate 1 sub.

I'm really interested to see how Powell, Williams and Hampshire go this season. I was expecting Powell to get first crack at 6 (and he still might though the squad numbers suggest it will be Williams) but I'm pretty excited to see Williams getting a run there with a full pre season behind him. From the performances last season I still think Hampshire is best utilised from fullback and Williams is the best option to provide an alternative hooking style, spelling McIlorum off the bench. I agree I don't see where Logan fits in and I think it would have been best for both parties if he had moved on in pre season. Happy for him to prove me wrong, just can't see it.

I hope we don't chop and change the 1,6,7 and 9 positions too much. We need a settled spine and I don't think regularly moving players round 2 or 3 positions will be very beneficial.

Since we last saw Logan he is a year older, fitter and stronger. By all accounts he acquitted himself very well at Salford last season, so he has that experience to add. I'd be surprised if he isn't a better player this time around.

Remember he is still only 22. Still far too early to write him off. Micky Mac made it in 2010 at a similar age, after a few years of struggling to silence the doubters.

Bowen
Charnley
Gelling
Sarginson
Burgess
Williams
Smith
Mossop
McLlorum
Tautai
Bateman
Farrell
O'Loughlin

Clubb
Hampshire
Crosby
Joel