I'm quite looking forward to it and I hope we put a strong team out, wouldn't want to risk the likes of lockers and Williams after picking up knocks last weekend though. I would go:

Bowen
Charnley
Gelling
Tomkins
Burgess
Hampshire
Smith
Sutton
McIlorum
Clubb
Patrick
Farrell
Bateman

MOssop
Tomkins
Crosby
C.Farrell

Anyone know what the Brisbane team is looking like? I don't watch much NRL but can only assume they won't be putting out too strong a side for this?

I dont get why you spend so much time on here

For 99% of the time I enjoy it, it's always refreshing to discuss things with fans of other clubs. When the xenophobic locals on here hound me and try and get involved in an argument, it's quite tiresome.

Quote: Cruncher "You're not the only one. Anyone who seriously thinks Brisbane are the underdogs for this match hasn't been following Wigan's form so far this year.'" The Bookies aren't normally too far off the mark when they select their odds or hand out an handicap start,and as they are giving Brisbane a 4 point start and that they haven't played any meaningful games yet due to the later start of the NRL season,whilst Wigan have had 2 competitive matches in SL, then i would agree with Wigan being slight favorites for this game www.oddschecker.com/rugby-league ... aps-coupon If i was a Wigan fan i wouldn't be too bothered about the kudos of this game TBH as it is only a warm up game in an extended world club series just as Warringtons game is also,After all the only game that carries any bragging rights as being the best club side in the world is Saints v South Sydney Is this game a distraction to Wigan and one that they could do without?

Quote: Cruncher "You're not the only one. Anyone who seriously thinks Brisbane are the underdogs for this match hasn't been following Wigan's form so far this year.'" The Bookies aren't normally too far off the mark when they select their odds or hand out an handicap start,and as they are giving Brisbane a 4 point start and that they haven't played any meaningful games yet due to the later start of the NRL season,whilst Wigan have had 2 competitive matches in SL, then i would agree with Wigan being slight favorites for this game www.oddschecker.com/rugby-league ... aps-coupon If i was a Wigan fan i wouldn't be too bothered about the kudos of this game TBH as it is only a warm up game in an extended world club series just as Warringtons game is also,After all the only game that carries any bragging rights as being the best club side in the world is Saints v South Sydney Is this game a distraction to Wigan and one that they could do without?

This game isn't a distraction for Wigan, quite the opposite.
Previously the WCC was in the Fixture List with a SL catch up game having to be played mid week due to the WCC being a weekend game when the rest of SL played a round.
Last year Wigan had to play Widnes mid week which was fine as the Vikings had also played the previous weekend. The trouble was the following Sunday game at Wakefield when Wigan had played their mid week game and Wakefield had only played the weekend before.
The loss at Wakefield was a massive blow to Wigan not winning the LLS and that was due IMO to the mid week game.

This year the WCC is on a stand alone weekend with no SL round taking place so no catch up game. Wigan need to play this weekend, with their mediocre form the last thing they need is a week without a game.
I think all three SL WCC clubs will benifit going into the following weekend's games as only two games into the saeason the last thing any club needs is a week with no match.

Got to play for the full eighty and not in patches, but the atmosphere in the ground should ensure that happens. As a neutral I hope Wigan win but I agree with many on this forum that they are underdogs. Brisbane are not an unbeatable outfit but O' Loughlin is a big miss.

Come on Wigan get em stuffed !