Saints have been collared lately for their 'famous forward pass trys'.

So, if the officials stop them doing that, and our forwards get stuck in, we are in with a chance.

But they are still coping with things, yes we have injuries and players are getting older but we have already seen that we have the young players who are capable of stepping up when needed.

I think some of your fans are being overly pessimistic over the score line I think it will be a lot closer than some of you expect.

I think it will be a lot closer than all the doom & gloom merchants are suggesting, my one hope is that everyone raises their game and plays with the passion and pride we deserve against Stains, there should not be one of them that doesnt realise what a win would mean for the fans, team and club!

Name a team whose players are not getting older?

Our time as a good team was meant to end without Newlove, Iro, Sullivan, Martyn, Joynt, Sculthorpe, Anderson, Fozzard, Lyon etc etc

Also funny how at the start of every season we hear Long/KC/Wellens are past it/slow/fat, then when we look like winning things again they're the reason and it will all fall apart when they leave.

Saints have been in transition for 13 years, difference is we do it well.

The young players you mentioned are all excellent prospects, Clough is already a fine player.

Not a team but Stanley Gene. Wasn't 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' based on him?

Don't kid yourselves by 20 mins in the game will be over.

With Saint's relentless attack and our slow start to the game Saint will hit us hard early on. Our high penalty count and inability to run out set of six after set of six then put a good kick in will prove very costly.

We need to come out fired up and hit saint hard early on. Not get caught napping and protect the ball.
Need a big game from Tommy. He's been at Wigan for sometime now and needs to run the game like a true 7. However I feel he doesn't have the ability to do this. Trent did it all last season and Sam is too inexperienced to run the show.

Can we win a battle with the forwards? Probably not. Fielden has been terrible and Coley worse. Prescott is good and Feka is destructive, but isn't on the field long enough to have any lasting impact.

We need the second rows and loose to be tackle machines not letting saints come near.
We now have good backs but we need to get the ball to them, this will be our main concern with an average no.7 playing behind a beaten pack.

Wigan team

Richards
Roberts Gleeson Carmont Ainscough
Tomkins Tommy
Fielden Riddell Prescott
Hansen Tomkins
Lockers
------------
Feka Hock Bailey McClorum.

I did contemplate putting Smith on the bench, someone who can throw the ball around and get it out to the backs, but his defense is shocking and hasn't proved himself at Wigan in attack.

Feka and Hock for impact. Hansen and Joel to start for their defensive qualties.

Hock and Feka coming on after 20 will add the impact needed. after Wigan stick out the early 20min storm from a Saints attack.

Lets not all get to much doom and gloom before the games itself, people with short memories may have forgotten about this team that beat saints 6 years ago in an easter fixture at Wigan.

22 Shaun Briscoe
5 Brian Carney
18 Martin Aspinwall
4 Paul Johnson
27 Jon Whittle
15 Sean O'Loughlin
7 Adrian Lam
8 Terry O'Connor
9 Terry Newton
10 Craig Smith
21 Ricky Bibey
12 Danny Tickle
17 Mark Smith

16 Danny Sculthorpe
24 David Allen
25 Kevin Brown
26 Mark Roberts

We have a team now littered with Wigan lads, 7/8 of the starting 13 on thursday depending on selection are Wigan lads.

Keep the faith

Carney was awful that season. Lam left the game above after 20 minutes with a knee injury.

Typical Wiganers, always thinking of the negatives in every situation.

I would say I'm realistic. I'm not a Wigan fan who always looks on the negative.

I think we can become a threat in the playoffs but are still a few top players shy of really being contenders. Losing Barrett was massive.

Now I know Salary cap probably won't allow it, but..

Richards
Roberts/Pryce Gleeson Carmont Ainscough
Barrett Tomkins
Fielden Riddell Prescott
Hansen Tomkins
Lockers
-----------
Feka Hock Bailey Tommy

then maybe.

We'll see.

Will we?

To be fair, IL mentioned that losing Barrett a year early wasnt in the 3 year plan they have worked out. Barrett himself advised wigan they wouldnt need to shop around as Smith would be a suitable replacement. How wrong can you be!