Not sure why a few people keep putting Gildart in their teams. If preseason has shown one thing, it's he's not ready for SL.

He was terrorised at Leigh.

Is he not playing at Workington? He looks like a lad at that stage where a full season playing at that level would be best for him.

Interesting to see how both teams react to last week's respective disasters.
I think it will be a Wigan win which will be a relief if nothing else.
The real test will come the following week when we play Leeds at their place.
A convincing win against Hull could do a world of good prior to a trip to Headingly.

The Leigh centre I think he played against was Tom Armstrong a big strapping 6ft-3in 15and an half stone centre, an ex Saints junior who was released.

It is in the press that HKR and Cas have been watching Armstrong this last few weeks.

I don't think wholesale changes would particularly help:

FB 1 Bowen
RW 2 Charnley
RC 3 Gelling
LC 4 Sarginson
LW 22 Manfredi
SO 6 Williams
SH 7 Smith
P 17 Clubb
H 9 McIlorum
P 23 Mossop
SR 11 Joel
SR 12 Liam
LF 14 Bateman

S 24 Tautai
S 26 Logan
S 28 Sutton
S 31 Connor

More important is the way we play. Read the riot act to Smith, Joel and Liam - no penalties! Inside needs to push better to enable the wingers to slide. Charnley had a howler last week but I don't think a player who has proved himself many times over should be dropped for one bad game

It was Greg Worthington on that side..Armstrong was on the other.

I agree with most of your post except I'm not sure he did have a howler.

He was isolated and Carney got past him for two tries. Josh scored two of his own so he was about even.

I'm not sure that anyone in the league could have stopped Carney in that mood.

Josh is a great player who is suffering because the rest of the team is. Other than Ryan Hall and Carney (on his day when his discipline is good) I'm not sure there are too many better wingers around.

I think Josh is the least of our worries.

He was at fault for two more tries as well, one through dropping a kick and one from a missed tackle which resulted in a walk-in after one pass. Any player who is at fault for four tries has had a howler in my book. Having said that I agree he will bounce back and isn't really a major concern going forward.

Hampshire
Charnley Gelling Sarge Burgess
Powell Smith
Mossop Williams Crosby
Tomkins Bateman
McM
-------------------
Faz Clubb Patrick/Sutton Tautai

This is method to the madness of this team.
I think often teams suffer when interchanges are made, even though the interchanges can play as many minutes as the starter. Considering this I'd like to try a 'starter' on the bench, bring Faz on with Sutton (for example) will keep the team strong after an interchange.

I've gone 'big' on the bench, I feel Wigan's pack has been dominated and unable to set the platform, they need to be dominate in defence and attack to get the team into the right field position for them to put on their structures through the backs.

Lets start to win the arm-wrestle, allow the pack to get us into good field position then play a smart kicking game, which Powell, Smith and Williams all have (having all 3 on the field offers more kicking options at all times, back to basics with a low error count squeezing the life out of teams.
Interestingly I'm starting McM at 13, I believe he tackles as hard as anyone and can share the dummy half duties with Williams allowing for a strong bench.

Hampshire or Bowen was a difficult choice, but in this team I'd want blistering pace from the back, Hampshire offers that.

Yes Burgess has had some howlers, but I want to see his confidence developed so we get the winger back who was fantastic last year.

Well I'm just going to get drunk so I don't remember the shambles that will be displayed, even if we win I believe it will be one frustrating night at the office

I suspect there won't be many changes (maybe Burgess for Manfredi) from last weeks game. Coached tend to go with as much experience as possible after a poor show. If that does happen then three or four of the "senior" players can count themselves very fortunate this week.

I like Last Son's team.

Won't happen, though. I like the idea of MM at loose forward.


Also, and more generally, there's no iron law that says starting positions are fixed in stone. Plenty of NRL sides ring the positional changes during a game. Take the Roosters, who started last season trialling RT-S at full-back and pushing Mini out to the wing for 20 minute intervals during games to get him accustomed. No reason we couldn't do something similar.

As I suspected, same squad as last week. www.wiganwarriors.com/WContent.a ... &type=news

As I suspected, same squad as last week. www.wiganwarriors.com/WContent.a ... &type=news

I think the position of 'loose forward' can be interesting, over recent years the position has seen a significant change with including a 60-80 min prop at 13, Gallen is the perfect example of this, teams can dominate others pitting 3 props up against 2, such players are a massive commodity hence the bidding war for Jason Taumalolo, takes some engine to play prop well for 60-80mins, valuable players.

Also seen Ryan Hinchcliffe at Storm, playing 13 but taking on a lot of the dummy half duties freeing up Cam Smith for spells of the game, this allows Smith to stay on for the full 80.

Other options are a tackling machine; think Dallas Johnson, a 13 isn't fixed to left or right like a SR, this type of 13 can work left and right sides tacking anything that moves.

This is why I rate Lockers so much, he has the handling skills of a 6, can run the ball like a prop and tackle all day long, basically do all of the three roles of a 13 which I've previously discussed. I believe this is why he's so missed, and why he's rated so highly in the game.

For me it's a case of sitting back and analysing what do we want: a) what to achieve in the game b) how can we do it.

For me it's back to basics, look at the way the game is played in the NRL, dominate error free pack, gain field position then put your structures into play. Win the arm wrestle though strong D and off the back of a strong kicking game. I believe with Wigan if we can play with 3 props on or McM at 13 we can be dominate and have options with 3 if not 4 (considering Hampshire as the 4th option) to win the wrestle and field position. Get our backs into their half and they will score, I'm confident of that.

Break teams down and watch the points rack up.

Burgess and Sutton will probably come back in at the expense of Manfredi and Greenwood I'd have thought.

I've not got an issue with pretty much the same group of players getting a chance to redeem themselves but one or two must be drinking in the last chance saloon.