Looking forward to this already next week. We are way off at the moment and the worry is that, usually in sport, you can't just 'flick the switch' and expect to perform well.

On the other hand, Saints are defending very well but their attack is dreadful at the moment. A key tactic would be to kick to Bennison at every opportunity to dominate the first collision and go from there. Leeds kept kicking to Welsby last night and he started their sets off very well.

Intriguing, for a lot of reasons; us being Champions, Luke Thompson, Walmsley looking like his old self, sold out...can't wait!

It will hopefully be a cracking game played in a great atmosphere.

I’m not too optimistic, we seem to be suffering the expected WCC hangover & St Helens though are clunky in attack (much like us) are defending very well. We really need to sort out discipline out.

I just hope the players decide the result rather than the ref.

You should be optimistic so should the Saints fans, what's gone before counts for nothing. Both teams will go up a couple of levels, there is nothing like a Wigan v Saints derby.

Nervous for this one, not been particularly impressed with us this year and you sense a loss is coming.

I don’t think there’s much between the 2 teams. If not for the Tomkins magic they could very easily have been in the GFinal which would have been a 50/50 game. Plus their one loss this year was only due to a red card.

Don’t want Saints fans to take this the wrong way but… This game means much more to Saints than it does Wigan. They’ve sat back and had to watch us lift the LLS/GF/WCC, everyone’s been talking Wigan up, now everyone’s getting onto this long win streak.

It’s a big statement game for saints to prove they are the top team.

It was roles reversed last year on GF where Wigan wanted it more.

The combo of home advantage plus perhaps wanting it more means I make saints slight favourites.

I’d love our attack to click though and post some points on them.

Can’t wait either way. Beating Saints at Saints if an achievement Peet doesn’t have.

I’m confident we’ll see a totally different Wigan team to the one we’ve watched since Penrith and we’ll need to. Saints are defending their socks off but we have that in us as well and our attack is definitely better than Saints, so it’ll be a case of making sure we’re up for the game, match them physically and defend properly.

It should be a cracker.

The sport needs it to be a first class contest. Any neutral watching SL this year will be very disappointed with many of the games. One sided matches a plenty are not good for our game.

Saints start decent favourites for me - we've not yet recovered from the traditional post WCC drop off and have probably been a little fortunate with the fixtures. In this competition atm a top 2 side can play well within themselves and win against some of the lesser sides and that's what we've done in recent weeks. The only game we were tested was against Salford and a stroke of luck at a key moment got us the win.

Not an expert on sports science but you'd like to think a plan's been put in place to take the foot off the gas a little over the last few weeks with a view of cranking up the intensity over Easter. Having another forward available that's capable of winning a collision or two would be helpful but looks like it's too early for Havard, Cooper or Walters. Not the end of the world if we lose but definitely hoping for a close and intense game.

As pointed out we havn't hit our straps yet,but,still managed to beat the team that beat Saints.

I am very confident that we will win.

Nothing to take the wrong way in there - I think that is spot on.

Can't wait for the game.

Civility paused for the time being - I hate you all and wish you nothing but misery.

And I hope the fleas of a thousand camels infest your armpits

I think we'll see Saints start at a frantic pace, motivated by not only Wigan taking their trophies but by all the talk of Wigan being a side on the cusp of a period of dominance. I'm comfortable that we have more depth, a better attack and that we probably have less holes in our side to fill over the next few years than Saints do (although French and Field both deciding to leave would change that) but as things stand right now, I don't think there is anything between the two starting sides, when both are at their best. It just feels like Saints might have a bit more motivation than Wigan on Friday but I'm not ruling us out. We lifted around this time last year and put together 3 top performances, that were not to be seen again until the business end of the season.

OT, but with Field being tied down, I'm really interested to see what we will do should French leave. It will be Danson's first real roll of the dice with a potential marquee spot. There isn't a lot of talent off contract tho.

Our attack is ok considering the general downturn in overall performance since Penrith. We're still scoring plenty points although I don't expect that against Saints. However we should be able to score enough to win provided our defense is on point and that's where the concern lies. We haven't been playing to the intensity required in defense and I'm not sure it's as easy as "flicking a switch" so to speak.

The scary thing with French as a six is that I don't think he's anywhere near the ceiling of his potential in the spot. He's still extremely new to it and is looking more and more comfortable but I still think he can run the ball more and be a little more selfish and that will open up space for not only him but players around him. He will be a nightmare to replace and I'd like to think he might stay yet but the signs don't look great.

We did manage to flick that intensity switch around the Easter period last year but we weren't coming off the back of a WCC win, so I can't see it being easy this time around. Whatever happens, I think the game is great news for us because it should get us out of the expected mental lull we've been seeing.