Agree with that Bateman to come on after 20 minutes.

Looks like Tomkins will definitely play then with Tierney dropping out.

Trying hard not to get my expectations too high for this.

I do think this is the game when our season starts again, so to speak, but can see it being another 3 or 4 games before Tomkins & Bateman get back into anything like full flow.

Great to see a few bodies back! I'd go:

FB 5 Joe Burgess
RW 36 Tom Davies
RC 3 Anthony Gelling
LC 4 Oliver Gildart
LW 35 Liam Marshall
SO 6 George Williams
SH 7 Thomas Leuluai
P 13 Sean O’Loughlin
H 9 Michael McIlorum
P 19 Ryan Sutton
SR 28 Jack Wells
SR 12 Liam Farrell
LF 11 Joel Tomkins

S 1 Sam Tomkins (on for McIlorum with Leuluai to hooker)
S 14 John Bateman
S 17 Taulima Tautai
S 20 Willie Isa (on at prop)

Obviously a bit leftfield. Here's my thinking:

Burgess has all the skills to do a great job at FB, it would be great to get the ball in his hands more in space. This also allows us to keep Davies and Marshall in the team, who have both been excellent.

Nu'uausala looks either ineffective or lazy to me, I can see Hill, Westwood etc really showing him up. I'd hate to have him keeping a place with Wells sat in the stands. Playing prop might work better for Lockers as well given that his game time tends to be limited and we need to improve our defence.

Keep S.Tomkins and Bateman out of those early collisions when the Wire pack is fresh. i see S.Tomkins more as a halfback now given that he will have lost pace and longer term we have Escare playing out of his skin at FB. I think people tend to forget he was brilliant in the halves when he first broke into the team. Leuluai is the best hooker at the club and not tearing up trees in the halves so works well from that perspective too.

It looks that way but it wouldn't surprise me if one of the wingers end up on the bench to spell Tomkins, its his first game back for a while and am pretty sure he wont do full 80 at FB.

Something along the lines of

Sam Tomkins
Liam Marshall
Anthony Gelling
Oliver Gildart
Tom Davies
George Williams
Thomas Leuluai
Frank-Paul Nuuausala
Michael Mcilorum
Ryan Sutton
Liam Farrell,
Joel Tomkins
Sean O’Loughlin

SUBS

Taulima Tautai
John Bateman
Joe Burgess
Sam Powell

That way with Burgess on the bench he could spell Tomkins, and cover (EVERYTHING CROSSED is doesn't happen) if Gildart or Gelling break down, but it leaves us light on the bench.

Wire squad:

Ryan Atkins, Kevin Brown, Daryl Clark, Mike Cooper, Will Dagger, Brad Dwyer, Kurt Gidley, Jack Hughes, Benjamin Jullien, George King, Tom Lineham, Declan Patton, Joe Philbin, Stefan Ratchford, Andre Savelio, Ashton Sims, Morgan Smith, Joe Westerman, Sam Wilde

No brainer!

Tomkins
Marshall
Gelling
Gildart
Burgess
Williams
LeuLeui
FPN
Mcllorum
Sutton
Farrell
Bateman
O'Loughlin

Subs - Tautai, Powell, Isa, Tomkins

If returning players break down then am sure the bench can cover one way or another. Cant go in to a game worrying about that otherwise you'd have two backs and two forwards on the bench everyweek which nobody does.

These are the 17 players to pick we can mix them round if we want but looking at Warrington squad they are going to be weak of the bench and is were the game will be won during the middle third of the game.

I'd hold Bateman back on the bench and play Isa from the start I think. I'd be tempted to go with Jack Wells for Nuuausala also but I think if I were Wane I'd put a rocket up his backsode and explain he either gives more this week or his place is up for grabs.

On that basis I'd go-

Tomkins
Marshall Gelling Gildart Burgess
Williams Leuluai
Sutton McIlorum Nuuausala
Isa Farrell Lockers

Subs
Tautai Tomkins Bateman Powell

I never really like running with a back on the bench and with Bateman on there I think we have enough options to shuffle round should there be an issue with any member of the backline.

Fingers crossed they're all fit enough to get the job done.

If they're deemed fit enough to play, they should play!
Tomkins
Marshall
Gelling
Gildart
Burgess
Williams
Leuluai
FPN
McIlorum
Sutton
Farrell
Bateman
Lockers

Tautai
Isa
Tomkins
Powell

Tomkins
Marshall
Gelling
Gildart
Burgess
Williams
Leuluai
Lockers
McIlorum
Sutton
Farrell
Bateman
Tomkins

Tautai
Isa
FPM
Powell

Put Lockers at prop so that we have four props.

I'd go with that but with Davies in for Marshall. His ability to make metres from deep is invaluable and I believe he is better under the high ball and better defender.

It quite suddenly looks a lot healthier than the past few months.

Couldn't agree more with you re Davies who for me has been the "find " of the season.
Personally I would Wells on the bench in place of Powell.
Just hope we can hold it together particularly those returning after a long absence.

Completely concur - Marshall has done very well but the only reason Davies hasn't scored as many tries is because anything good that comes out of our attack happens when we go left.

Play Burgess at left wing and keep Davies on the right.