He's been my young player of the season for us this year - very impressed. He has a great combination of strength and speed in his game with a good pair of hands. I remember reading an article by Radlinski in which he stated that Hughes had leadership qualities which the club would be looking to nurture.
Him and Rhodri Lloyd will be two very good players for the club.

Agree with you RE Lauaki.

Fielden is a championship winning test international 300+ games experienced prop forward who at one point in his career was arguably the best prop forward in the world. Having him fired up playing for his future at the club in a derby game which wont have any baring on the league for us is the obvious move from Wane. Our pack has looked sluggish for a good month or so now & perhaps having Fielden/Dudson adding more competition for places will fire up the rest of the pack with the play offs coming up. Players often say that competition for places brings out the best in them so with a fully sit squad (bar Prescott) there should be no issues with players out of form.

Team for Saints:
Tomkins
Charnley Goulding Carmont Richards
Finch Leuluai
Lima McIlorum Mossop
Hansen Hock
Lockers
---------------------------------
Dudson Fielden Hughes Smith

+2

www.wiganwarriors.com/WContent.a ... &type=news Full strength squad (minus Paul Prescott and Lauaki). Fielden and Dudson return.

www.wiganwarriors.com/WContent.a ... &type=news Full strength squad (minus Paul Prescott and Lauaki). Fielden and Dudson return.

Good stuff. The team (at times) have been pretty sloppy and have played like a bunch of strangers for weeks.

We know they can do it, they just need to click.

The spells Tommy had on Sunday were like night and Day for me from a Team perspective.

No Tommy = Finch running around like headless chicken trying to do too much and trying to throw suicide killer passes (I.e Trying to hit Hock coming at 100mph on a short ball back on the angle in the 1st MINUTE!).
Tommy comes on, Smith goes into the halves, and suddenly we look more balanced with Tommy utilising Goulding and Charnley far better on our right side with Finch left to control the left and looking far more comfortable and threatening due to the opposition defence having to commit more to our right side attack, making more space for Finch/Hock/carmont/Richards on the left!

I made it something like 7 of the 8 tries came when Tommy was in tandom with Finch on Sunday at half back (Sorely tempted to say I told you he was a better 7 than 9 for Wigan ).
He did go into 9 on the odd occasion but only when he spotted something on which IMO is when he's best suited there.

Been saying for weeks that I'm a big believer in Defence wins games HOWEVER in my opinion it's been our attacking structure on a lot of occasions (Pushing killer passes in the 1st couple of minutes in our own half ala Wolfs away & HKR away as examples) that's led to us being under more defensive pressure than we need to be.

I think we need to be a more patient in the 1st 20 mins of games and win the territory battle, do the hard work, play the percentages and put the other team under pressure to play catch up/suicide rugby in their own half rather than throw the ball wide and try and score at every opportunity early on.

I could mention our kick returns not been as good or the yards made by the wingers since Gellings not been in the team but don't want to stir up a Hornets nest!
Maybe Pat getting fitter will help in this area, maybe having Tommy in the team taking the pressure off Finchy to throw killer balls and wanting to dictate at every PTB too early will help which in turn means we get back to doing a bit of 1 up hard graft in the Pack and the wingers/centres?

back on topic, it's a no lose for Wigan on Friday. He has a blinder he all that has been said will be forgotten. If he is dreadful he kisses goodbye to his Wigan career. Either way it gives the other front rowers more competition (Mossop for example). FWIW I hope he has a blinder.

Already on his way if you believe certain rumours.

Be good to see him back on the bench on Friday...last time I saw it Fielden was a Wigan player, let's give him and the other 16 on the night our support.

Thought the big man did everything asked of him on Friday and had a good game. I would definatley play him next week. On the showing he put in he is ahead of lauaki and Flower for me

Agreed. I thought he looked shattered at points but he still played with a passion and intensity that's been missing from our forwards games recently. I'm not sure we'll get that many minutes out of him but we tend to rotate the props anyway.

I also thought Flower went pretty well but he's just too small for prop IMO. I'd still consider a bench spot for him but more as a backrower.

Play him again on Friday without a shadow of doubt for me he was the best prop for Wigan.

Lima's work rate with the ball was higher, however fielden did a lot more tackling than lima, especially in his first stint. Those 2 props compliment each other quite well.

Given wane seems to favour big eric not sure how our prop make up would be. For me we need to run with 5 props on Friday:

Fielden & lima start

Bench spot Mossop

Then any 2 from Duson, Flower and Lauaki