We are without
Feki
Eden
Matuatia
McMeekan
Jesse
Griffin
Milner
Cook
Hepi

Still an OK squad but will be aa tough one for us.

Crazy decision on form regarding Bullock. He's been far and away the best prop on show for us in the pre season and again in the reserves yet a clearly unfit George Burgess, Ten Minute Tony and now Clark all get in before him. He must be a severely disruptive force in training to warrant exclusion like this otherwise Lam has some explaining to do.

I’m assuming Lam does more than turn up on a Wednesday, stick a team on the wall then vanish again until game day.

All these comments we have had so far this year over, “Bullock wondering what he has to do to get a game.”...and,”Hardaker being put out by his move to centre.” Etc baffles me unless Lam genuinely does just show up to stick a team up.

I would say it is significantly more likely that Bullock is in regular contact with Lam and knows exactly what he needs to do to be picked.

I would also suggest Zac has been made aware of the plan for him ever since we started looking at signing French.

It seems we have found our true scapegoat in Clark too. Already written off as ineffective prior to even pulling on a shirt in a competitive match.

For what it’s worth looking at the opposition both in terms of players missing and with it being Cas and Clark having I’m sure a bit of a point to prove he is an ideal selection.

Cas are missing a lot of experience in the pack and bringing on Clark for short spells when they start to fatigue could be very useful in ramping up the pressure.

I made the comment about Bullock wondering what he needs to do to get a game and I stick to that. There’s clearly something behind the scenes because on face value it makes no sense. I watched him last year making yards for fun but he looked vulnerable in defence, especially from marker. He looked huge but needed to work on his fitness by the looks of things. I saw him in that Leeds friendly and he looks in great shape, he’s slimmed down and he looked far fitter and far more able to get in the defensive positions he needed to. He was the best prop on the field in that game and then again in the Leigh game and then again in the reserves at Widnes (albeit against poor opposition).

We’re missing Ben Flower and George Burgess and he still can’t get in a 21 man squad. I can only call what I can see and what I know about and from a playing perspective only, it’s crazy to think he’s not in IMO. As a side we were battered in two play off games because we could get the ball away from our line and it was an issue again last week, yet our best bet of making ground around the middle is playing for the reserves.

As somebody pointed out his attitude must be horrendous or something has got personal between the pair because nothing else makes sense going off playing ability.

Agree with everything you say there apart from Bullock, he’s clearly our best metre maker and has looked very good in pre season, it baffles me that Clubb still gets in ahead of Bullock. Although Cas have got a weakened pack it still would have been good to have Bullock punching holes in their defence

He’s right in that he’s saying Lam must’ve told him to do something differently but that can’t be on the field things. As fans we can only see what happens on the field and whilst he’s not perfect, he’s comfortably one of our better props.

You can only assume there’s another issue we don’t know about.

just come on to say the same its baffling, if Lam thinks Clark is better than Bullock then hes clueless

Good to see we have 2020 scapegoat sorted
Step up Mitch Clark!

People want to se Bullock play (and yes I would play him) and because he isn't we go around criticising a player that's not even played a competitive match.

I was there Saturday, for the first 15/20 I thought Clarke played well, made metres after contact on 4 of his first 5 drives and it was probably around the 15/20 min mark then Bullock came to the fore.
Bullock was the better of the 2 from then on in IMO but Clarke improved in the last 10/25 of his 2nd spell.

I'm with Jonh
For whatever reason Lam isnt picking Bullock and I'm sure that it isnt personal (so to speak) and a reflection of one or multiple facets of his training, attitude,game.

Either way we shouldn't be bagging Clarke for whatever Lams concerns over Bullock are.

I'm BFUT'S biggest critic (Ten minute Tony) but have to trust that if Lam thinks hes a better all round option than Bullock then so be it.

Were not going to get big minutes out of Clubb and I assume Clarke which leave a lot of weight on the young lads shoulders. Lam and the coaching team thinks there up to it or he doesn't think Bullock is.

I get that jonh but it’s evident to everyone and Stevie Wonder that Clubb is useless, Clark is ineffective and G Burgess is unfit through injury. It’s equally evident that Bullock has been superb in pre season and been far and away the most effective prop we have. So to play all the aforementioned before him at this moment in time is utterly bemusing.

I’m not looking to scapegoat Clark or any other player, nor am I wishing to sound like I’m writing him off - I’m not, but in our pre season games Bullock earned his selection over Clark/Clubb. I get we’re not privy to training and what goes on behind the scenes but that IMO doesn’t warrant this selection.

I don’t buy into the “point to prove” comment either. That’s very Navarette-ish v Catalans. It’s irrelevant and unhelpful. The best players should be picked to do the job and I’m not confident that they have been this week.

Given Cas’ injuries I would expect a win but we have to be far better than we were v Wire to come away with 2pts, even with Cas’ weakened side.

Just on the Zak note; for me I’d play French and Hastings in the halves and Zak at FB. I think French and Hastings showed glimpses v Warrington that they are going to have a very lucrative partnership.

And Clarke being an ineffective prio whilst Bullock is a proven effective prop is measured how?
I presume that's just an opinion?
I would say Bullock didn't prove too much last year mainly due to injuries? I do remember is carry was good but equally his defence was poor.
Clarke ob the other hand is neutral for me, we see how he goes Friday and see how he proves his effectiveness based in his contribution

French plays FB for me
Hardaker will know what the likely scenarios were 6 months ago. I'd hazard a guess when options were being tried out last and pre season that this combination proved the best.
I soyld say so far I'd agree
French ar FB looks far more a threatening option than Zak and I thought Zak was very good at centre last week
No need to change it IMO

We have done without pretty much a starting 13 for the last 2 seasons. Don't think too many Cas fans bothered too much last season when we went there with half a team. I think the 'we have some players missing' argument only applies if your name isn't Wigan Warriors. We just roll our sleeves up and get on with it

Absolutely right. I’ve been vocal in criticising the lack of games for Bullock but there’s no way people should then be criticising Clark for getting picked ahead of him this week. The criticism Clark has had since a reasonably quiet debut against Leeds has been startling, even for a new Wigan player. The comment I mentioned on here yesterday after the Leeds friendly will live long in the memory, it read ‘Clark can go for me’.

Bonkers!

I'd have both Clark and Bullock in the team but then I'm a bit old fashioned, I like to see my props taking the opposition with them, not hitting the deck as soon as contact is made.