ive conceded sam was wrong, i thing i wanted to look as impartial as possible. the others im happy with. hill has been wires best prop by far from what ive seen and mossop although reliable to make the hard yards is yet to take a game by the scruff of the neck, the sign of great props like morley/peacock/fielden in their hayday. goulding and ratchford are completely different players, but as ratchford is filling in at they stand to be compared. ratchford is a half with good hands who can fill in at but is likely to offer more in the middle of the field in attack than goulding, whereas with goulding, if he gets the ball within ten meters of the try line you can pretty much guarantee charnley will score. and charnley had displayed little game changing potential since the challenge cup semi final last year. hes a good winger, but so is riley unfortunately.

I don't buy into this "this game is meaningless in the context of things" attitude displayed predominantly by Warrington fans on this thread.

It's a local clash between 1st and 2nd. Warrington themselves are still in with a sniff of 1st place and they made a lot of it last season when it was they who finished 1st.

To dismiss this game as meaningless is laughable in my opinion. I understand the sentiment that the play-offs which ultimately lead to the Grand Final and the Challenge Cup Final at Wembley are higher accolades and are a measure of greater achievement but this surely means something?

It does to me and I'm sure it does to plenty other Wigan fans (and Wire fans probably). I want to win this game. I want to finish 1st and claim the shield. I want to win every game. I'll be jubilant if we win and gutted if we lose and I'm sure Shaun Wane will be the same. Bragging rights add further spice to the clash IMO.

The reason we made alot of it last season is because it was something we hadn't done for a VERY long time, the playoffs ultimately showed us that it means nothing, something you were all telling us last year when we finished top. We have a final to play in two weeks time and are pretty much claimed 2nd place in the league, there is zero extra benefit for us to finish top in the context of the season. The fixture list has also been weighed heavily against us, 5 days rest in comparison to the 8 Wigan would have had is a massive difference in rugby league. I'm sure once the game starts both sets of fans and players will be wanting to winning massively, but in the greater scheme of things it means very little.

So what you're actually saying is.... you've got your excuses ready made

Same with us as last season. I was saying last season when we won the CC that if we won the GF then we would have to be considered the best SL for a long time with the fixtures that we had aftter and just before the CC. However a match against Widnes isn't the same as playing ourselves after a CC.

I want us to win, i want that because this is my favourite match of the season and there is no better feeling than beating you.

Grand scheme of things though, if we win, we'll be second and probably finish seconds, if you lose you'll be first and probably finish first, if you win nothing changes if we lose nothing changes.

All this match is, is bragging rights, if TS sees it the same then i can see him resting players, even though i hope he doesn't.

It depends on how much he wants the CC IMO. If he wants it then I think it'll make more sense resting players this weekend and playing as near full team against London to get combinations together and so forth, instead of chopping and changing 3 teams for three different weeks. If he's not fussed whether Wolves win the CC then it'll be a strong side against WIgan and a weakend/rested team against London.

If our pack play's to it capabilities, and avoids any stupid brain farts, then that will be a solid platform to control the game.

I know that Wire has more than a single trick as regards tactical kicking, but Briers is far above the rest, and we just need to close him down early on the kick.

Get those two things right, and Josh's goalkicking won't have too much influence.

10+ point win to Wigan.

You talk far too much sense for a Wire fan

im yet to see a team stop wire doing there annoying charge down.

First set of odds I've seen give us a 2 point start at 1/1, Wire at 5/6. Pretty close that.

On the rare occasions recently - Saints, Hudds and Leeds away - when we've been the bookies' underdogs we've produced the goods.

Pretty good post that.
Don't agree with them all but it's personal preference.
Hodgson is such a steadying influence for us and very important in the way we play.
Sam gives you the x factor and is equally important for the way you play.

Also Monaghan / Thornley is equal for me (Monas - a proven finisher, but one of the slowest wingers we've had for some time)
What I'd like to see is the same analysis done for the guys on the bench as this is very important these days.

I think ours will be -
Higham (he will start instead of Monas but for the purposes of this let's put him here)
Wood
McCarthy (may even get in the 13 ahead of Grix)
Cooper (although I hope Carvell will be back)

Do your stuff Wrestler!