Smith's not an 80 min hooker IMO. I thought starting Lockers at 9 and bringing Smith on off the bench worked really well against Catalans.

I agree change Tommy and Smith up each do 20 mins a half both need to do 80 for me it's crucial

I disagree, keeping the Finch and Leuluai HB partnership together for 80 mins is more crucial. I hate it when we spell halfbacks and have to start moving 3 or 4 players around when we make a substitution. Start Lockers at 9, with Farrell at 13 and Smith on the bench, Smith comes on for Farrell and moves to hooker with Lockers going back to loose. That worked really well against Cats and I can't see why we wouldn't do it again.

It didn't though Lockers did an ok job at 9 just like he did at 6 the only reason that position change didn't get stick is cause Catalan was very poor you cant do it against top teams

Tommy,Smith and finch all know the script the only people you are changing is Tommy and Smith leave the subs for the forwards cause if we are in a close game we will need them fresh at all times and not blowing

Lockers at 9 to start against Cats was fine as they aint the greatest at putting pressure on the dummy half.....Leeds would be a different story, need a dummy half against them

Wane might go for that, can't see it though. Chopping and changing the halfbacks every 20 mins doesn't work, we lose fluidity. Finch and Tommy are looking somewhere near back to their best playing alongside each other. It's obviously not an ideal situation to have our 1st choice hooker out, but if a combination of Lockers and Smith can cover it and leave our 1st choice half backs together then that's what we should go for. I expect the only change from last week will be Hock in for Hughes.

I think Wigan are dubious about starting Smith at hooker due to a lack of physicality and I fully back that. These games are going to start at a good pace and teams will really be going at it in the forwards so to keep him out of the fire for 20-25 mins makes perfect sense.

He can then come on when bodies are tiring and hopefully start to probe around that middle area and get the opposition turning with his kicking game.

Spot on.

Leuluai and Finch control the team, so don't interfere with that.

I agree about the physical part but flip that round how many games have been won and lost in the first 20 this season?

That against Catalan was training ground stuff lockers had all the time in the world to get the ball out to the half backs when you are playing teams like Wire,Saints and Leeds it's not going to cut Finch or Tommy would have near 0 options cause they are getting shut down and any coach knows this and will play on it

We have let Leeds and Wire get away this season in the first 20 and lost both and these 2 are the most likely options we will have come sat night

I'd stick with Lockers at 9 I was surprised at just how good he did at 9 Vs Catalan. Although I shouldn't have expected anything less, he's such a classy player. He wasn't just looking to distribute the ball straight away all the time, at times he would take the ball 3-4 yards before releasing to the hb's, thus taking the markers out of the game and he made good yards whenever he decided to scoot. I think we need the extra forward tackling down the middle early in the game without Micky, otherwise I can see us getting overpowered.

Agree with the above regardless of who we play Lockers has to play 9 for the first 20 or so.

The scoot does not really become effective until players start to fatigue at which point bringing Smith on makes the most sense.

All games at this stage should be physical and more intense than standard league games and that is why MM is such a big miss.

I would agree with Hock in for Hughes and keep the rest of the team as against Catalans. Flower and Dudson both deserve their spots in the 17. The squad is healthy compared to this time last year.