After good performances by the fringe players today, Hamlin, Woods, Naverette, Marshall, Ganson. And with players becoming available for Saturday, Escare, Lockers, Powell, Clubb, Burgess, Tautai.



What team would people go for on the trip to France?



Did Sarge do enough to stay in?



Marshall or Budge?



Who plays 1,6,7,9 ? Sam T Escare, Williams, Tommy, Powell, Ganson, Woods? Switcheroo?



Big competition in the front row.



After 2 games in 4 days does anyone need a rest?



Should be an okay game with big tests against Leeds and Cas after that.



Let me know your team

We will have different squads for the Catalans game compared to the Leeds and Cas fixtures.



Catalans -

S Tomkins,

Davies, Sarginson, Gildart, Marshall, Williams, Powell,

Flower, Luluai, Navarette,

Bateman, Farrell, O'Loughlin.

Bench - Sutton, J Tomkins, Hamlin, Woods.

Tomkins

Davies

Sarginson

Gildart

Burgess

Williams

Powell

Flower

Leuluai

Clubb

Bateman

Farrell

O’Loughlin



Sutton

Hamlin

Tomkins

Escare

As usual I’m pretty certain what I’d want and what it will be will be different but I’d go-



Tomkins

Burgess Bateman Gildart Marshall

Williams Powell

Clubb Leuluai Flower

Isa Farrell Lockers



Sutton Hamlin Navarette Escare



Burgess or Davies the only real tough one for me. I went Davies in a side on another thread yesterday and Burgess today which shows how tough it is. I know Joel Tomkins hasn’t done big minutes over easter but I’d also give him the rest ahead of two big games.

I’d stick with Sarge at centre, give him some more game time to get up to speed, he was showing improvement yesterday. Bateman in second row ahead of Isa, unless perhaps Faz could benefit from a break.

He played well Sarginson and ran over 160 metres. I also thought Isa had another top game so it’d be tough to leave him out.



It’s so refreshing to have these problems!

Hallelujah Brother!

I've said this for many years - I want EVERYONE Fit and raring to go

Without stirring the hornets nest in one of the Wane interviews from yesterday he also said that Hamlin & Navarette had given him food for thought and it heaps pressure on the other props such as Sutton & TT (I think he said TT - He deffo said Sutton).



Sarginson being fit puts pressure on our Backrow as that means 4 into 3 doesn't go which spurs Bateman/Isa/Farrell/Tomkins (Plus the others in waiting i.e. Jack wells etc.)



Bateman performing well at LF keep sLockers on his toes (Or more likely takes the pressure off him in this instance).

Marshall & Burgess are spurring each other on (Is it 15 tries in 8 games for these 2 now in SL?) and both are responding very well.



I want Dom back putting pressure on Tom Davies (And giving each other a break as & when they need it).



Long may it continue!!!

Tomkins

Davies Sarg Gildart Burgess

Williams Escare

Flower Powell Naverette

Bateman Faz

Lockers

-----------------

Clubb Sutton Tommy Joel



Happily swap out a prop for Hamlin.

Maybe, but I wonder of SW might play Marshall, and keep Burgess for Cas and Leeds.

Marshall has to play imo or else it just sends out the wrong message. That could be for Burgess or Davies because he’s outperformed both this season when he’s been selected. He had an utterly unbelievable 9 try’s, 3 assists and 11 clean breaks from Just 4 games and if that doesn’t warrant a place this week then I’m not sure what he can do.



I hear people mention the defensive side of his game as a reason to leave him out but the worst game we’ve had defensively down that side was Wakefield when he didn’t play. He is also no worse under a high ball then Tom Davies (in fact I think he’s better) and he’s more clinical when chances come his way.



Picking on form he should ‘currently’ be first choice pretty much regardless of opposition.

Do you think Burgess deserved to be "Dropped" Monday after his performance Friday and previous games (6 tries in 4 games?).



Not arguing about Marshalls abilities and it's a fantastic position to be in but I thought Budgie on Friday had probably his best game since returning despite not scoring any tries.

IMO his all round game is superior to Marshalls and as long as his Effort is there I think he's the better player.



I don't perceive any weakness for Tom Davies under the High ball? Not sure where that comes from TBH but again I don't think he could have done any more than he has and he is deffo a Better Right winger than the other 2 who are both "Lefties".



Marshall's all round game is improving - He's getting better under the high ball, he's not falling off as many tackles and he looks stronger returning the ball than 12 months ago.



I think Budgie was really good in his first 3 games in a winning side this year and then IMO has his best performance in a losing side at Saints under real pressure. I just think that's something Marshall needs to do, perform under pressure in tight/losing games.

Burgess has been good and he was certainly rested more so then dropped but then did Marshall deserve losing out in the first place if we’re looking at it like that? He had 2 blinders followed by one ‘quiet’ performance at Wire in a game where everything was fatigued and couldn’t get going. I’ve said previously it’s a great spot to be in but if he’s not in at Catalans after Monday then I just think that’s extremely harsh.



Moving on to Davies, I think he is weak under the high ball. He doesn’t look like grabbing many contested bombs in either attack or defence. He hasn’t had any howlers from memory where he’s dropped one with nobody near him but in those tight situations I think he’s got work to do. He has also made a number of errors when he’s been given the ball in positions where he’s got the chance to go for the line. I’m not bagging him, I think the world of him but he to has things to work on. As you say the fact he’s a right sided winger could really help him.

Would you drop Davies and play Marshall and Burgess?

I know your not asking me but FWIW - No

It's an interesting debate with our wingers.



I'm pleased Marshall is improving as an overall player, at the end of the day we want Wigan to win games and be successful, so there's no bias over players they're all Wigan players. Saying that I think, and of course could be wrong, but currently Davies and Burgess are the best all-round wingers currently available. Marshall's try scoring record and pace is a pleasure to watch, but as Burgess finds fitness he's a better all-rounder. He has pace and can destroy defences when clear, we'll see more of this as he returns to his old form with fitness. as much as Marshall's try scoring is natural eye-catching, Burgess' defence v Saints was exactly want you want in a winger. He's big, athletic, can stand up to all wingers due to his size and pace, and is great under the high ball, someone mentioned his Aussie rules hands high style, this sums up his ability. V saints he worked hard, covered at FB and still shifted to the wing in attack. He's still young and has the physical attributes and ability to push for an England spot and be enough to match the big strong international wingers.



I honestly never feel safe v top teams with Marshall, knocking on in the CC final for example, or putting him up against some big athletic wingers which are now at a lot of teams in SL.



Davies is developing, he's solid, not perfect, or the finish article, but has the making of a good all-rounder. I'm pleased we have him.



If Manfredi is anything like he was before his absence I feel the competition on the wings will be between Burgess, Davies and Manfredi. I well could be wrong, but I feel Marshall's career at Wigan is going to as a stand in, or he'll become tried of not featuring and go elsewhere.



Of course people will disagree, which is good, it's good to discuss.

We have to be careful not to fall in the trap that some do in that by having a particular favourite in a discussion we over exaggerate deficiencies in the other player.

I would have picked Marshall early season as he looked fitter than Budgie etc. (Bearing in mind Budgies injury at Leigh).

But what then happened was a whole host of calls criticising Budgie, he's not interested, he's overweight, He's looking elsewhere etc. when it was just a matter of time that he regained fitness and showed us what he can do.



I don't want the same thing to happen with Marshall in reverse.

He's a very good winger and IMO is already in the Top 10/15 Wingers in SL - It just happens that we have 2 who IMO are higher.



We must be careful not to over exaggerate any deficiencies in an attempt to promote our own favourites.

I agree. about exaggerating to help favour a player. For me they're all Wigan players and are there to contribute to our teams success. I'd go with Davies and Burgess personally. And if Manfredi is the player he was, he'd be my first pick of all of our wingers, BIG if he can return to what he once was.

Looking at the rotation system SW appears to be using I would say Clubb back in at the expense of Flower. Isa is due a rest in the back row (not that he has done anything wrong) and Sutton probably due a rest as well so Lockers and possibly T back in for those two, though he might keep Navarette and/or Hamlin in. Wing is difficult but I think Davies bombed some chances and we have Sarginson back to make the yards coming out of our own 20 so Budgie and Marshall for the wing spots. Gildart has been a bit quiet so may rest him or choose to give him more game time to get up to speed. Gildart said he was looking at putting a few kgs on over the close season so this might have slowed him up a bit. Woods seemed to give us a better kicking game but can see Powell being back in if he has recovered from the virus that has been going round the camp. Ganson didn't do anything wrong and seemed to up the tempo when he came on so may see Powell doing the full match at half if Escare is still ruled out.



Personally, assuming no lasting injuries or illness, I guess we will go:



Sam;

Budgie, Sarge, Gildart, Marshall;

George, Powell;

Clubb, Tommy, Navarette;

Farrell, Bateman;

Lockers.



Escare, Joel, Hamlin, Tautai.

I honestly want us to drop the HT 'switcharoo' now. I want Escare to have game time as a 7. I like the idea of trying Powell at 7 but he's not doing enough for me. We look better when he goes to 9.



I'd like us to keep things simple. Start with:



1 Tomkins

6 Williams

7 Escare



9/Interchange Tommy/Powell.



I'd actually start with Powell and let Tommy come on after 20/30. I feel he'd lift the team on interchange.

Personally I don't like all the switching around either but can't see SW altering the tactics unless injury forces his hand or he has the opportunity to rest members of his starting thirteen for longer due to us having blown the opposition away by half time.

Taking out of the equation the fact that Davies is playing on the right and the other two usually on the left I think currently I would. I thought he had two reasonably average games over Easter by his very high standards but more then anything I wouldn’t be against resting him rather then calling it dropping him.



Davies brings so much to the side so it’s hard to call but if I look at the last couple of games for each of them, I think I’d have him in third place.

Yet that is what happens with Marshall in a lot of cases which I find harsh.



I called Burgess uninterested (referring to last year) and questioned his attitude and fair play to the guy he’s fixed it up and is working his socks off. There still looks a way to go on his fitness in all honesty but he’ll get there with games.



I’ve highlighted deficiencies in Davies game also. His handling ability isn’t in the league of the other two, he could be better in the air and he plays with his head down a little but he’s still a brilliant player because the things he does well (the hard yards clearing our line, giving the forwards a rest and his pace to finish chances) are so important and he’s supreme at it.



It’s a week by week thing for me and this particular week I find it difficult to look pastvMarrshall. If he isn’t selected then so be it, we’ll still have 2 of the leagues better wingers out there for us.

Hell of a difference from last year when we were all wondering what team the medical staff could cobble together to having a genuine discussion on who's going to be the unlucky players to miss out.

Correct - And Maybe we should give the club credit for changing many backroom staff and processes etc. mid last season - maybe it's paying dividends? (This statement is done a bit tongue in cheek - when some were slagging the club off for injuries etc. and they had actually done something about it).

Wane has intorduced extra wrestling sessions, and if the rumours are true from late April onwards a ball will be introduced into the training sessions