SAINTS have announced their squad for Friday's Stobart Super League Round Ten game against Wigan Warriors.

Josh Jones is named after his debut against Warrington and Tom Makinson is recalled but Gary Wheeler is omitted as he continues to recover from a knock in the win over Leeds.

Tony Puletua is also in the 19 as is Paul Wellens who will appeal against his one-match ban this afternoon.

The squad is:

1. Paul Wellens, 2. Ade Gardner, 3. Michael Shenton, 4. Sia Soliola, 5. Francis Meli, 6. Lance Hohaia, 7. Jonny Lomax, 8. Josh Perry, 9. James Roby, 10. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, 11. Tony Puletua, 12. Jon Wilkin, 13. Chris Flannery, 15. Mark Flanagan, 16. Paul Clough, 18. Shaun Magennis, 19. Andrew Dixon, 21. Tommy Makinson, 26. Josh Jones.

Wigan's Shaun Wane will choose from:

1. Sam Tomkins, 2. Josh Charnley, 3. Darrell Goulding, 4. George Carmont, 5. Pat Richards, 6. Brett Finch, 7. Thomas Leuluai, 8. Paul Prescott, 9. Michael McIlorum, 11. Harrison Hansen, 12. Gareth Hock, 13. Sean O'Loughlin, 14. Jeff Lima, 17. Chris Tuson, 22. Gil Dudson, 24. Anthony Gelling, 25. Joe Mellor, 26. Jack Hughes, 32. Tom Spencer.

The game kicks off at 2.45pm and the referee is Phil Bentham.

1. Paul Wellens / 21. Tommy Makinson
2. Ade Gardner
3. Michael Shenton
26. Josh Jones
5. Francis Meli
6. Lance Hohaia
7. Jonny Lomax
8. Josh Perry
9. James Roby
10. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook
11. Tony Puletua
4. Sia Soliola
12. Jon Wilkin

13. Chris Flannery
15. Mark Flanagan
16. Paul Clough
18. Shaun Magennis

Not much impact on the bench, but then again Wigan's bench will be weak.

1 makinson
2 Gardner
3 shenton
4 flannery
5 meli
6 lance
7 lomax
8 Perry
9 roby
10 lms
11 sia
12 tony p
13 Wilkin

14 clough
15 flangan
16 magennis
17 dixon

I'll be very interested to see how Makinson get's on at #1 with our new moves. He might not get much of a chance this weekend, with us being against tough opposition, but if he does well, will they let him have another run on Monday against the lowly tigers?

Since the new reigeme, Wello's had a lot of success, not only out wide, but supporting close to the ruck. Hopefully Makinson will continue this and we'll see him get to stretch his legs a bit more than usual.

You have to laugh at Wigan's squad. Soooo many key players missing, as many a 9 right?

Or is it just a couple of minor junior players Mr Wane? We should get some smoke machines set up, see if we can make Mr Tomkins' high level infection flare up again. It would be incredibly funny if they suffered some real injuries after all the lies they've told this week.

1. Paul Wellens / 21. Tommy Makinson
2. Ade Gardner
3. Michael Shenton
26. Josh Jones
5. Francis Meli
6. Lance Hohaia
7. Jonny Lomax
8. Josh Perry
9. James Roby
10. Tony Puletua
11. Chris Flannery
4. Sia Soliola
12. Jon Wilkin

13. LMS
15. Mark Flanagan
16. Paul Clough
18. Shaun Magennis

Is likely to be the lineup. Flannery will continue to start as he's an 80 minute player and can allow LMS and Clough to be rotated in with TP and Perry more effectively.

I see Gary Wheeler is back to his old routine of missing most games. If Jones does well he might struggle to keep his place. It's a shame as he was looking like he could cement a centre spot.

Oh the big APE was telling lies was he



Like there was ever a doubt that 9 players were missing

I'd go with that line up and tell TP to terrorise down the left hand side when attacking?

1. Paul Wellens/21. Tommy Makinson
2. Ade Gardner
3. Michael Shenton
26. Josh Jones
5. Francis Meli
6. Lance Hohaia
7. Johnny Lomax

8. Josh Perry
9. James Roby
10. Tony Puletua
4. Sia Soliola
13 Chris Flannery
12. Jon Wilkin

10. LMS
15. Mark Flanagan
16. Paul Clough
18. Shaun Magennnis

Easier to do if you put him in the back row, which is why I'd keep him there.

Let TP and Soliola do damage out wide and leave carting the ball up the middle to JP/LMS/Clough and Magennis.

1. Paul Wellens,
2. Ade Gardner, 3. Michael Shenton,
26. Josh Jones. 5. Francis Meli,
6. Lance Hohaia, 7. Jonny Lomax,

8. Josh Perry, 9. James Roby, 10. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook,
11. Tony Puletua 4. Sia Soliola ,,
12. Jon Wilkin,

13. Chris Flannery, 15. Mark Flanagan, 16. Paul Clough, 18. Shaun Magennis,


Obviously if Wellos appeal does not hold Makinson will drop in, having flannery on the bench offers cover for jones at centre.
I would stick with TP in the 2nd row. He gets more joy out wide and Perry and LMS should be able to hold the line. I know clough and magennis are a weaker set of props to replace, but with Sia, TP , Perry and LMS starting Wigan should feel like they are being hit by props all over the feild. Clough and Magennis are more than capable at this level and Wigan are a little lighter in the pack at the moment too. If we play TP at prop, that would just mean that we would be playing a weaker starting 13, by holding LMS on the bench and having flannery or dixon or flanaghan start in the 2nd row.

I've hit a feeling flannery will play centre Friday.

Is it that time of the week?

That's just my feeling, I've not been told any team news other than wheeler was out. I'll prob get txt tomorrow with the team.

Seams a bit strange to pick jones though and play flannery. Although if flannery did play then that would mean that Dixon would have to be on the bench as the back on the bench policy has gone and even if we did have a back on the bench it would probably not be jones, more likely Ashe or Gaskell.

The fact rush moved him there when Warrington was putting us under pressure makes me feel he will go this way.

As I've said before Lomax will be the Wigan target man. Against Wire he only had nine tackles to make and missed two. Wigan won't let him off that lightly.

pretty much the same as sam will be our target man. i would pepper him with high ball cos he couldn't catch a cold and i would also send big forwards with good footwork at him direct as he couldn't tackle a hot dinner.larne patrick walzed around him like he was nailed to the ground, he never seems to get close to players that come at him down the middle

The threat that sam carries is that he is nothing more than a devastating broken field runner, cut this option from his game and he is there to be targetted
Come on you Saints

yep, when whenever we've beat them in the last few years its a case of high bomb and smash tomkins a couple of times, he goes hiding, wigan have nothing else and we win

Nice post

Makinson
Gardner
Shenton
Soliola
Meli
Hohaia
Lomax
Perry
Roby
Lms
Wilkin
Flannery
Puletua

Clough
Flanagan
Magennis
Dixon

First kick should be a bomb for Sam with Meli steamrollering in.

Or a grubber.

He did not like it in the exiles match, obviously we need to keep the tackle low and league but a bit of a hit on the first one, then maybe sia on the next one and he'll get the message.

because sam never gets tackled hard slammed or even knocked out look back to abliet last season or the one before, one thing sam isn't and thats scared of being tackled. but yeah sometimes he can be dodgey under a highball. larne patrick is a freak with that step would of happend to any fullback in the league just like sam has stepped the majority in the league. personally i think you will kick to find touch to stop any broken field play, but if your in the 20 no doubt it will go high.

21. Makinson
2. Gardner
3. Shenton
26. Jones
5. Meli
6. Hohaia
7. Lomax
8. Perry
9. Roby
16. Clough
4. Soliola
13. Flannary
12. Wilkin

10. LMS
11. Puletua
15. Flanagan
19. Dixon