Interesting ones are:

1 S.Tomkins
2 Davies

7 Powell
8 Clubb
9 Leuluai

20 Escare



[urlhttp://www.wiganwarriors.com/news/2018-01-16-2018-squad-numbers[/url

Tomkins remains #1
Davies gets #2
Powell to #7
Clubb #8
Leulaui to #9
J Tomkins #11
Escare #20

I think it’s utterly ridiculous those numbers (minus Davies & Clubb). Powell to 7? Really?
Keeping S Tomkins in the #1 shirt when he just can’t do it anymore at FB?
J Tomkins in a starting SR shirt? He’s been a liability for a few seasons now!

Well time will tell wethr Powell at 7 will be what we think it might be.

Personally it beggars belief that someone with the rugby brain that Tomkins has - and with the loss of pace that he has - isn't in the halves where he can get his hands on the ball as often as possible.

I want to be wrong of course.

Wane often says that the squad numbers mean very little.

Let’s hope he sticks to his word!

I’ve no issues with any of them other then an issue I’ve had for a couple of years. How is Joel Tomkins getting that 11 shirt in front of Bateman?! I can only presume Bateman wants 14 because if not that’s just strange.

They're SQUAD numbers, that's all. Maybe they want Sam to remain at 1 because of all the shirts sold last year with his name and number on?? I don't know, just speculating.

I think we'll all be entitled to get our knickers in a twist when we're half a dozen games into the season and Sam is still at 1 with Powell at 7. Until then I'll keep my pitch fork in the shed.

From that it would suggest that Sam will start the season at 1 and maybe move to 6 when Morgan is fully fit.

Wane mentioned months ago that he’d like to use Escare off the bench so I get the sense we’ll be trialing that when we can with a mid game switch up of Escare to fullback, Sam in to the halves and Powell in to hooker.

If things don’t work out and Wane is willing to be flexible then great. He’s not got a great record and being overly flexible but then he’s not always had a lot of options.

Glad that Leuluai isn't listed at 7 at least, looks like they have at least accepted that wasn't working. Powell has shown promise at 7, and does have the skills to be our guiding halfback, arguably more so than S.Tomkins or Escare, but it's years since he has played there. I just look at how well Escare played prior to his injury and can't really comprehend us not playing him for the full 80. Teams were really struggling to deal with his pace and agility.

Pleased for Davies getting the 2 shirt, but gutted for Manfredi. Can't be easy losing the shirt through injury rather than performance, and not even being in a position to earn it back. Is this a signal that he may not return the same player?

Clubb over Nu'uasala well deserved. This sends out the right signal that the team will be picked on performance rather than reputation. Hope it gives Nu'uasala a kick up the backside. IMO this blows a hole in the whole 'Nu'uasala surrenders because Wane tells him to' argument.

Guessing Bateman didn't get 11 because he plans to leave for the NRL?

One that may fly under the radar - Bretherton has gone from 24 to 31 with Navarette, Wells and Hamlin all seemingly leapfrogging him.

Relying on Powell to resurrect our failing attack leaves feeling somewhat flat. I know he's a committed, 100% tackle anything kind of guy, but I want some genuine class in the halves and he just doesn't bring that, not even close.

True, it took us a whole year to realise Leuluai wasn’t the answer at 7 and now he’s all of a sudden a 9, what optimism can we have that if things aren’t working after a couple of months the staff have the ability to fix it?

Well so much for all these characters on the forums who insisted that Sam is going to number 6.

Sam has lost his pace, he needs to use his 'rugby brain' and be closer to the oppositions try line.

Powell at scrum half ? Crikey ! I never had him down as being creative.

Joel in, but Bateman at 14 ?

I can see this thread going on a bit.

Sam Powell is a 7 not a 9. Played there all his life till 2015

Here Here well said wonder if it is because Bateman will get the number 13 next year are off to NRL.

Perhaps Powell is the one who has been transformed into our goal kicker by Hodgson and is now irreplaceable.

Powell was a highly rated halfback throughout his late teens and early 20's, but he was unfortunate to break into the first team when we had Smith established as our scrum half and Finch then Green playing at 6. The halves were fairly settled. Powell was always something of a typical scrum half, good kicking game and a very good passing game with strong defence. The fact that our halves were quite settled meant he only got occasional chances in his preferred position due to injuries, and he partnered Matty Smith pretty much every time. Both are very similar and Powell was tasked with being a little more direct and didn't really have as much responsibility (which is only to be expected for a stand in). The fact that Powell then adapted to the hooking role and became an important part of the team in that position doesn't mean he can't switch back to the halves.

It's very rare that Powell has been able to play on our right edge (given Smith was pretty much an ever present), but when he has I think he's done quite well and looked quite fluid shifting the ball from left to right, something that might benefit our attack given how we've now got some genuine pace on the right edge in Sarginson (and the most underrated winger in Super League in Davies).

It should be interesting to see what body shape they are going for with Powell. Will he have shed some mass to gain some zip or will be be the more muscular type of half. I have no issue with him getting that squad number and he always seems more influential when not being spelled.

No real surprises for me except maybe Clubb at 8.
Powell at 7 not my personal initial choice but you've got give the lad a chance before he is written off. Wouldn't surprise me if he also became our regular goal kicker.

I don't think that SW has played a back on the bench for years if ever therefore, I just cannot see Escare playing from the bench.

If the pack are to play differently then having Powell at half will be seen better from a defence point view by SW and his assistants.

If I recall correctly Powell was intended to play at 7 versus the Roosters before he was injured in the warm up game so SW obviously rates him as a 7.

I also think that JT will start before Bateman

It’s not even that by all accounts.

Wane told the press yesterday that the kicking coaching is going well and Sam Tomkins is currently in pole position to take it on.

Look at the end of the day its something different and Im more than happy to give it a chance. If we'd stuck with Leuluai at 7 that would have been a different story.

Powell simply can't be any worse than Tommy at 7 surely?

I can see something like the following happening.

Sam will start at 1.
Powell will start at 7
Leuluai will start at 9.

Leuluai will go off and Powell will go to 9.
Sam will move to 7 and Escare will come on from the bench at FB.

That gives us a variety that I can’t see at any other club and our squad has phenomenal versatility. The opposition won’t know what we’re going to do from one week to the next and if the combinations work as we’re led to believe then it’ll very very interesting.

I think it's fair to say I'm confident of that. And anyway, as has been widely discussed, we have other options available to try. In this case, any change is all good.

At that time Powell was playing well at 7 (he had started the season really well) and was a shoe-in for the Roosters match - sadly he got injured and never featured much at 7 after that, will be interesting to see how he goes. If (and it was quite a while ago now) he could regain the form he was showing prior to that injury then he could surprise a few people - as has been said he cannot be any worse than Tommy was last season.

Think you're right. Was running the show from 7. Think he turned his ankle in training, stood on a ball if I remember rightly.

Squad numbers makes sense to me.

6 and 7 play close to the ruck as first receivers controlling and organising their own side of the pitch, I believe Powell will be a good organiser from this position. Powell as a rugby brain and will communicate well with Tomkins who will be the main man as he has access to both side of the pitch, the 6 and 7 do not.

Powell will also not let us down defensively in the line.

With this, Tomkins will only do 50% of the tackling (as he's not in the line) allowing him to keep his stamina etc.