We have a really hard run in to the play offs.

Widnes
week off/exiles
Warrington
Cas Tigers
Bradford
CC - Quaters
Saints
CC - Semi - if we get there
Hull KR
Huddersfield
Catalan (A)
CC - Final - if we get there
Hull FC
Leeds.

Personally, i think we need to start upping our game a bit now. We need to be better in attack and we need to cut the poor discipline and errors out gradually improving each week. We have to be spot on for that quater final game against Widnes. So no i wouldnt be giving anybody a rest. If im right in saying Bilko posted on twitter we have a 17 days to recover for Warrington, which is on a Monday. So that gives the players who arent playing internationally and the ones who are enough time to recover.

Please feel free to bring a weak side

We do. Week off for England v Exiles then we play Monday so we kind of skip two weekends.

Speaking of next week, whilst at the game today for Wish FM, I was on Yorkshire Radio for 5 minutes pre match for a chat with them. Off air I mentioned next Friday and how we didn't fancy that pitch last season and how it'll be interesting to see how we go about it this time. Brett Ferres off Huddersfield was their summariser and was saying that the ipitch is tough on the body (especially in recovery) and it's not particularly good if you've got a bad knee.

Funny thing is, when you look back at that team last year now, it doesn't look that weak!

Matt Russell, Anthony Gelling, Darrell Goulding, Jack Hughes, Josh Charnley, Brett Finch, Joe Mellor
Jeff Lima, Mike McIlorum, Lee Mossop, Harrison Hansen, Gareth Hock, Chris Tuson
Bench: Eric Lauaki, Ben Flower, Logan Tomkins, Tom Spencer

Being blunt about it, that team should of won last year from a position of 36-18 up, but Widnes (particularly at home) are a much better side this time round. I'd be delighted if he sat Sam out and gave Ryan Hampshire a run at full back though!

No, we can't afford a repeat of last year. We need to get the top spot secure as early as possible. Then rest players for the last few games if top spot if secure.

Full strength against Widnes. Anyone who gets a knock should be withdrawn from the Exiles game so that we are at full strength for the Wire game.

Agreed. Can't help but remember that the wheels came off our season last year after the Exiles game - largely due to the disruption caused by Tommy's injury. Hopefully we'll come out of both Exiles games injury-free this time.

I still think Pat's lengthy absence caught up with us as well at the back of last season, perhaps more so that Tommy with him being goal kicker. I know they both returned late but it was too late to get into rhythm.

I think add to that both Lima & Finch had the 'smell of home' wafting through their nostrils going into those last 6-8 matches. To a lesser extent maybe even Tommy too??

Carmont's performances never dropped to a standard which was noticeable but surely he must have had distractions - going home, retirement/non retirement...etc.

This year it's just Pat who we have returning home, so let's hope he keeps good until the very end. (I know Mossop is off - but he's a UK lad looking for a new challenge - not a homesick aussie).

Agreed. It's the Exiles who should have weaker team if any of our players pick up a knock not us v Widnes.

As someone else said pick up the points while you can and then these last two fixtures could both be irrelevant.

Last season we were chasing the top spot v HKR and had to bust a gut to get it just two games from the end and I reckon Wane would do the same AGAIN if we had to. Best not to need to if possible.

Did I see gelling warm up with the team today? If so I'd have him at centre, worth a try...


Sam
Charnley
Goulding (great game from him today)
Gelling
Richards
Powell
Smith
Mossop
McIlorum
Flower
Hansen
Farrell
Burke

Hughes
Taylor
Lauaki
Tomkins

this...our games for 2 important points, whilst the exiles is a fairly meaningless friendly warm up game being played at an inconvenient time

Don't understand all this talk of 'can't afford', we're 3 points clear at the top of the league, 5 if Hudds lose tonight, and the top 4 are much of a muchness once it comes to the crunch. Plus Widnes are in 10th place even if they are in ok form. Assuming we didn't pick up any new injuries and Lockers is back I'd go:

FB 1 S.Tomkins
RW 2 Charnley
RC 3 Goulding
LC 17 Thornley
LW 34 Burgess (or did is it true that Gelling's back early? If so, him)
SO 24 S.Powell
SH 7 Smith
P 26 Crosby
H 23 L.Tomkins
P 10 Mossop
SR 11 Hansen
SR 16 Tuson
LF 13 O'Loughlin

S 8 Lauaki
S 21 Taylor
S 29 Burke
S 31 Williams (or is he out injured? If so McIlorum at H and Logan on the bench)

I'd be tempted to select another 10 or so players. Let's no take them too lightly.

Mr Bilko ,
Would the Tommy refered to in your post be a certain gentleman better known in some parts as "Wee Tam"





Regards , EW

Regards , EW

I'm sure you would have had his love child if you could have... hehehehe

Bloody phone

Can we play hock

?

He's suspended anyway

Interesting point, will his suspension count against Wigan, since he wasn't allowed to play anyway, under the terms of his loan contract?

If Bilko says we've 17 days then make full use of it and play our strongest squad against Widnes. I'd go -

S Tomkins,
Charnley, Goulding, Thornley, Richards.
Green/Powell, Smith,
Lauaki, McIlorum, Mossop,
Farrell, Hansen,
O'Loughlin.
Bench - Crosby, Flower, Tuson/Hughes, L Tomkins.

If anyone gets the slightest knock then blame it on the ipitch and withdraw them from the Exiles game.
Besides, as we all know, there are far better players in SL than ours so why pick Wigan players anyway!

We're a one man team, so only Sam would get picked anyway.

Quite right, the worlds best player, the worlds best winger, and the most feared man in SL are elsewhere, Wigan players are not needed, pull em all...

It's a risk because we all know what happened at Widnes last year but if any of our big names have niggles there really is no point risking them this week. We need to be at full strength against Wire and a couple of weeks off could be exactly what some players need after some recent lacklustre performances.

The article on the injuries thread suggests we could have Sam, Smith, Richards, Flower and McIlorum out on Friday as well as Green and O'Loughlin.

Could we see something like:
Murphy/Tierney/Hampshire
Charnley
Goulding
Thornley
Burgess/Gelling
Powell
Williams
Crosby
L Tomkins
Mossop
Hansen
Farrell
Burke

Hughes
Lauaki
Spencer
Tuson

As it stand we're unlikely to drop out of the top 2 unless there is a complete capitulation. This selection is no disrepect to Widnes but we have a really tough run in to the end of the season after the Exiles break and we need all our big guns ready.