Before playing another sport for a few years and a potential career ending injury.

Played internationals for the cook islands

Tim Smith had more experience than Sam Tomkins
Daryl Goulding had more experience than Joel Tomkins
Ben Cross ad more experience than most of the Leeds props

Experience doesn't necessarily mean it's the better option particularly when you're referring to a lad who's had no first team experience in either hemisphere and the majority of his recent games in Aus have been played in the second row. Wane has already said he's not up to speed defensively yet and it could be next season before he plays. I assume you've seen a lot of Gelling and Hughes to make the assumption that it's 'laughable' that Hughes has got in ahead of Gelling?

Pre season games I saw made up my mind yeah

His defence isn't up to scratch yet. That's what all the coaching staff are saying. I'm sure it won't take until next season for us to see him though. I'd imagine Wane has said that to take some pressure off him but until I've seen him in a competitive game I'd rather not comment on his abilities over a lad who's been with our club for some time and has played first team rugby.

In the Carmont injury thread I said I thought that Hughes would get the nod before Gelling as everything that I have heard about Gelling indicates that he is poor defensively and has a poor positional sense. If a second row come centre, with no first team centre experience behind him, is getting picked before him then it shows just how far behind Gelling actually is.

lack of quality depth is very worying.

times like this i think signing Kieth Senior would have been o good thing.

Hansen to centre...Hughes on bench.
Burke and Mellor/Spencer to miss out

I cant think of anything worse than Hansen at centre tbh. He has no pace or accelertaion, no agility and cant pass. Leeds would go round him for fun.

That try he scored at Leeds in the playoffs 2 years ago would say otherwise.



Reckon O'Loughlin might see some time at centre actually, played there before.

Goulding?

A little different playing and defending at centre than making a bust through the line

Experience doesn't come into it what comes into it is that Wane against the current Champions is taking a Huge gamble picking a 2nd Rower at Centre over an established Centre, Now I personally saw enough from the Huddersfield friendly that Gelling should not only replace Carmont but perhaps should have started against Huddersfield, All this he's not ready and he doesn't know the Wigan team bull really irritates me he ain't going to be ready and know the Wigan team in the 20's he gets ready by playing in Super League if all they were going to do was stick him in the 20's all season why did they send Marsh to Widnes at least he "Knows" the Wigan team.

On the other hand Sinfield did him for pace in the play off game of 2010 going on the outside of him and that's a worry.

Hughes will do fine. He's young and inexperienced but he's got enough pace to cope IMO although Watkins will test him first up.

Looking forward to Saturday.

On the Auckland fans forums that I read when we first signed Gelling most Auckland fans said Gelling is a much better 2nd row than centre, and indeed he hasn't even played in the NRL or Super League, so he is hardly an established out and out centre himself. If the coaching staff dont think that Gelling is as good as Hughes, or whoever may play instead of Carmont, then surely they are right not to pick him. They should pick who they regard as the best person for the job. I dont think its anything to do with if he is ready or if he knows the team, it is a question of if he is good enough or not. In the friendlies Gellling didnt look the best defensively and looked very raw and it is obvious the coaching staff hold this view too. If he improves then I am sure he will get his shot.

Gelling isn't necessarily an established centre either. He's played in the back row for the last two years.

Also your last sentence may be quite pertinent. Hughes is familiar with the Wigan set up, familiar with the players around him and familiar with the coach and what he expects. That might put him ahead in the pecking order because Wane might not want to take too many risks early on in the season.

There are things that go on behind the scenes that fans won't know. We don't see what happens in training, we don't see how much each player gives in training, we don't know about each players individual fitness levels etc.

Gelling missed training on two occasions during pre-season too so I imagine that might count against him. It would have been counter productive to drop him during pre-season because he needed the match fitness but making him earn his place through the under 20's is fair enough I would say. I'm not saying that's what has happened, but it's possible, or it might be part of the reason why Hughes is preferred.

I honestly think Wane is taking a very large gamble playing a 2nd Rower against the current Champions if Gelling isn't good enough why did we sign him Jack Hughes is as much of a Centre as Stuart Fielden is a Winger, Take Isac John Wakefield's starting 6 who was also signed from the Auckland Vulcans squad/club comparisons aside Wakefield have made him they're starting 6 so if he is good enough to start as the Wakefield 6 then i'm sure Gelling who IS a Centre should start for Wigan. I hope everything goes well for Hughes despite how it may seem from these posts but I have that awful feeling we'll be questioning the decision come 8pm onwards on Saturday I know for a fact should we lose that somewhere on here Wane & possibly Hughes will be the targets of some people's frustrations. I do hope i'm wrong and will hold my hand up should things go well for us and Hughes.

I only saw one of the pre season matches and that was at Leigh and even though some say on here that Gelling was the best of the centres I thought it was Hughes.
He seemed more natural in his positioning which was natural considering he as spent all is short career in the Wigan system.
This brings me to the point of what I said of "all is career",I have only been on this site app 2 years and I hope someone will confirm the following.
I think it as been said that Wigan have been the stand out team in the under 20s, during this period and it as been mentioned countless times that the crop of youngsters waiting to emerge is the best for years.

Can someone confirm that Wigan have been the best team in the under 20s as some have said.

If correct Why have Saints brought through Lomax,Gaskell and a couple of other young players (sorry about the lack of names).

Leeds ,Callum Watkins,Hardaker and Jones Bishop plus others.

Also young players being bloodied at other teams and all these emerging players were in teams that where regulary beaten by the Wigan under 20s.


What I am trying to say here is when in a period when Wigan where saying that they had the best youngsters ,some on this site even added to their posts "the future is bright the future is Wigan",why are Wigan still struggling or are reluctant to bring young players through?.

I think gelling as been a naughty boy

Tom Spencer is on the bench confirmed by the man himself on twitter.

Looked a prospect and a half in pre season. He's a huge lad, looks aggressive and had a good engine which is a very good base to build on for a 20 year prop.

Broke the clubs bench press record in pre season as well lifting 190kg's according to reports.....thats some going at his age.

Rather then any negativity from me i'm really looking forward to watching Hughes and Spencer in action.

I'm sure I read an article somewhere that said the NRL bench press record was 180kg so that's pretty impressive.

He looked ready in Lockers testimonial when i seen him, he was putting himself about a bit. He hit Crabtree with a right corker and knocked him flying, ponytail was all over place

Do you know so am I.

My brother played with his father, and if he is like his dad, he won't take a backward step either...

Kyle Leuluai did 225kg back in Aus.

hes had hes fine and telling off shouldn't not be picked for it aswell. i guess tomorrow we will see if it was just a early blip or if we do have a chance this season. people do forgot we have alot of older heads to come back.