Well all the pre season games are over now, managed to watch the Leigh and Wire Games but missed Wakey. From what i've seen though we have made massive improvements in defence, today we were actually running up towards the attacking line instead of taking 2 steps and waiting for them to come to us.
Roberts and Riddell have shown why we signed them and i hope this year they can kick on and have a good career at Wigan, my team, if everyones fit would be:

1. Phelps
2. Roberts
3. Gleeson
4. Carmont
5. Richards
6. Tomkins
7. Leuluai
8. Fielden
9. Riddell
10. O'Carroll
11. Hansen
12. Tomkins
13. O'Loughlin

14. Prescott
15. Feka
16. Mossop
17. Deacon

Coley in for O'Carroll and thats spot on.

I'm really looking forward to next Friday after tonight.

Deacon has to start at 7 with Tommy the impact hooker. Tommys kicking game is simply not good enough, lost count of the number of poor kicks on the last tonight and most of them were from Tommy. I thought Deacs and Sam looked really good together and linked up well, finally weve got a natural scrum half in the team!

Watched the Wakey game but missed Warrington:

FB 5 Richards
RW 2 Roberts
RC 3 Gleeson
LC 4 Carmont
LW 22 Ainscough
SO 6 Sam
SH 19 Deacon
P 14 Prescott
H 7 Leuluai
P 21 O'Carroll
SR 11 Hansen
SR 12 Joel
LF 13 O'Loughlin

S 9 Riddell
S 17 Paleaaesina
S 23 Mossop
S 26 Davies

I don't like dropping Phelps because he's a good attacker and Richards isn't a full back but we can't talk about picking a team on form then pick him after the pre-season he's had, his defence just isn't up to scratch at the minute and we have three wingers who are all playing really well. I think it would be better to take him out of the firing line for a week, give him lots of one to one time with Rads and Hampo and see if he improves. I'll get a lot of stick for this post but no one should be undroppable.

I've got Riddell in on the bench but I'm not sure how I'd utilize him, could bring him on for Deacon with Lulu moving to SH, as a straight swap at hooker or in the second row, depends how the game's going I suppose.

edited: threw Davies in there because he had a big game in his only run out this pre-seasonn and Celtic is a good game to make a debut in. Plus it would give Coley and Fielden a kick up the bum.

I don't think you could talk about picking on form and then pick that side to be honest. To be fair the Warrington friendly was a much better game to judge players on than the Wakefield game, because both teams were a bit rusty.

Phelps is making a few mistakes in defence, and I haven't been too impressed in attack so far, but I can't see Maguire taking him out the team. If he makes more mistakes against the Crusaders he may consider it. If he was going to pick on form then Goulding and Veivers would get picked ahead of Ainscough, who made one good break against Wakefield then didn't really impress at Leigh.

I'd guess that O'Carroll will be left out of the opener. He didn't really get going against Wire, and whilst no one can fault his effort he is still not making enough impact in attack. Fielden and Coley were quiet but marginally better.

Riddell must be a definite starter. The team play better with him starting a game, with Leuluai moving to hooker later. He seems in much better shape now and I think his style of play suits the opening of a game better than Leuluai.

As a guess, I'd say the team for Crusaders will be :

Phelps
Roberts
Gleeson
Carmont
Richards
S Tomkins
Leuluai
Fielden
Riddell
Coley
Hansen
J Tomkins
O'Loughlin

Subs : Prescott, Feka, Deacon, Mossop.

Prescott and Deacon have looked quite good so far, but they are coming back from injuries so I reckon Maguire will be cautious and start with them on the bench.

I think that's probably currently our strongest starting lineup unless Deacs is ready for start, then i'd swap him and tommy around.

Theres no way Ainscough is going to get a place. I like the lad but on last night preformence alone Phelps, Roberts and Richards have to start as our back 3 next Friday. I thought Phelps recovered from his early error to have a pretty good night and even though he's looked a little rusty his form from last year in the fullback shirt should guarentee him a place to start with.

After that Riddell has to start and O'Carroll shouldn't be in the 17. He's going to be a good player for Wigan in the real long term but a regular spot this year will be hard to come by. We need as big a pack as possible and that means the other 4 all play.

Davies played against an average national League 1 side so to start bringing him in at the expense of experienced guys who've not really done anything wrong isn't going to happen.

I hope to see him get some gametime this year especially if 5 or 6 games in players like Prescott, Coley or Fielden are struggling but he won't be picked on Friday week.

How did Ainscough play v Leigh? I asked around but all I heard was that he scored a good try, and he looked dangerous every time he got the ball v Wakey. If he had a bad 'un then yeah Goulding should be up for a call because he was very good v Wakefield and finished last season in good form too.


Did he take any high balls or make any last ditch tackles after that? Obviously you want your full back to be particularly solid in those two areas.

1. cameron phelps
2. amos roberts
3. martin gleeson
4. george carmont
5. pat richards
6. sam tomkins
7. paul deacon
8. stuart fielden
9. mark riddell
10. paul prescott
11. harrison hansen
12. joel tomkins
13. sean o'loughlin

14. iafeta paleaasenia
15. thomas leuluai
16. eamon ocarroll
17. lee mossop

18. andy coley

dont think ocarroll deserves to be dropped on his pre season form, at the moment its coley whoose going to find it hard to get a place. deacon should start, our attack looked more fluent with him at 7.

o carroll for me too , makes more yards less penaltys and less haddling errors

Took a couple of high balls including a fantastic catch when he had to sprint across field to get to it.

As for tackling he didn't really have to do any because when Wire came close to breaking the line the scramble defence from everybody was outstanding. He did have a one on one tackle in the 2nd half to make but slipped before the guy got to him. He just about regained his feet and managed to slow the player up enough with a half tackle for somebody else to get to him.

He has his flaws but he's our best option and one of the leagues better fullbacks. It was interesting to watch Mathers try and deal with a little grubber through from Tomkins.......It was going straight at him and was a 50/50 as to who's get there first between him and Tomkins. If that had been Pehlps he'd have thrown himself on the ball not considering his own safety whereas Mathers stood there dithering and ended up doing nothing allowing Tomkins to kick through for Pryce who nearly got there before the Wire cover.

Oh dear, here goes.

Phelps,
Roberts, Gleeson, Carmont, Richards.
S Tomkins, Leuluai,
Fielden, Riddlell, Coley,
J Tomkins, Mossop,
O'Loughlin.

Bench, Feka, Deacon, Prescott, Pryce.

We need a pack with size and regretably I drop Hansen & O'Carroll. Feka & Prescott into the pack with Deacon to 7. Pryce is huge and can make a lot of yards, a couple of his tackles last night were thunderous. A tiring back line would have no answer to Karl Pryce. We have to give him a decent run of games.

Not a chance O'Carroll makes more metres then Coley.

I like O'Carroll but he was too easily dealt wit last night and the other 4 looked far more of a threat.

Bloody ell Mathers!

Exactly.

Whenever Phelps makes an error this season people should always think 'it could be worse'.

Is Mossop looking like he's going to make the 1st choice 17 this year then?

I'd imagine so.

His challenge will come when Bialey comes back but if he keeps going like last night his place won't be under threat. He could hold down a second row or props shirt this season which helps him.

People don't seem to be considering Phil Bailey at all - apparently pretty much fully fit now.

The backline picks itself at the moment. Going off my belief that Riddell is our best starting 9 and that we need Leuluai on the field for 80 minutes considering he's a big attacking threat - its a straight choice between Deacon and Mcilorum for the bench. Mcilorum isn't fit right now anyway so Deacon would get the nod there. If Deacon excels we may have to look at adapting the line-up somehow so he can start but not yet for me.

At prop, its a simple selection in my opinion; the four have to be Fielden, Coley, Feka and Prescott. I'd probably start with Coley and Prescott again like last year but I doubt Maguire will go that way. Thinking of the squad as a whole you can't help even at this stage to think how complete the team could be in 2011 if we were to replace Coley and the other worst performing prop with a world class forward and Gareth Hock. Eamonn O'Carroll's long term future does not lie at Wigan in my opinion but he'll do a fine job for another Super League club.

For the backrow, I'd stick with Hansen and Tomkins with Mossop on the bench. Give Bailey a little more time to make sure he's completely right. When and if the time's right bring him back in but the English lads deserve a chance to cement their places at the start of the year.

Finally, just to mention Karl Pryce his chance will come a few games in I'm sure. Whether it be an injury or a change in tactic I'm sure he'll get a run but he has to take his chance now - he's running out of time. Darrell Goulding is another one whose future in all likelihood lies away from Wigan. Once again the opposition fans and pundits will sneer at Wigan releasing their own academy products conveniently ignoring the fact that if Wigan weren't around to provide the other clubs with the surplus players that we spend so much time and effort in developing, Super League would essentially be on life support.

Spot on assessment IMO.

Cameron Phelps
Amos Roberts
Martin Gleeson
George Carmont
Pat Richards
Sam Tomkins
Paul Deacon
Stuart Fielden
Thomas Leuluai
Andy Coley
Harrison Hansen
Joel Tomkins
Sean O'loughlin

----------------------------
Paul Prescott
Lee Mossop
Feka Paleaasina
Mark Riddell

Piggy Has to start
Tommy starts at 7 for me with Deacon maybe coming on after 1/2 hour or so.

Cameron Phelps
Amos Roberts
Martin Gleeson
George Carmont
Pat Richards
Sam Tomkins
Tommy Leaulia
Stuart Fielden
Mark Riddell
Andy Coley
Harrison Hansen
Joel Tomkins
Sean O'loughlin

----------------------------
Paul Prescott
Lee Mossop
Feka Paleaasina
Paul Deacon

As for the props, start any 2 of Prescott/Coley/Fielden with Feka on the Bench.

O'Carroll not big enough for me to get in starting 17 over any of those 4.

JS,
Agree with your team with the exception of leaving O'Carroll out. If we're going to pick on performance in the two "trial" games then IMO it would have to be O'Carroll ahead of Coley.

I understand your concerns about his physical size but he has given more to the side in those two games.

Phelps
Roberts; Gleeson; Carmont; Richards
S.Tomkins; Leuluai
O'Caroll; Riddel; Fielden
Hanson; J.Tomkins
O'Loughlin

S:Feka; Prescott; Mossop; Deacon

R: Coley; Bailey; Pryce; Goulding; Ainscough; McIlorum

Seems pretty obvious to me at the moment, we seem to be in a good position imo