I seem to be in a minority but I’m really quite excited for this game.

Wakefield have named a very strong squad and whilst I don’t think we will go full strength I’m hopeful we will go with a strong team too including some of the new signings.

I’m told ticket sales have been poor which again is a surprise with the current buzz around Wakefield, the strength of the squad they have put out and it’s Matty Ashurst’s testimonial…and only £5 a ticket.

I’m also sure some of the Duel Reg lads will be taking the field for Wigan who could end up at Trinity.

I’m hopefully to see the likes of the list below as a minimum.

Mago
Eseh
Rocky
Farrimond
Leeming
Hill
Eckersley
Forber
Douglas
Keighran
Chan
Walters

Still debating whether to go to this game or not yet, I saw the team Wakefield have released and their 1-13 looks pretty solid and strong for a Championship squad. If they manage to stay relatively injury free, i don't think they will run into many problems this season.

For our team i would like to see us give all the new signings a run out, on top of fringe players such as Eckersley, Douglas, Farrimond etc. and maybe a couple other first teamers if we feel like they would benefit from an extra run out.

Will you be able to pay on the gate for this game and will there be any price increase for paying on the gate?

It will presumably be a mixed side for us. No need to risk guys like Field, French, Smith and Faz IMO and an opportunity to have a look at guys like Eckersley, Farrimond, Douglas, Eseh. A 50/50 side this week and then full strength at Hull next week would be what I'd expect we'll see.

You can pay on gate, don’t think there is a price increase for doing so.

I can't see how we'd get an effective team out, without one of either Field, French or Smith?

Rocky can play FB or HB and Farrimond can play HB. Who's the 6 in the academy?

Could potentially go Farrimond and Rocky with Eckersley at 1 but I do think we will have a stacked bench to give us options.

I think we may actually though go with a stronger team this week than against Hull.

Give us a good run out and 2 weeks to look at things/recover from injury prior to Round 1.

Maybe, but would that mean we end up playing both Wardle and Keighran?

Either way, I'm excited to see some rugby again.

I'd go Eckersley at fullback and Hampshire and Farrimond at 6 and 7. I just can't get the thought out of my mind that I'd be gutted if we lost one of Field, French or Smith for the WCC due to an injury picked up in a friendly but clearly they need to play in one of these two games. I think a run of Hull FC in a friendly, then a week off and then a league game against Cas will get them all in a good place.

On a side note, maybe they'll give Noah Hodkinson a run at fullback. I noticed he was in Portugal with the first team, so he looks to be well thought of.

Hope Luke Thompson gets a game. No idea how good or not he’ll be.

Good shout on Thompson he is a player that absolutely needs games.

Just seen some pictures of Eseh in training, really hope he gets a run out as he looks to have packed on the muscle this offseason.

He left Wakey a big lean lad with a cracking frame, looking at the pictures posted he looks like he has lost some of the puppy fat and gained somewhere in the region of a stone of muscle if not more I would guess.

Aesthetically at least the squad looks in tremendous condition. Mago, Walters, Leeming, Eseh etc look like they've transformed their physiques.

Dupree as well. The pictures posted all over social media yesterday highlighted the work that looks to have been put in by them all.

Squad is an exciting one. Good mix of experience and youth.

https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2024/01/ ... umucyLGa8A

https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2024/01/ ... umucyLGa8A

Good to see Byrne back, thought he might have been touch and go for the start of the season

It'll be a pretty young backline but there is plenty of experience and power in the pack. Fingers crossed everyone comes through ok and we get a good look at the new lads and the younger players.

Dupree benched 100kg 22 times. Most at the club.

Looking forward to seeing how he goes this year. Looking at the forwards they all look lean and probs can do a good stint. Imagine we’ll have Byrne and Harvard starting with a rotation of 2-3 bigger props on the bench to punch holes; Mago, Cooper, Dupree and Thompson. Possibly Thompson will do a stint at 13 as they’ll want him on the field as much as possible

Don’t see much of a difference in the photos on Wigan socials with Eseh from when he was at Trinity. Always had the raw frame and physique to make a cracking prop. Certainly nothing drastic though I’m sure he will continue to build muscle the age he is now and likely the training from Wigan.

Completely disagree he looked like a big lad when he was at Trinity with a very good frame on which to build, he now looks to have matured a bit as you would expect at his age but also added significant muscle.

The downside is that all that muscle is more weight to carry but also needs “feeding” with oxygen during high intensity so it may impact on his ability to play big minutes in the early stages of his Wigan career.

Sounds like Leeming's up for it coming 1st in the latest beep test

Will this be on Wigan Tv?

Yes. The club confirmed earlier this and Hull are on live.

Some interesting things in this article. Not least that Tyler Dupree can bench press 27 1/2 stone!



Paddy Mago looking lean but tipping the scales at nearly 19 stone.

Remember the days when we used to have an underpowered pack?



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The interesting thing for me is not who is playing, but who's not playing.
Field, MIski, Keighran, Marshall, French, Smith, Cooper, Havard, Farrell, Isa and Nsemba.

There really is a lot of strength in depth in the squad this year, especially if the likes of Eckersley, Douglas, Farrrimond, Hill etc really kick on.