Anyone confident? I feel like our defence is just not good enough at this moment in time and Warrington could expose that massively. Especially with still no Lockers or McIlorum. I fear another dull evening at the HJ but I'll be there anyway.

Team:

Bowen
Charnley
Sarginson
Thornley
Burgess
Green
Smith
Taylor
Tomkins
Clubb
Farrell
Bateman
Flower

Pettybourne
Gelling
Williams
Dudson

Gelling to cover second row.

Goulding, Crosby and Hughes just aren't doing it for me at the minute and shouldnt make our 17.

Warrington aren't exactly crash hot atm. Probably won't be one of the higher quality games between the two teams.

I do agree with you on Goulding, Crosby and Hughes but I feel Goulding has earned a bit of faith and Hughes to me is a confidence player who would benefit from a run of games.

I would like to see Crosby replaced with Clubb though.

I also don't think Bateman can be rested until O'Loughlin is back but I think Wane is right in his intentions to use him sparingly this year.

Wire aren't on fire themselves but we know they save their best for the double winning Wigan team so they'll be all over us like a rash again. It'll be a tough ask but I have a decent feeling about Thursday.

I'd go-

Bowen
Charnley Goulding Thornley Burgess
Green Smith
Dudson Tomkins Taylor
Pettybourne Farrell Flower

Subs
Bateman Clubb Hopkins Hampshire

I'd give Hopkins a shot in this one I think. I'm not sure there's any chance of that being the case but hope I'm wrong. I also think we need to get Hampshire a route in to the side. He's too good to be playing in the u19's. We can throw him in at 7 with Smith moving to 9 or just give him a go out of dummy half.

Not sure Sarginson is a better option than Goulding at this point. I fear Atkins would have a field day against Sargy. Don't think Dudson is above Crosby in the pecking order either. Other than that I agree with your team.

If we can stop Higham/Monaghan scooting from half (i.e. slow them down), I think we have a decent chance. I definitely don't fear their team as much as I used to.

I think we're in for a thorough beating here. Glad someone else said it first about Goulding. I'd go:

FB 1 Bowen
RW 2 Charnley
RC 23 Sarginson
LC 4 Thornley
LW 32 Burgess
SO 6 Green
SH 7 Smith
P 8 Taylor
H 15 Tomkins
P 24 Clubb
SR 22 Pettybourne
SR 12 Farrell
LF 10 Flower

S 16 Dudson
S 17 Crosby
S 25 Bateman
S 26 Hampshire

Last season was one of the few times we have performed at the HJ, the Grand Final has broken any hoodoo Wire had over us, and our tormentor in chief has retired. Time to repair that awful record at HJ.

Two horse race, and neither horse has hit any sort of form yet. Should be interesting.

If it's a two horse race it isn't Wire and Wigan, I think this will be one of the poorest derby matches in a while. You can't defend but we just seem to build pressure with no end product.

Can't call it, hopefully the crowds lift the teams and I know the players love this fixture so hopefully 34 players prove me wrong.

For me this is two teams having to reset after losing a hell of a lot of in club experience during the off season. This will be a telling game for both sides.

Should be interesting, we have started to hit a little form, but our creativity and kicking is very poor at present. Can't predict the result but wouldn't expect many points to be scored.

You will score 20+ against us mate, everyone else has. Our defence is nothing short of embarrassing at the moment.

we were very poor in defence against HKR, caught out too many times down our defensive right side with an overlap. Also Farrell was too lazy in getting off the player after making a tackle twice pinged for lying on and gave a penalty and another twice not back infront to stop the dummy scoot. Against Wire Higham will milk it all day, we don't have a general on the field, would be nice if Green or Bowen started dishing out some instructions and gave a few players some good old fashioned boll*ckings