Heck, even the rules might change given the amount of chin-stroking, head-wobbling and forehead-slapping that has gone on in response to Catalans Dragons’ ludicrously disallowed try against Hull FC last week when Greg Bird was adjudged to have obstructed a Hull FC defender by breathing the same oxygen.
One thing that won’t change, not unless our friends from down the road make all our Christmases come at once and get themselves relegated, is that it will be derby day on Good Friday. Now there are already one or two feet-stomping rants about how the Hull derby is the biggest derby in rugby league so we are not going to go down that route. Not too far down it, at any rate. It goes without saying that Saints-Wigan (sorry, Wigan-Saints to give it its correct title taking into account who has home advantage this week) has no equal in terms not only of the size of the attendance that is expected at the DW Stadium when the teams meet for a 3.00pm kick-off this Friday (April 19), but in terms of the quality. Wigan might be pretty terrible right now, but between them Wigan and Saints have won 11 of the 23 Super League titles up for grabs since the competition began in 1996, and another 10 Challenge Cups between them in that period also. Meanwhile the Hull clubs have no Super League titles between them and just the three Challenge Cups, all won by FC. Rovers have reached just the one Challenge Cup final in the Super League era (which they humiliatingly lost 50-0) and got nowhere near a Super League Grand Final. But yeah, their derby is much bigger. Adrian Fucking Durham says so.
And so to the real business. Unlike last week’s 38-12 win over Warrington this is not a top of the table clash. Amusingly, Wigan are currently languishing in 10th place having won just three of their opening 10 games in 2019. While they have been at it they have had a player charged with drink-driving, another suspended for a doping offence and been forced to look for a new coach after Edwards’ all-too-predictable U-turn. At the time of writing present incumbent Adrian Lam is starting to show signs that he is leaning towards staying on at the end of the season, though his record as the top man so far probably doesn’t have Wigan fans dancing around at the prospect.
Saints only selection decision appears to be whether or not to restore Theo Fages to the line-up. The Frenchman missed the defeat at Catalans Dragons a fortnight ago and the win over Warrington with a hip injury. That allowed Golden Child Danny Richardson to step in but with a decidedly ‘meh’ result. A little lost in Perpignan, Richardson showed some good touches as Saints dominated the Wolves last time out. Arguably Justin Holbrook should not change a winning team, especially not after a performance like the one against Steve Price’s side. Yet the inclusion of Fages in the 19 named today (Wednesday) seems to shout out loud that the former Salford half will play if he is fit enough. That will be harsh on Richardson but there is a good argument also that he didn’t quite grasp the opportunity he was afforded with both hands.
The rest of the Saints side should pick itself, with Lachlan Coote at fullback behind a three-quarter line of Tommy Makinson, Kevin Naiqama, Mark Percival and Regan Grace. Naiqama had his best game as a Saint against Warrington, setting up Makinson’s try and making several other telling contributions with ball in hand. The Fijian will need to be on his game defensively because the threat, if this bewildered shambles of a Wigan side prevent one, comes down their left edge of attack where Oliver Gildart and Joe Burgess have pace to burn if not brain cells. George Williams often operates down that flank also and with Sean O’Loughlin patched up and ready to go for one of his four games a season (two derbies, a semi-final and a final) Wigan could have a little bit more about them in attack than has been the case in recent weeks.
If Fages does play he will partner Jonny Lomax in the halves behind a peerless front row of Alex Walmsley, James Roby and Luke Thompson. Zeb Taia and Dominique Peyroux form the second row partnership with Morgan Knowles at loose forward. On the bench Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook made a telling return to action after missing the Catalans game to be with his wife as she gave birth to twins. Expect him to make the usual nuisance of himself in the trenches with Matty Lees and Kyle Amor with Joseph Paulo flitting in and out to cover for Knowles as and when required. Jack Ashworth has been unfortunate to miss out on the 19 with both Richardson and Fages included, presumably as Holbrook waits on the fitness of the latter.
Lam welcomes Zak Hardaker back to the fullback position, one of the few Wigan players who would probably get into the Saints team notwithstanding the excellent form of Coote or the former Leeds and Castleford man's behavioural problems. Tom Davies should hold down one wing spot after Dom Manfredi was cruelly robbed of another season of his career due to yet another ACL injury, while Burgess and Gildart make up the rest of the three-quarter line along with Dan Sarginson. Quite how he gets away with starting for a club as celebrated as Wigan is almost an essay in itself on how far the quality of Super League has slipped over the years and, in particular, of how far the paper champions have fallen since winning the Grand Final against serial chokers Warrington last October.
Williams has no Jarrod Sammut to partner him in midfield and with Sam Powell banned for the third or fourth worst Wigan offence in their recent loss to Wakefield Thomas Leuluai may have to fit in at hooker and allow Jake Shorrocks a start. Ben Flower, Tony Clubb, Talima Tautai and Romain Navarrette are the main prop forward options for Lam, with former Saint Joe Greenwood a genuine threat in the second row alongside the rather more underwhelming talents of Willie Isa. Liam Farrell is still injured and represents a huge miss for the Wigan side. O’Loughlin will lock the scrum with youngsters Oliver Partington, Morgan Smithies also included in the 19 along with former Catalans man Morgan Escare and centre Chris Hankinson. That suggests either a doubt about the fitness of one of Wigan’s backs or that Lam is just a bit fed up with the form of one of them and is set to give somebody else an opportunity.
Last year’s derby was a close run thing, with Saints running out 21-18 winners at home thanks to tries from Grace, Taia and Ben Barba. The teams have met three times since in this madcap, skirting board world of Super 8s, loop fixtures, Magic Weekends and finding any other ways imaginable for the top sides to meet as many times as possible, with Saints winning 14-6 in July at the DW, 22-12 in this season’s opener, but going down 30-10 in a miserable home performance at the end of August that was so bad that Sarginson crossed for two tries.
There’s a limited chance of a Wigan victory this time out. This is a derby and as such the old cliché about anything happening still stands. But Saints have been dominant in all but one of their fixtures this year and that in foul weather with two stand-in halfbacks. If Saints are at full strength, whether that means opting for Fages or for Richardson, it is hard to see anything other than a comfortable win by something in the region of 20 points. And yet, you know…it’s Wigan…
Squads;
Wigan Warriors;
Joe Bullock, Joe Burgess, Tom Davies, Morgan Escare, Ben Flower, Oliver Gildart, Joe Greenwood, Chris Hankinson, Zak Hardaker, Willie Isa, Tommy Leuluai, Romain Navarrete, Sean O’Loughlin, Oliver Partington, Dan Sarginson, Jake Shorrocks, Morgan Smithies, Taulima Tautai, George Williams.
St Helens;
1. Jonny Lomax, 2. Tommy Makinson, 3. Kevin Naiqama, 4. Mark Percival, 5. Regan Grace, 6. Theo Fages, 7. Danny Richardson, 8. Alex Walmsley, 9. James Roby, 10. Luke Thompson, 11. Zeb Taia, 12. Joseph Paulo, 13. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook 15. Morgan Knowles, 16. Kyle Amor, 17. Dom Peyroux, 19. Matty Lees, 21. Aaron Smith, 23. Lachlan Coote.
Referee: James Child
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