It’s the game that makes or breaks many a long Easter weekend as Saints visit local nuisance Wigan on Friday afternoon (April 7, kick-off 3.00pm).
Both sides are in the midst of three-game winning streaks having suffered surprise defeats in the early weeks of the campaign. Saints lost two of their first three league outings at home to Leeds and away at Leigh. Common consensus was that this was a hangover from the trip to Sydney in mid-February during which Saints edged Penrith Panthers to become world champions for a third time. Since that defeat at Leigh Paul Wellens’ side have squeaked past Hull FC and Huddersfield Giants before a more convincing 38-0 thumping of Wakefield Trinity last time out.
Wigan also started their 2023 Super League journey with a loss, going down 27-18 at Hull KR. They responded by scoring 96 points and conceding none in wins over Trinity and Castleford Tigers but were then beaten 18-10 on their own patch by Catalans Dragons. A 14-12 win at Huddersfield was identical to what Saints would achieve at the John Smith’s Stadium a week later before Matty Peet’s side had just enough to get past Salford Red Devils 20-16 at home. In their last outing they dominated Leigh in the second half on their way to a 34-6 win.
That leaves Wigan third in the Super League table behind Warrington and the Dragons approaching this one. Saints are two points behind the Warriors in fourth but with a game in hand due to that happy engagement in Penrith. Should Saints win they will join Wigan on 10 points but they will need a winning margin of 28 to jump above the neighbours this weekend.
Wellens has made two changes to the 21-man squad on duty for the Wakefield game. He welcomes back Sione Mata’utia after the former Newcastle Knight failed an HIA at Huddersfield a fortnight ago. Jake Wingfield is also involved again after missing the last two with a shoulder problem.
Youngster McKenzie Buckley is one of those to miss out but it is the loss of Alex Walmsley which is generating most of the nervousness among the fans The influential prop lasted just two minutes of the win over Wakefield before he was withdrawn with what turned out to be a hamstring injury. It looks set to keep the England man out for four weeks. Agnatius Paasi is named in the 21 but he was last week before injury ruled him out of the match day 17. If he has recovered sufficiently he should slot into Walmsley’s front row role alongside tackling addict Matty Lees and hooker and captain James Roby. If not then one of Wingfield, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook or George Delaney may be asked to step up to the starting 13.
Mata’utia should slot straight back into a second row berth alongside Curtis Sironen with Joe Batchelor still not back to full fitness. Morgan Knowles should be at 13 which may see James Bell revert to a bench spot having started the last four.
The decision to start Will Hopoate ahead of Jon Bennison last week ruffled a few feathers, though probably not those of the unflappable Bennison. It seemed harsh on the youngster who had been filling the left wing slot more than capably before Hopoate made yet another return from injury. Both are named again and if everyone is fit then a decision will need to be made. You just get a feeling - and even more so in a game of this magnitude - that Wellens has more trust in Hopoate than Bennison at this stage of their respective careers. Should the Tongan get the nod it will be the first time he has made three consecutive starts in Saints colours. Put like that, I like Bennison’s chances.
Barring a yet to unfold crisis Jack Welsby will start at fullback with Tommy Makinson, Konrad Hurrell and Mark Percival making up the rest of the three-quarter line. Jonny Lomax should begin his fourth century of Saints appearances in the halves alongside Lewis Dodd. The latter suffered a season-ending injury in the Good Friday derby last term and will hope to avoid a repeat against the undisputed dirtiest team in sports.
So about them. Their biggest problem seems to be in the halves. Cade Cust missed the win over Leigh and has been ruled out not only for this one but for a number of weeks with a neck injury. Jai Field moved into the creativity department alongside Harry Smith at the Leigh Sports Village but picked up a hamstring problem which looks like ruling him out for two months. The talk among some on social media is that creativity vacuum Sam Powell will step in to partner Smith which sounds like all of our dreams come true. Bevan French could move to 6 but the 21 named by Peet doesn’t appear to have a reliable candidate to slot into French’s fullback role.
One key returnee for the Warriors could be winger Liam Marshall. He rarely grabs the headlines ahead of Field or French but the winger grabbed 21 tries last season as well as decisive scores in both the semi-final and the final of the Challenge Cup which Wigan won for the first time since 2013. Marshall missed the short trip to Leigh with a foot injury but is included in Peet’s initial 21-man selection.
If Marshall does return it could see Toby King move back inside to the centres alongside Jake Wardle and possibly allow Kai Pearce-Paul to partner Liam Farrell in the back row after Willie Isa’s appeal against a one-game ban for a late shot against the Leopards was rejected. Stat padding assassin Morgan Smithies should start at loose forward.
In the front row Brad Singleton will be hoping to get back in the side having missed out last week. Liam Byrne will fight to keep his starting spot and Mike Cooper should also be operating at prop. If Powell is moved from the hooking role then look for Brad O’Neill to take over those duties. Ethan Harvard and Kaide Ellis should complete the prop rotation for Peet.
This will be the first derby since August last year when Wigan recorded a 30-10 win. Yet that was a Saints team which featured Batchelor in the centres, Josh Simm on the wing and Ben Davies at stand-off. Saints had won 20-18 at Newcastle’s Magic Weekend in July and 22-4 at home on Good Friday. However, Wigan’s 20-18 win in that Challenge Cup semi-final at Leeds was arguably the most significant result between the two last term. Leeds prove annually that you can come back from almost any number of league defeats. There is no coming back from a Challenge Cup semi-final defeat. Saints last win at the Warriors’ rented accommodation was in August 2021 when tries from Percival, Dodd, Walmsley and Regan Grace secured a 26-2 success.
With both sides having a key player or two out this time the tired old practice of getting your excuses in early has kicked in among both sets of fans. It is a very tough one to call but the time for white flags is not now. If Paasi can step up and fill the massive hole left by Walmsley then perhaps Saints should be slight favourites to get over the line. Despite Wigan’s home advantage the problems in the halves could be difficult to overcome against a Saints side which - although not frightening anyone with their attack so far this year - remains ruthless in defence and relentless in doing the small things which decide tight games.
Squads;
Wigan Warriors;
2. Bevan French 3. Toby King 4. Jake Wardle 5. Liam Marshall 7. Harry Smith 8. Brad Singleton 9. Sam Powell 10. Liam Byrne 12. Liam Farrell 13. Morgan Smithies 14. Mike Cooper 15. Kaide Ellis 16. Ethan Havard 17. Kai Pearce-Paul 19. Joe Shorrocks 20. Patrick Mago 21. Ian Thornley 22. Brad O’Neill 23. Abbas Miski 27. Junior Nsemba 29. Tom Forber
Saints;
1. Jack Welsby, 2. Tommy Makinson, 3. Will Hopoate, 4. Mark Percival, 5. Jon Bennison, 6. Jonny Lomax, 7. Lewis Dodd, 9. James Roby, 10. Matty Lees, 11. Sione Mata’utia, 13. Morgan Knowles, 14. Joey Lussick, 15. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, 16. Curtis Sironen, 17. Agnatius Paasi, 18. Jake Wingfield, 19. James Bell, 22. Sam Royle, 23. Konrad Hurrell, 25. Tee Ritson, 30. George Delaney.
Referee: Liam Moore
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