Friday, 17 September 2010

SL Preview: Wigan v Hull KR

Like the Highlander films "There can be only one" as Wigan take on Hull Kingston Rovers at the DW Stadium tonight.

This has the potential to be a good game with Wigan still smarting from their narrow defeat to Leeds and Rovers cock-a-hoop at beating their neighbours last week.

I feel that both packs are fairly evenly matched with Clint Newton in pretty good form for the visitors while Ben Galea worked himself to a stand-still last week. The occasions I have seen Rhys Lovegrove this season he too has impressed while Michael Vella is another right up there in the performance rankings at Craven Park.

Last week I felt Ben Fisher had an excellent game. His distribution was crisp and his workrate tremendous - 44 tackles being credited to him in the League Express. Shaun Briscoe will return to the scene of his first professional club, as will Liam Colbon. Ben Cockayne also had a superb game for Rovers. He is a player that can really get under the skin of the opposition but a look at his stats just shows how much he added to the Robins against their arch local rivals. He made 23 tackles, took the ball in 16 times and made 138 metres.

Another former Wigan player is Michael Dobson and when he plays well, Rovers excel. Last week was one of his good days, and what a day! His field kicking was excellent and he banged four goals over too.

It could be a battle of the little big men and I wonder whether Michael Maguire will move Man-of-Steel nominations Sam Tomkins and Pat Richards?

Tomkins has done a good job at fullback and has something of the Darren Lockyer about him, which can only be good for England's hopes in the end of season Four Nations but I wonder whether due to injury to Paul Deacon he will move up to the halves to partner Thomas Leuluai.

Wigan will be dangerous, make no bones about it. Martin Gleeson and George Carmont are both shrewd operators in the centre while the likes of Richards and Darrell Goulding have finished off chances and half chances all season.

Leuluai himself is the only British based player to be selected in the squad so far announced by New Zealand for the Four Nations and he has matured into an even better player whether at halfback of hooker. Stuart Fielden and Andy Coley give the Warriors good go-forward while Liam Farrell has been this years Super League bolter. Farrell started the season on the fringes of the Wigan first team and was farmed out to Widnes on a dual contract. There he excelled and ever since being recalled by the Warriors he has appeared more in the first team than the Under-20s. He is learning all the time from people like Sean O'Loughlin who deserves all the press heading his way this season.

The scene is set - let's hope it's a good game and not the wash out we witnessed at the same ground earlier this year when Wigan found it all too easy on their way to a 32-6 win.

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