Wigan Warriors predicted line-up for Round 1 of Super League with key Willie Isa dilemma analysed

With pre-season training now in full swing, attention is beginning to turn towards the new Super League season – which will kick off with a real bang in early-February.

The organisers have lined up some blockbuster games to begin the new season and few whet the appetite quite like the local derby between reigning Super League champions Wigan Warriors and Leigh Leopards.

The Warriors will host Adrian Lam’s side on the very first night of the season – and they are one of a handful of sides who won’t look too much different compared to what we were used to seeing in 2024.

Here’s how we think the Warriors will shape up on that first night.

In truth, we’re starting this off-season series in quite straightforward fashion – because the majority of Wigan’s team is very, very straightforward to pick!

Surely there can be no doubting that if all are fit and available, it will be a backline that we grew very accustomed to seeing in the majority of last year’s historic campaign.

That means Jai Field at fullback, a wing pairing of Abbas Miski and Liam Marshall plus Jake Wardle and Adam Keighran in the centres. The one point of difference? Zach Eckersley: who never let anyone down when he was brought into the team in 2024. He may, however, have to bide his time once again.

In the halves will be Bevan French and Harry Smith – who else.

We’d expect Luke Thompson to start and with Brad O’Neill likely out injured by the time February rolls around, it will almost certainly be Kruise Leeming at hooker.

Who starts at prop alongside Thompson? Probably Ethan Havard, whose form at the latter end of the season earned him an England call-up. That means Liam Byrne may have to settle for a spot on the bench.

Junior Nsemba’s promotion to squad number 11 guarantees he’ll start in the back row alongside Liam Farrell: as does the fact he’s now one of English rugby league’s premiere talents.

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That leaves Kaide Ellis to round off the start 13: but it’s on the interchange bench where the interesting selection dilemmas lie.

We’ve already touched on Byrne, and Patrick Mago is almost certain to be on there too. Tyler Dupree would be a good shout for the third interchange spot – but what about number four?

That could go to Tom Forber, but Leeming is perfectly capable of rolling at nine for 80 minutes. So could that leave the door ajar for the returning Willie Isa to come back into Matt Peet’s 17? Wigan have given him a new deal after his serious injury – and he’s well-liked and well thought of at the Warriors.

So we’re giving him the edge against Leigh on the opening night.

Wigan predicted side to face Leigh: Field, Miski, Keighran, Wardle, Marshall, French, Smith, Thompson, Leeming, Havard, Nsemba, Farrell, Ellis. Interchange: Mago, Dupree, Byrne, Isa.

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