Predicting likely Wigan Warriors line-up for Huddersfield clash with Jai Field dilemma

Wigan Warriors head into a brutal run of three games in little over a week looking to not only get their season back on track, but manage returning and senior players’ fitness.

Perhaps suggesting the reigning Super League and world champions need to get their season back on track is a shade harsh, but given the lofty standards they have set in recent years, back-to-back defeats does at least prompt debate about how Matt Peet manages things over the next week, if nothing else.

The first of those three games comes this Thursday against Huddersfield Giants. With Leigh just a few days later on Tuesday night, this seems like the ideal opportunity to perhaps rotate players who are in need of a rest, and give them an extended break of sorts ahead of the run-in.

But before that, there is one major issue to discuss: and that is the impending return of Jai Field. Cleared to return to Wigan’s 21 for this Thursday’s game, the signs suggest that Field will be thrown straight back in this weekend rather than waiting for next Tuesday’s game with Leigh.

Is it too soon? Peet appears to think not. There is an argument to wait for next Tuesday and give Field more time on the training field and, indeed, more recovery. But Field looks likely to play.

Which clears up one dilemma straight away: who plays fullback. Without Field there was the option of playing one of Zach Eckersley, Ryan Hampshire or even the returning Adam Keighran there. But if Field’s fit, Field almost certainly plays.

That makes the picks across the rest of the backline somewhat more straightforward, with Wigan’s first-choice three-quarter line of Abbas Miski, Keighran, Jake Wardle and Liam Marshall playing. Peet could opt to rest someone like Marshall or Wardle – who have played significant games in 2024 – with such a bruising run coming up.

Hampshire or Eckersley could slot in at wing and centre respectively.

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Expect Harry Smith and Jack Farrimond to continue in the halves – and it’s in the pack where things get interesting. With no disrespect intended to Huddersfield, you would assume Peet would want a stronger and fresher line-up for next Tuesday’s huge local derby.

That could lean towards players who have featured prominently throughout 2024 getting a rest. Prop Patrick Mago has played in every single game thus far, a remarkable story in itself for a player whose Wigan career appeared in some jeopardy.

Liam Farrell has also missed only one game, and the time could be right to give both a breather, with three games in a week in mind. The return of Sam Eseh from his loan spell at Leeds affords Peet more options to rotate with – though Peet admitted he is unlikely to feature this Thursday.

Kruise Leeming will step up to hooker in place of O’Neill and that could leave the door ajar for Hampshire to perhaps get a spot on the bench to spell Leeming, given how he is returning from injury himself.

It’s a difficult situation to predict: does Peet go full-strength in a bid to snap Wigan’s mini losing run, or does he play the long game and give breaks to those who are perhaps in need of it? We’ve gone with the latter.

Predicted Wigan line-up: Field, Miski, Keighran, Eckersley, Marshall, Farrimond, Smith, Havard, Leeming, Thompson, Nsemba, Walters, Ellis. Interchange: Hampshire, Byrne, Dupree, Hill.

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