Wigan Warriors spine options analysed after Harry Smith suspension and injury blows

Wigan Warriors will be forced to undergo another shuffle of their spine at Magic Weekend when they face rivals St Helens.

Matt Peet’s side have enjoyed a relatively healthy season on the injury front until the last six weeks or so, with star duo Jai Field and Bevan French both suffered hamstring injuries.

Fullback Field has recently returned to action, whilst French is believed to be around another month or so away from being back on the field. It was also confirmed last month that starting hooker Brad O’Neill will play no further part this season due to an ACL injury.

And the Warriors were dealt another blow on Monday afternoon, when key halfback Harry Smith was referred to an RFL tribunal after a Grade E striking following his red card in the latter stages of Wigan’s 30-4 defeat to Leeds on Saturday for a forearm to the head of Rhinos forward James Bentley. The range of sanctioning for a Grade E offence is three to five matches.

With the aforementioned injuries and suspensions in mind, Peet is running thin on the ground when it comes to options in the spine. Here’s the primary ones at the Wigan coach’s disposal ahead of the trip across the Pennines to face the Saints at Elland Road on Saturday.

Jai Field to remain at fullback?

With Smith, French and O’Neill unavailable this weekend due to suspension and injuries, Field will be the only starting member of the spine available: and you’d wager that it’s almost certain that he will remain in his natural role of fullback against the Saints.

The halfback dilemma

French and Smith have played an important role in Wigan’s season so far, with the pair working really well in tandem: but, as aforementioned, both are unavailable for this weekend.

Ryan Hampshire and Smith started in the halves against the Rhinos, with youngster Zach Eckersley featuring from the bench at Headingley and Adam Keighran moving from centre into the halves.

Jack Farrimond, who has played six games for Peet’s side since making his first-team debut back in March, could come back into the side. The 18-year-old was impressive for Wigan’s reserves against Leeds on Saturday.

There’s a couple of avenues Peet could go down in selecting his halfback paring for the derby at Magic. Hampshire and Farrimond would be the obvious choice, but Adam Keighran can also play at six, as can Kruise Leeming.

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Zack Eckersley’s role

The role that Eckersley will play this weekend is probably the one of most intrigue. The Warriors academy product has impressed for the first-team this season: and his versatility has been a major positive for Peet’s side, with the 20-year-old being comfortable at fullback, wing and centre.

Eckersley started on the bench against Leeds and came on in the centres, but with Smith being suspended, he could be set for a starting role against Saints: but in which position? That’s the burning question.

The hooking options

With England international O’Neill ruled out for the rest of the season, Leeming is set for a more prominent role in the starting line-up.

Leeming has been primarily used from the bench this year, but has been starting in the absence of O’Neill and has impressed during his longer spells on the field, producing a man of the match display in last Tuesday’s win over Leigh Leopards.

The 28-year-old will start at hooker against Saints, you suspect, and there’s a few options for a ‘utility’ role on the bench. Young hooker Tom Forber made his long-awaited from an ankle injury for the club’s reserves at Leeds on Saturday, so he could come back into selection for the first-team this week: and would be a solid deputy to Leeming from the bench. This could possibly allow Leeming to move into the halves at some point when Forber enters the action.

The left-field option

There could be somewhat of a ‘wildcard’ pick for Peet and his coaching staff. Field has played at stand-off a number of times before, so Wigan could look at shifting the Australian speedster back into the halves, with young gun Eckersley given the nod at fullback.

You feel it would be left-field call, though, given Field’s work on both sides of the ball coming to the fore when he is in that No. 1 role.

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