Rochdale Hornets v Wigan Warriors line-ups confirmed as Sam Eseh earns debut
Wigan Warriors coach Matt Peet has named a strong line-up that will face Rochdale Hornets in the third round of the Challenge Cup on Sunday afternoon.
Peet has gone full strength against the Hornets ahead of their Super League opener against Castleford Tigers next weekend.
The highlight of the team news is that young prop Sam Eseh will make his Wigan debut as he enters his third year with the club, having enjoyed an impressive season-long loan with Hull FC in 2025. He has also spent time on loan at Leeds Rhinos and Castleford Tigers during his time with the Warriors so far.
The four players who are absent from Peet’s matchday 17 are Sam Walters, Dayon Sambou, Kian McDermott and Taylor Kerr.
As for Rochdale, there are a couple of players with Super League experience featuring for Gary Thornton’s side, including former New Zealand and Samoa international Junior Sa’u. Meanwhile, Wigan academy products Luke Waterworth and Dylan Kelly-Duffy are set to line up against their former club.
Wigan: Jai Field; Zach Eckersley, Adam Keighran, Jake Wardle, Liam Marshall; Bevan French, Jack Farrimond; Sam Eseh, Brad O’Neill, Luke Thompson, Junior Nsemba, Liam Farrell, Kaide Ellis. Subs: Ethan Havard, Patrick Mago, Ollie Partington, Tom Forber. 18th man: Dayon Sambou.
Rochdale: Max Flanagan; TJ Boyd, Tom Ashton, Junior Sa’u, Dan Nixon; Jamie Dallimore, Joe Hickey; Isaac Reid, Ross Whitmore, Dylan Kelly-Duffy, Ethan Wood, Ben Metcalfe, Jordan Syme. Subs: Lewis Hatton, Dan Lynch, Luke Waterworth, Isaac Coleman. 18th man: Morgan Punchard.
The third round Challenge Cup tie takes place at the Crown Oil Arena on Sunday afternoon, 3pm kick-off.