The 18th Man Column: 'Expect Wigan Warriors to return with a bang'

What are you expecting – and hoping – to see from Wigan on Sunday?

Robert Kenyon: All I want to see is good, exciting, free flowing rugby league, something to cheer the fans up after the depressing last five months. It’s longer than the off-season, and the season had only really started when it was curtailed – so a good injection of free flowing rugby league would be just what the doctor ordered.

Alex Graham: The players seem to have returned with an aura of confidence about them.

I’m not expecting for us to play brilliantly right away, but I do expect us to take advantage of the new rules and gain some early momentum.

I think as teams adapt to the speed of the game which the new rules have contributed towards, there will be some initial one-sided scorelines and I would expect Wigan to post a decent score against Wakefield this weekend.

Jon Lyon: I would like to see a continuation of the good form we started the season with, but after such a long break who knows what will happen.

I expect the rule changes to suit Wigan’s style of play.

We certainly have the pace out wide and creativity in the middle to take full advantage of the new ‘six again’ rule.

Win or lose (and I really hope we win), it will just be great to see Wigan back on the pitch.

It’s been a long four-and-a-half months since the last game and there have been times when I’ve wondered if we would ever get to this point.

No doubt the lads will have been working hard, Jackson Hastings looks like he’s been in the gym 24/7, so they should be ready to fly out of the blocks.

It’s a shame we can’t be there to watch but I know thousands of us will be screaming at the television watching on Sunday.

Darren Wrudd: The stand-out thought from last weekend’s games was that handling was quite rusty at times.

So I am hoping that fitness has been looked after by the players over lockdown, and the predominant thought has been to master some skills and ball handling in the time we have been back in training.

Such talent as we have at the club these days, from the players through to the backroom and coaching staff, I am sure we will have most things covered and are looking to get the job done. Problem is, so is everyone else.

So a professional display, with controlled aggression and no small amount of flair from our back line, the result will look after itself.

What did you think of the ‘six again’ and absence of scrums in the opening two games?

Alex Graham: I think it makes games much better to watch.

The speed of fixtures in both the NRL and Super League have been relentless and it’s encouraging teams to play-what-they-see opposed to the over structured play we’ve seen in recent years.

I do think we’ll see initial one sided results until coaches and players learn to adapt, but it’s a small sacrifice we’ll have to pay for overall improvement of the on-field product.

Jon Lyon: I think the ‘six again’ rule works well.

There is a worry if one team gets on top then some games could become one-sided, but that’s for every team to worry about how to deal with.

With the likes of Hastings, French, Zak, Gildart and our lightning wingers, we are better placed than most to take advantage of extra plays.

I was unsure about the lack of scrums, leaving the players with too few breaks in the game, but only time will tell.

Again, I think with our relatively smaller-sized and younger forwards we should do better than most to ward off the fatigue caused by fewer breaks.

The bigger forwards like Wakefield’s David Fifita are likely to struggle, hopefully!

Darren Wrudd: Having watched almost every NRL game since its return, I am used to the ‘six again’ rule and think that it is a good thing for the spectator, as it gives a faster game, less play acting from some of the Shakespearian thespians on some sides, and opens up chances for a side to get a roll on instead of slowing the game down to the slowest denominator as has happened too many times (Wire).

That a side may have to defend any number of sets consecutively due to their own indiscretions, puts a new buzz in the game and fitness plays a huge part too.

The biggest issue is one of player injuries.

Over the recent weeks I have seen far too many pulled hamstrings, Achilles tendons and cramp than I care to remember. This could all be down to the lack of rest in between plays, and only time will tell if it is a step too far on the stamina of the human body.

That said, I can hear my mum now shouting at the opposing players, ‘Get up you soft so and so, he’s putting it on!’

Following James Graham’s return to Saints, which ex-Warriors player – still playing – would you most like to see back at the club?

Robert Kenyon: George Williams. I’ve taken a keen interest in watching him at Canberra and he’s excelled 10-fold.

I suppose the fact that the Aussies don’t know a great deal about him, maybe underestimate him and it’s his debut season all play into it, but the lad is pure class and it would be nice to see him back in a Wigan shirt one day.

Alex Graham: I’d love to see George Williams return in time to come.

It’s great to see how well he’s doing in the NRL, and I’ve no doubt the experience he’s gaining in the NRL would be priceless. Another player I wouldn’t mind coming home is Sam Tomkins... again.

Although he’s probably burned his bridges in a playing capacity, I think he’s at that point in his career when transitioning from a full-back to stand-off could prove effective.

I’ve found Sam in some ways similar to Darren Lockyer, who made the same transition and retired with his last game still being at international level.

I think Tomkins has enough quality and longevity about him to play to the highest standards for a good few years yet.

Jon Lyon: Fortunately we are traditionally not a club that lets its best players leave, until the NRL became irresistible, wages-wise.

John Bateman would have been my first choice, but thankfully he’s on his way. We’ve a few good players over in Catalans, and I’d be happy to see any of Micky Mac, Sam Tomkins or Tom Davies back.

With Tommy Leuluai’s likely retirement looming I would be looking at a half-back.

The ideal would be George Williams, who is doing as well as I expected in the NRL, proving the Aussies wrong that a British half-back can’t make it over there.

As a player he has everything, and is likely to have improved further under Ricky Stuart.

Given George is unlikely to return any time soon, I was hoping, before he moved to the Newcastle Knights, that we might be able to sign Blake Green again for one or two more seasons.

His experience would be invaluable to our team as we transition after Lockers and Tommy retire, and he would be a great mentor to Harry Smith, who will hopefully be first choice half back in a season or two.

Darren Wrudd: It’s a shame really as I thought this was actually on for a moment.

Blake Green has been playing some of the best rugby of his career for the NZ Warriors and, having announced he was not re-signing with them, I had all sorts of scenarios fluttering around if he were to come back, but not so as he has found a new club.

Other than that, Ryan Sutton is possibly the only other I would love to see return to Wigan.

His style of play really suited us, and a more uncompromising front row forward would be hard to find.

James Graham – or greasy legs as he is known in our household, due to the copious amounts of Vaseline he smeared on just before taking to the field – is I think coming to the end of his career, and sentimental re-signings never really work, but you can’t question his loyalty to his club.

So although there are several others still playing, I cannot think of anyone else I would love to have back.