Wigan Warriors v Bradford Bulls team news as Matt Peet makes one change to 21-man squad
Wigan Warriors coach Matt Peet has made one change to his 21-man squad ahead of Friday night’s Challenge Cup fourth round tie against Bradford Bulls at the Brick Community Stadium.
The Warriors will be without star man Bevan French for around four months due to a hamstring injury he sustained in their 36-16 win over Toulouse Olympique last Saturday. As a result, off-season recruit Dayon Sambou comes back into the 21-man squad.
Sambou, who joined Wigan on a four-year contract from St Helens in the off-season, has yet to make his senior debut in cherry and white, but has featured for the reserves this season and impressed while on loan with Salford in the Championship last week.
Wigan remain without star fullback Jai Field and key centre Jake Wardle. Field is around four to five weeks away from returning after having his appendix removed last week, while Wardle is approximately two months away with a knee injury.
There are a couple of options at Peet’s disposal regarding filling the void at fullback. Homegrown talent Noah Hodkinson, a specialist fullback, would appear the most obvious choice to replace Field, while winger Zach Eckersley could slot into the fullback role, with potential debuts for Sambou or academy graduate Nathan Lowe.
Meanwhile, Bradford coach Kurt Haggerty has made three changes to his 20-man squad following their 26-22 defeat at St Helens last time out, with Waqa Blake (shoulder), Loghan Lewis (suspended) and Eliot Peposhi (suspended) unavailable. As a result, Cameron Bate, Jamie Gill and Alfie Leake come into the extended squad.
Wigan: Zach Eckersley, Adam Keighran, Liam Marshall, Harry Smith, Ethan Havard, Brad O’Neill, Luke Thompson, Junior Nsemba, Liam Farrell, Kaide Ellis, Sam Walters, Patrick Mago, Ollie Partington, Jack Farrimond, Sam Eseh, Tom Forber, Kian McDermott, Taylor Kerr, Nathan Lowe, Noah Hodkinson, Dayon Sambou.
Bradford: Andy Ackers, Caleb Aekins, Guy Armitage, Cameron Bate, Ed Chamberlain, Eribe Doro, Brandon Douglas, Zac Fulton, Jamie Gill, Sam Hallas, Luke Hooley, Alfie Leake, Esan Marsters, Joe Mellor, Rowan Milnes, Leon Ruan, Ethan Ryan, Mitch Souter, Ryan Sutton, Connor Wynne.
The Challenge Cup fourth round tie is not being broadcast anywhere, so the only way to watch it live would be in person at the Brick Community Stadium, 8pm kick-off.