The 18th man column: 'Why Wigan Warriors have a great chance of winning'

How excited are you about the World Club Challenge?

Sean Lawless: As the days get closer, the excitement and nerves certainly increase – any opportunity to see Wigan take on an NRL side is one that generates real excitement. It really is the one game that every club in Super League watches on with envy wishing that they were involved in it and it is a game that if you are involved in, you just hope that somehow, you can win!

Robert Kenyon: It’s great to see Cooper Cronk, James Tedesco and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves come to the DW, Cronk being one of my favourite players in recent times and one I’d love at Wigan. Though they are a great team a noisy crowd might spur us on to victory. On a side note I wish they’d change the trophy from the cardboard cut out one, it’s embarrassing.

Jeanette Lusher: The hairs stand up on the back of my neck at the prospect of Super League champions versus NRL champions. It’s a one-off game, 80 minutes, at the end of which the winner takes the spoils! A game played in a stadium bouncing with passion and fervour! It’s an opportunity, in our own back yard, to avenge the spanking dished out by the Roosters in 2014. We were the underdogs in 2017 when we roundly defeated Cronulla so how marvellous the prospect of defeating the Roosters, the already proclaimed World Champions, and getting our fifth gold star? Yes you bet I am excited!

Jon Lyon: Any chance to take on the Aussies is not to be missed. The Roosters were a fantastic side last season and despite losing a few members of that team remain one of the favourites for the NRL title this year. This will probably be the last chance to see Cooper Cronk on these shores, which is worth the gate money alone.

If the crowd can get behind Wigan then hopefully we will see a performance similar to that which defeated Cronulla in 2017. As the game falls on my birthday, I’m trusting the lads not to let me down!

Darren Wrudd: The fact that we are once more on the world stage is a real tantalising prospect alone, but that we have the big boys of the NRL coming to town and have a chance to send them home as wounded kittens is a real boon. It was a cold 14th February evening in 2003 when the Saints Valentine’s Day beating took place in Bolton and as I sat there, watching the Roosters put 38 unanswered points past a lacklustre St Helens side highlighted just how far behind the game we were at times versus the Aussies.

Interesting to say that the man of the match on that occasion was one Craig Fitzgibbon, so he will know exactly what is at stake and have no trouble informing his players on what is required. But since then our game has grown and improved so that we are now chasing our fifth star for five titles as world club champions. Excited? Me? Not half!

Do you think Wigan have a chance of winning?

Sean Lawless: I think Wigan have a real chance of winning on Sunday mainly due to timing of the game which makes the playing field more level. Sydney have played no pre-season games so far and Wigan are two, tough Super League fixtures down. Fitness and match sharpness are in Wigan’s favour, a raucous crowd and bitterly cold February night would sway it even more towards Wigan. The Roosters are a class team, but Wigan have the little things in their favour which could sway the fifth star to perch above the Wigan crest and one that will see the Roosters choke.

Robert Kenyon: Under Waney yes, just. But the way we defend now I’d say not sure. The game will be a lot more interesting and exciting that’s for sure but Sydney Roosters led by Cooper Cronk are a very tough challenge. We don’t have the organisation at 7 and 9 to compete with Cronk and Friend.

That’s not to say I wasn’t impressed with the Leeds performance, it’s refreshing to see Lam go old school and not play split halves and allow Williams play the traditional stand off role which he is natural at and probe the defence on both sides of the pitch – allowing Williams a free role throws a spanner in the works for the opposition and it proved fruitful against Leeds.

Also, I thought we attacked from deeper and all in all it was a very entertaining game. To beat the Roosters we would have to play with attacking flair and no fear with a raucous crowd not showing the Roosters any respect.

Jeanette Lusher: Wigan have every chance of winning! Wigan have home advantage and the DW is our fortress. Wigan have three friendlies and two league matches under their belt so match fitness levels should be better. They have addressed and righted match errors and steadily improved each week. The players have grown in self-confidence and self belief as they have surmounted challenges. In both SL fixtures our forwards have performed well against top quality opposition whilst against Leeds George Williams really took on the line and is master class with his deft little kicks behind the try line. Wigan need to start both halves really well, concentrate for the full 80 and maintain discipline. The team also needs to stick to Adrian’s game plan for who knows more about the Roosters and how to bring about their demise?

Jon Lyon: There is no doubt Sydney start as favourites, but the underdog tag sits well with Wigan, and we have a great record of upsetting the odds. I am certain the Roosters will be taking this game seriously, and they have an array of internationals in their side, but so do we, so why should we fear them, it’s time at club and international level we started believing the Aussies aren’t the invincibles they once seemed.

Wigan will be slightly further a long with their match fitness, which should help us finish the game stronger. The home crowd, if it is vocal enough, will be a huge positive.

Both sides have pace and skill in the back line but the game is usually won in the forwards, and while the likes of Boyd Cordner and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves are among the world’s best, the early form of Flower, Bullock and Hamlin gives us plenty reason to be positive.

Darren Wrudd: I think the timing is right, a Sunday match at home when we have had a couple of competitive games. Although we have made errors and are still settling into a few new routines in how we approach the game, I think we have enough energy and talent in this squad to really trouble the Roosters. It is 80 minutes of rugby and as we all know, anything can happen. I do expect a competitive game and I don’t think the Aussies will know what hit them at the end, win or lose. So yes we can beat them, but it may turn on a decision or missed chance from either side and should be an exciting and fast game.

Adrian Lam has had four forwards on the bench for both games - would you keep the same again, or bring in Morgan Escare or Jarrod Sammut?

Sean Lawless: I think the team selection of four forwards in the first two games has been very much with the Roosters game in mind from Lam and I would be very surprised to see him deviate from that, even if Sarginson is ruled out. Wigan were beaten up by the Roosters’ monster pack in 2014 and Wigan will be very wary of that again. Willie Isa, the unsung hero for Wigan, offers versatility in a way that Escare doesn’t – covering forward and backs which for me, makes the four forwards on the bench, the way to go.

Robert Kenyon: Against Sydney Roosters we are going to need something different, for me it would have to be Morgan Escare, he’s the most exciting player we have and can spring a surprise. I’d go out on a limb and this is one for the future but I’d look at playing Hardaker at 13 and Escare at 1 with Lockers at prop. We definitely need either Escare or Sammut on the bench to spring a surprise, under Lam we aren’t the same team who will grind a boring win out, we need a bit of flamboyance to fall back on.

Jeanette Lusher: Four forwards on the bench against Saints and Leeds was probably correct considering the opposition and weather conditions. The reduced interchanges was another factor in making these decisions I feel. Against the Roosters I think we should take the risk of having a back on the bench. I base this on the fact that our forwards have demonstrated that they are fit enough to cope with extended game time as injuries to Clubb and Sarginson gave them no choice but to cope. The improved weather conditions should mean a drier pitch so not as taxing on the legs. Morgan Escare has pace to burn and is awesome in broken play so could exploit tiring forwards but for me Jarrod Sammut brings another dimension to our kicking game as well as some unpredictability with his maverick tendencies!

Jon Lyon: Personally I think not having a back, or at least a hooker on the bench is a big risk. Shoe-horning Willie Isa into the centres seems our only back-up plan if any of the backs are injured. In what will be a very tight game I think I would take a chance on Sammut for a surprise option to offer something different. Escare can consider himself very unfortunate to be missing out, but Hardaker has looked the real deal so far.

Darren Wrudd: I think you have to play Sammut, just how he slots into the squad on Sunday is why Lam gets paid the big bucks. We have a mobile pack and have several who can do big minutes, so only having three forwards on the bench will work. I would be tempted to start with Sammut and use Tommy from the bench to either deputise for half or hooker as and when required. The selection of forwards we have now means someone will miss out, but for the team to do well some tough decisions need to be made.

Finally, are you happy with the changes to the voting system for the Steve Prescott Man of Steel?

Sean Lawless: I am really pleased with it, the fact that we now in effect have a league table throughout the season for Man of Steel adds another dimension to games later on the season also. Perhaps games close to the end of the season when play off places are pretty much wrapped up and players may be rested, we may now see players wanting to play as they want to get another three points for their Man of Steel ranking. A really good initiative and its great to see so many legends of the game involved in the awarding of the points.

Robert Kenyon: I am but there will be a few opposition fans having a whinge at the amount of ex-Wigan players on the panel, they’ll probably want to change it again once a Wigan player wins, they’ll say it’s biased and flawed. All in all it’s a lot better than the way it’s ever been especially the last way, which players would take the mick in the way they’d vote for either friends or players who’d hardly played. The way it’s voted for now is more prestigious, it’s voted for by legends of the game.

Jeanette Lusher: Well nothing can be as shambolic as last year’s voting system and previous years were only marginally better! I like the fact that the allocated votes will be determined on a game by game basis by a panel of prolific past players who understandably have a veritable wealth of rugby league knowledge.

The charts being displayed weekly for the first 22 rounds is enthralling and then the rounds of secrecy up to the actual announcement of the Man of Steel is indeed an exciting prospect. I hope however that these secret rounds will be made available for public viewing at the end of the season. My one concern is how badly it will affect players chances if they are dogged with lengthy or repeated injury periods.

Jon Lyon: I don’t think anyone can argue with the calibre of ex-player chosen for the new Man of Steel scoring panel. After the farce of players voting for personal favourites and even players who didn’t play a game last year something had to be done. No matter who wins the award at the end of the season, it’s hard for anyone to suggest they know better than Ellery Hanley, and it would be a brave man who would argue with Mal Reilly.

Darren Wrudd: The way I see it, a certain amount of not so serious voting has gone on in the past when players were asked to carry the responsibility for the vote, but I thought that the players should perhaps still have the lion’s share of the voting rights. If any have been disrespectful in the past, they lose that right. But along with sections of the media and even fans from each club having a set number of votes perhaps from the supporters clubs for instance, a more balanced view would be obtained. I hope I am proved wrong and it is a huge success, after all, I am only a speccy.