Wigan Warriors name matchday side for St Helens clash as four changes made
The matchday line-ups are in for Friday night’s Super League clash between Wigan Warriors and St Helens at the Brick Community Stadium
Wigan Warriors coach Matt Peet has welcomed four players back to his matchday line-up for Friday’s derby encounter with St Helens at the Brick Community Stadium.
The Cherry and Whites are boosted by the return of experienced winger Liam Marshall, who comes onto his usual left wing spot and is set to play his first game since April, when he suffered a long-term hamstring injury in an away defeat to Warrington Wolves.
Meanwhile, star man Bevan French is set to line up alongside Harry Smith in the halves, having missed the last three games with a hamstring injury, which was separate from the one that sidelined him for around three months earlier in the year.
Towering forward Sam Walters comes onto the bench, having completed serving the seven-match suspension he received following Wigan’s Challenge Cup final win over Hull KR at Wembley in May. Young talent Noah Hodkinson also returns and is named on the bench, with the 20-year-old having missed the last three games with a fractured skull he suffered in a win at Hull FC last month.
The aforementioned quartet replace youngsters Austin Daniel, George O’Loughlin, George Marsden and the suspended Kian McDermott. O’Loughlin has been named as Wigan’s 18th man for the derby.
Meanwhile, St Helens have made three changes from their side that defeated Catalans Dragons last time out, in what turned out to be Paul Rowley’s last game in charge before he stepped down from his role just over 24 hours before the derby. Lewis Murphy, Shane Wright and George Delaney come in for Jack Campbell, Curtis Sironen and Cole Marsh.
Wigan: Jai Field; Zach Eckersley, Adam Keighran, Jake Wardle, Liam Marshall; Bevan French, Harry Smith; Ethan Havard, Brad O’Neill, Luke Thompson, Ollie Partington, Kaide Ellis, Taylor Kerr. Subs: Sam Walters, Patrick Mago, Noah Hodkinson, Shea O’Connor. 18th man: George O’Loughlin.
St Helens: Jack Welsby; Lewis Murphy, Tristan Sailor, Jake Davies, Jacob Douglas; Harry Robertson, Jackson Hastings; Jacob Host, Jake Burns, Daniel Suluka-Fifita, Jed Cartwright, Shane Wright, Joe Shorrocks. Subs: George Delaney, Alfie Sinclair, Tom Humphreys, Matty Evans. 18th man: Jack Campbell.
The Round 20 Super League fixture takes place at the Brick Community Stadium on Friday night, 8pm kick-off. The game will be broadcast on the Sky Sports + Channel.