https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2025/08/13/wigan-squad-for-hull-kr-slr22/ French included, Miski in squad, no Thompson yet

https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2025/08/13/wigan-squad-for-hull-kr-slr22/ French included, Miski in squad, no Thompson yet

Sean Long has just said on the Back 10 predictions video that it's probably a week too early for French and that Farrimond is injured (named in the 21 though?) and we will likely have to play Keighran in the halves.


Anybody know if there is any truth to this? I know Long spends some time around the Wigan camp so could be some truth to it.

Well there's enough Wigan lads around the Oldham camp, that you'd expect him to be a good source of info. 

I’d be very surprised if French plays. It’s a very intense game for his comeback. He has any sort of reaction and he could be done for the season. Can’t see Peet taking that risk for the sake of one game. 


We only play Huddersfield on Sunday and Wellens has said that Welsby will only play off the bench if he plays. 

I agree with that. If he had played off the bench last week i would be all up for it, but this really isn't the game to bring him back in. Peet does have form of bringing players back early for big games though but hopefully he has learned from past mistakes, Havard in the 2023 FInal springs to mind.

I hope the team aren't thinking like i am, but from a fan's perspective i have already come to terms with the likeliness that the LLS is out of reach for us now, HKR would have to lose 3 games or 2 with us clambering back that 200 point margin and i can't see either happening. Feels very much like we are in a fight for 2nd place now and we have a 3 point buffer on that currently, French is not worth the risk.

i'm of the same mind, and was on a thread on facebook the other day

i did say that KR needed the win more than Wigan, but not really to do with the league position, as Wigan need KR to lose at least 2 more games if we beat them on Friday, but to do with "getting the monkey off the back" as Wigan have had the better of them in the big games over the last 18 months or so. Some agreement but also some differing opinion, but actually had a decent chat and not just rubbish


For Wigan, i'd take a performance better than last week v Wire and as fans we can start to see the build towards the play-offs i.e. increase in intensity / better attacking structures. I'd love to see us win, but dont think its the end of the world if we dont as its unlikely we'll retain the LLS. 
If we can keep French and Miski out for another week, and then we have them and Thompson plus Junior with a couple of weeks off, we should hopefully be good to build with a fit team (bearing in mind Walters only just back too and O'Neill / Havard still not hit their straps) and go full tilt in the play offs


i'd go
Field
Eckersley
Keighran
Wardle
Marshy
Farrimond
Smith
Dupree / Byrne
O'Neill
Havard
Faz
Walters
Ellis


Bench
Byrne / Dupree
Mago
Leeming
Hill?


one thing i have noticed over the last couple of weeks re KR is that both Leeds and Leigh had success against their right side defence, with the quick players getting on the outside of their defensive line. Our backs have plenty pace to burn and with Farrimond liking to take on the line we may get some joy out of that if we go at their right edge??

He said a couple of things during both sections of that podcast that made me think he's not been paying too much attention to all things Superleague in recent weeks, so I sort of brushed it off that he hadn't realised Farrimond has been back playing and the podcast was recorded before French was then named in the squad again. Oldham played on Sunday afternoon and that was recorded Monday, so I don't think he'll have had much chance to get any inside info at that point. 

Personally I'd leave French and Miski again this week and just bring in Harvie Hill for Nsemba (with Walters going to second row). It's being given a huge billing this game tomorrow but I don't think it means much in the Grand scheme of things. We're not finishing first regardless of the result tomorrow and what comes in the weeks after this game means far more. Get French, Miski, Thompson and Nsemba fully ready and start to ease them in from next week onwards (or when they're ready). 

Rogues came on RedVee with a cryptic comment that a SL winger will need to retire through injury. 


Am I putting 2 and 2 together and getting 5 thinking it may be Miski?

Not sure Stu

its not been posted on here or the other Warriors fans forum


however, he has been carrying his knee for a good while now, and he's had the op during the season to clear it up (cant remember if he had something done off season too)  and been out since he was brought back too early.


If it is Miski, then thats a big gap in our backline especially when he brings the ball out from our own 20m area as he's outstanding carrying the ball there. He's not got the pace of Marshy or Eckersley but a great work ethic and workload when he plays, and can finish, but lacking real pace to be a truely class winger

Eckersley showed how much pace he had v Wire and posed a real attacking threat all game, he did ok too bringing the ball out of our own 20 mtr area.


We also saw what a fit and fresh Walters can provide when he replaced Nsemba who's looked worn out and tired this past few weeks.

He had an excellent game overall but I again didn't really feel like he did enough work or make enough of an impact coming from our line. I never put that on him because he isn't a winger, certianly not in the mould of what we want from our wingers though. If you're coming up with that sort of impact at the other end though, nobody is going to complain but you need one or two others to pick up the slack. I felt Keighran did a good job of that but Wardle less so. 

I think somebody mentioned Miski retiring, either on here or the other board at some point. I can't for the life of me remember who or exactly when but it's been stuck in my head for weeks that somebody said it. 


I really hope it isn't Miski and it doesn't come to that but it wouldn't massively surprise me at the minute. He had this knee issue towards the end of last season and I think he had an op in the off season, meaning he missed a lot of the pre season. He then came back and wasn't right and had another op and has since played one game and been out for weeks since. He hasn't had the ACL's like Manfredi to my knowledge but the issues Miski are facing seems similar to Manfredi at the back end of his time in the Sport.