Wakefield Trinity boss Daryl Powell has revealed how he expects Wigan Warriors to line up regarding their spine this week.
Trinity host Wigan this evening at Belle Vue in a key game for both sides, with Wakefield looking to keep the gap between them and top spot to two points rather than four.
Wigan meanwhile sit in sixth, and could move past rivals St Helens in the table with a win tonight.
The Warriors have a key selection decision to make. After Jack Farrimond and George Marsden performed sensationally in Paris, both of those players could realistically lose their spots in the side, with both Bevan French and Harry Smith returning to the preliminary squad.
Wigan’s spine has been a key talking point this year, with Farrimond in particular producing performances that warrant a place in the starting side.
The conundrum lies at the feet of Matt Peet, but Powell has revealed what he expects tonight’s opponents to do this evening.
Powell said to the press: “It’s a big game, and it’s a tough challenge. They’ve got [Bevan] French back. I believe they’ll put him on the bench. He showed in a bit of a cameo there in the Challenge Cup Final that he’s a proper threat.”
Farrimond starting alongside Harry Smith and French being on the bench is how Wigan lined up at Wembley, and that decision worked wonders with Farrimond claiming the Lance Todd Trophy.
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Wakefield Trinity boss previews bumper Wigan Warriors clash
Assessing the Warriors as a whole, Powell revealed: “I think them and Leeds are maybe the best two teams in the comp at the moment.
“I think Leeds are still playing well. They’ve been pretty consistent. Wigan beat Leeds the other week.
“They’ve won the Challenge Cup Final. That was an unbelievably strong performance, and they backed that up, which is always a tough game, last week against Catalans.”
“Farrimond, I think he’s an exceptional young player. They get Harry Smith back this week. I just think they’re great everywhere at the moment. I think they’re playing top-level Rugby League with a great intensity about it.”
Whilst French and Smith are the supposed stars, Farrimond has continued to show why he can’t be underestimated, with his involvements crucial to Wigan’s success in the past month or so.
“He’s dangerous,” Powell said on the 20-year-old. “I remember watching him play scholarship and thought, I’ve never seen a kid kick a ball in scholarship like he did.
“He’s just a phenomenal young talent. But, I think wherever you look, you can’t take your eye off anybody, really.
“You’ve got to be mindful that they’re going to constantly throw things at you. They’re very good at reorganising and going again. They’ve got [Jai] Field, the full-back who’s electric and can cause you a lot of trouble from anywhere on the field.
“He can get [the ball] on his own line and finish the other end of the field. I just think you can’t look at one player. I think Farrimond is a talented young player.
“They bring another young kid out last week [George Marsden] and he looked pretty much at home at half. It’s a testament to the way they go about things. They’ve been a strong club for a number of years, and that hasn’t changed too much.”
