Super League leaders Hull KR make the trip to Wigan Warriors on Friday night for a fixture that has been highly anticipated for some time.
The Robins currently sit four points clear at the top of the Super League table and they’ll extend that lead to six points should they beat Wigan at the Brick Community Stadium. With five more games to be played this year, the League Leaders’ Shield would be all but wrapped up in that instance, despite what head coach Willie Peters might say.
On the other hand, Wigan know they can peg the Robins back to within touching distance should they claim the home win and hand the east Hull outfit a defeat for the second time this season. The gap would stand at just two points and with Wigan holding all the momentum, fans would be backing them to kick on and get the job done.
Indeed, the fate of the League Leaders’ Shield might just hinge on the clash at Wigan and with that in mind, here’s a look at the early team news.
Wigan Warriors team news
The Warriors named Bevan French in their 21-man squad last week to take on Warrington Wolves but the half-back wasn’t deemed to be ready as he pushes to shake off a calf injury. If he makes progress over the coming days, he might just get the nod over Jack Farrimond but his involvement depends on him taking clearing that final hurdle of his recovery.
Luke Thompson finds himself in a similar situation as he bids to overcome his own calf injury, while Abbas Miski is also a doubt at this point.
Junior Nsemba will definitely miss the game, though. The forward failed a HIA on Friday night and concussion protocols mean he’ll miss the biggest game of the season so far.
Hull KR team news
Willie Peters admitted that Mikey Lewis and Jez Litten required treatment on Saturday after their win over Castleford Tigers. Lewis needed an injection in his shoulder to get through the contest, while Litten left the field late on with a slight groin issue.
Both men will be checked this week but Peters seemed confident about their availability for this week. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves appears to be the only other doubt in the KR squad at this stage, with the prop missing last weekend’s game with a shoulder issue.
Oliver Gildart remains sidelined with the knee injury he picked up against Salford Red Devils at Magic Weekend, while Lee Kershaw will also miss out due to his ACL injury. Tyrone May is the other man guaranteed to miss the game at this early stage of the week as he completes the two-game ban he was handed for questioning the integrity of a match official.
