Warriors and Giants both look to end winless periods as they meet at the DW

Wigan Warriors welcome Huddersfield Giants to the DW Stadium on Sunday on the back of a five-game losing streak which has seen pressure mounting on head coach Adrian Lam.

Currently experiencing their worst run of form since 2006, the Warriors have been defeated by Catalans Dragons, Hull Kingston Rovers, Wakefield Trinity, Warrington Wolves and most recently fierce rivals St Helens in a spell which dates back to late May.

Last time out at Saints, the scoreline ended 24-6 in favour of the hosts but the damage was done in the first half for Wigan, finding themselves 18-0 down at the interval. Both Kai Pearce-Paul and Willie Isa were sin binned shortly before and after the restart respectively, leaving their side with 11 men on the pitch in a game where discipline was lacking from Lam’s side which proved costly.

As a result of their poor form, the Warriors now find themselves four points behind second-placed Saints in the league table, with the near neighbours also having a game in hand over them. If the Warriors are to get themselves back in contention this season, then they need to start winning games again and soon.

This weekend’s opponents Huddersfield however aren’t enjoying life much more – if any – at the moment and are also on a five-match losing streak despite only having played four of those. The Giants were defeated in their last four games dating back to May including a 12-50 hammering at home to league leaders Catalans Dragons in their most recent outing, but have since had to forfeit a 24-0 victory to Castleford Tigers for the game which should have taken place between the two Yorkshire sides last week.

Head coach Ian Watson and his side weren’t able to field a squad due to an outbreak of COVID within the club, but didn’t meet the threshold requirements in place to be able to postpone a Super League fixture and as such, had to give up the two points.

As it stands, Huddersfield sit 10th in the league table, just two spots above Leigh and while there is a six-point gap between the two making relegation highly unlikely, boss Watson will want a change in fortunes at the John Smith’s sooner rather than later.

Squads

It’s fair to say that Wigan have experienced something of an injury crisis in recent weeks which has led to the downfall of the team on the pitch, and sadly for the Warriors, this weekend isn’t much better in terms of player availability.

Lam’s team will remain without a number of players for the Giants clash due to either injury or suspension including Morgan Smithies, John Bateman, Willie Isa, Jai Field, Zak Hardaker, Oliver Partington, Ethan Havard and Bevan French, who is out for the season. Although Tony Clubb looks set to make his return after suspension to bolster the front row, full back is still a position clouded by uncertainty at the DW stadium.

The absences of Hardaker and French have seen Jackson Hastings shifted from the halves to the number one position, leaving an inexperienced Harry Smith as the primary playmaker in the halves.

Huddersfield’s own lack of player availability meant that they had initially named a reduced 16-man squad for Sunday’s fixture pending RFL approval on the loan signatures of both Nathan Peats and Nathan Peteru from bottom club Leigh Centurions.

Those signatures were granted approval and as such, the pair will be with Watson’s Giants until at least the end of the season. Jack Ashworth has gone the other way under the same terms as part of the agreement. That said, Huddersfield are still struggling for bodies and have had to draft in under 18’s player Robson Stevens to this weekend’s squad.

One of those missing for the Giants not just at the DW stadium but for the foreseeable will be Kenny Edwards after the forward received a 10-match ban for putting his finger up the bottom of an opponent (Sam Kasiano) during the meeting with French side Catalans.

Such has been the case at so many Super League clashes this campaign so far, Sunday really could come down to the ‘survival of the fittest’.

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