Warrington Wolves predicted team vs Wigan Warriors

It is something many fans believe he got wrong at Magic Weekend but with the potential of some more senior options being available to him, it will be interesting to see which way he goes.

At least one change will need to be made to last week’s 17, and at least one of the four returnees from injury will have to feature, so what combinations could he be pondering?

Here’s a few thoughts on how the team could look, ending with our predicted 17 for the Round 18 clash…

How many injured players come back? And how fit are they?

Burgess hinted that he may get two players back from injury during his weekly press conference on Tuesday, intimating that Toby King and Toff Sipley were perhaps the closest.

Both are at the bottom end of the recoveries laid out for their respective ankle injuries – King was ruled out for four to six weeks a month ago while it was declared Sipley would not play for at least a fortnight after limping off against Leeds Rhinos.

Since then, however, the 21-man squad has been named and it includes Cai Taylor-Wray and Joe Philbin – the latter has been missing for the same amount of time as King but Taylor-Wray has not been seen since Round Nine.

How fit are they? There will no doubt be an element of risk to weigh up but at this stage of the season, you will struggle to find any player that is completely firing on all cylinders and free of bumps and bruises at least.

It is not the first time Burgess has dangled the carrot when it comes to Taylor-Wray, whose recovery from ankle surgery is taking far longer than expected, but is he finally ready to go?

If King at least is fit, it would make things less complicated in the outside-backs – he would presumably slot into his usual left-centre role, which would allow Albert Hopoate to go back onto the right wing and Lachlan Webster to drop back to full-back, from where Ewan Irwin would be released back into the halves.

One gets the impression that Taylor-Wray’s return would still be a bonus but by simple mathematics, at least one of him, King, Sipley and Philbin will be playing.

The more, the merrier…

Will Powell be replaced like-for-like?

The one change we know needs to be made is in place of Sam Powell, who starts a three-match suspension following his Magic Weekend yellow card.

Powell has been on Wire’s bench for the past five games and started victories over Bradford Bulls and Toulouse Olympique before that, but his absence opens up a quandary for Burgess.

He remains without the services of Jordy Crowther – a middle forward by trade but capable of stints at hooker when needed – but there is the option to replace Powell like-for-like.

That would be to bring youngster Ben Hartill, who is yet to feature in Super League this year, onto the bench in order to spell Danny Walker – something fans have long since been calling for.

During the week, Burgess said the current plan for next year was that Hartill would step up to be Walker’s permanent deputy, with this set to be Powell’s third and final season at the club.

Surely, then, the next few weeks is the time for him to prove he is up to the job?

Whether or not Hartill plays may depend on whether or not Sipley and/or Philbin are fit enough to come onto the bench and perhaps also what Burgess decides to do with his second row. Having started last week, will Kelepi Tanginoa come back onto the bench and swap with Adam Holroyd?

Will Marc Sneyd be stuck with?

The veteran scrum-half came in for criticism aplenty for his display at Magic Weekend having been brought into the halves alongside Leon Hayes, with Ewan Irwin staying at full-back.

Could Burgess go with that spine again? It seems unlikely, but that could also depend on how many of the injured quartet return.

What can be said for certain, however, is that Sneyd will have to deliver much more than he did at Hill Dickinson Stadium in order to put his team in the right kind of areas.

Despite absences elsewhere, you can be pretty certain Harry Smith will do that for Wigan so whether it is Sneyd or Hayes, Warrington need the same from their scrum-half.

Predicted Warrington Wolves team to face Wigan Warriors, Super League Round 18

Lachlan Webster; Albert Hopoate, Josh Smith, Toby King, Matty Ashton; Ewan Irwin, Leon Hayes; Liam Byrne, Danny Walker, James Harrison, Kelepi Tanginoa, James Bentley, Ben Currie. Subs: Toff Sipley, Luke Thomas, Max Wood, Adam Holroyd