Wigan Warriors v Warrington Wolves - Super League preview
Wigan Warriors have an opportunity this evening to open up a gap of six points on second-placed Warrington Wolves, as the two teams clash at the DW Stadium.
The Warriors, who have won their last three games, have only made one change to the 19-man squad that demolished Salford 60-10 last time out. Karl Pryce comes in to replace full-back Cameron Phelps, who is sidelined with a knee injury, while forward Andy Coley remains unavailable as he completes a two-match ban.
Wigan have failed to finish top of the Super League in the last 10 years, but in-form skipper Sean O’Loughlin believes this could be their year.
"I think for us it is more about continuing our form and finishing top would mean we have continued our form going into the play-offs,” O’Loughlin told the club’s official website.
"Every year you have that belief but I think this year, because we have backed it up with performances, we have built some confidence. As we have continued winning, confidence has grown.
"There is still a lot of football to be played in the regular season as well as the play-offs so we don't want to be looking too far ahead."
The Wolves also go into tonight’s game full of confidence, following a superb run which has seen them win seven of their last eight games and scoring at least 30 points for five games in a row.
Warrington coach Tony Smith has recalled stand-off Lee Briers and prop Paul Wood after injuries, and is hopeful they can turn around the scoreline from when the two teams last met, when the Warriors won 22-20.
“If it's anything like the last time we played them, it was a cracker jack of a game and it's in the top four or five games that I've seen this season as a spectacle,” Smith told the club’s official website.
"They [Wigan] have changed the style they play and they've done a good job in that.
"It's suited their players and the players have obviously taken to a lot of things the management has brought in.
"They have been more consistent in probably most areas of the game than most teams this year. They haven't slipped up too often and we're going to have to step up.”
In tonight’s other game the Leeds Rhinos will be looking to bounce back from last week’s defeat against Hull KR, against the Huddersfield Giants, who are two points and one place, behind them in the table.
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