KEY BATTLE – Tom Davies vs Joshua Charnley
On Saturday, the tries will either be scored through the forward pack or the wingers. If it comes down to the wingers, both Charnley and Davies have the ability to score in all types of situations.
Davies is a dangerous, deadly player on and off the ball. He has made almost 4,000 run metres this season, more than any other Wigan player, but his defence should be not doubted. When any team attacks, Gildart is always present close to the line preventing any potential points going against his side. Davies’ game is also very clean as the winger has only conceded two penalties all season. He has an average gain of almost 9 metres, 5th out of the whole Wigan team, meaning he is persistent at reaching the line anywhere on the field.ย Davies is also fantastic from the play-the-ball with 72 runs from dummy half and he has 27 clean breaks to go along with this. Warrington also need to be careful of his try-scoring prowess with 12 tries and 1 assist.
Former Warrior Charnley is just as deadly on the ball as Davies. After joining the Wolves in late March, Charnley has made his impact known in Super League and he has proven he means business with 24 tries in 27 appearances. He is currently Warrington’s joint second-highest try scorer this season behind Tom Lineham (16) and Stefan Ratchford (15). Charnley has made over 2,700 metres for his new club and is incredibly difficult to stop with an average metre gain of just over 9 metres. Charnley’s speed and strength can tear defensive lines to shreds and he can easily outpace the majority of players standing in his way.
There are a large number of quick speedy players which could potentially make an impact in this weekend’s game. Dom Manfredi, Morgan Escare, Oliver Gildart and George Williams provide an extra level of speed when necessary. Warrington has the likes the Tom Lineham, Bryson Goodwin, Joshua Charnley and Stefan Ratchford to inject some pace into their side. Both sides will be looking to target these fast players on Saturday meaning that line speeds will have to be on their A-game.
KEY BATTLE – John Bateman vs Jack Hughes
John Bateman and Jack Hughes will both play crucial roles in their respective side’s performance on Saturday. Bateman, who is bound for the Canberra Raiders in the NRL, has had one of his best seasons to date. This has been acknowledged by a Man of Steel nomination. Warrington’s Second-Rower Jack Hughes, although not recognised this year in terms of awards, has only missed one game in the past 91, showing that he has proved his worth in the Warrington camp.
Bateman has had an incredible season. He has played a pivotal role in Wigan’s success this season and their fans will be hoping that he can play a career best game for them this weekend. He is clearly a favourite amongst his teammates and he has carried the ball in the most amount of times for his side (442). Doing so, he has racked up over 3,000 metres this season, an average of 7.13 metres gained.ย Bateman has passion and keeps his legs pumping until, or even after, the held call. If you tackle him down low, he will offload the ball to keep it alive and has done so 64 times this year. Bateman is also a danger when defending with the ability to wrap up players and prevent the offload. He is the 4th highest tackler for Wigan this year with 618.
Warrington’s number 12 Jack Hughes will need to have a stellar performance in order for the Wolves to finally lift a trophy at the Theatre of Dreams. Hughes is more of a defensive player compared to Bateman but can still make impressive runs that can tear any defence apart. Jack has ran almost 2,400 metres for the Wire and with his average gain just a tick under 7 metres. It’s noticeable that Hughes tries to run at defenders as hard as possible before quickly playing the ball and leaving these same defenders behind. While he has made 100 less carries than Bateman in 2018. Hughes has better defensive stats than Bateman with 884 tackles this season, making him solely responsible for denying other teams of match-winning tries.
