Wigan have chosen to rest a number of their senior players for Thursday night’s Super League meeting with Hull KR at Craven Park, nine days before the two clubs meet in the Challenge Cup final.
Hull KR have named a full 21-man squad for the first game of the double header, while Wigan head coach Matt Peet has made extensive changes to his matchday group. Only a handful of regular first-team players feature; Zach Eckersley, Junior Nsemba, Patrick Mago and Jack Farrimond are among those set for game time. The remainder of Wigan’s selection is made up largely of youngsters, with Peet able to include up to 10 potential debutants.
The club has not published detailed reasoning beyond squad rotation ahead of Wembley; the Super League has been contacted for comment.
The decision drew comparisons with last season’s Salford incident, when the Red Devils were deducted two Super League points after fielding a largely academy side in a Round One fixture at St Helens and losing 82-0. Supporters responded on social media to Wigan’s team announcement with frustration and concern about the competitiveness of the fixture. Typical reactions included: “I am a Wigan fan, but that is disgraceful, no matter about Wembley. But will still be cheering them on. Good luck to the lads playing.” Others said: “Ridiculous, just got back on track and this is a mistake,” and “Expecting a points deduction for this, bringing the game into disrepute and all that like Salford did last year…” Some fans questioned whether the trip would be worth it.
Team news
Hull KR: Tom Davies, Peta Hiku, Oliver Gildart, Mikey Lewis, Tyrone May, Sauaso Sue, Jez Litten, Tom Amone, Dean Hadley, Elliot Minchella, Jack Broadbent, Sam Luckley, Jai Whitbread, Rhyse Martin, Jack Brown, Karl Lawton, Jordan Dezaria, Noah Booth, Bill Leyland, Harvey Horne, Ryan Hampshire.
Wigan Warriors: Zach Eckersley, Junior Nsemba, Patrick Mago, Jack Farrimond, Sam Eseh, Tom Forber, Kian McDermott, Taylor Kerr, Nathan Lowe, Lukas Mason, Noah Hodkinson, George O’Loughlin, Finlay Yeomans, Finn McMillan, George Marsden, Josh Cartwright, Austin Daniel, Charlie Yeomans, Lewis Daniels, Shea O’Connor, Kalum Rathbone.
2026 Super League — key dates and what to look out for
– Super League in Paris: Sat Jun 6 — Catalans Dragons vs Wigan Warriors (Paris), 6:30pm UK time
– Magic Weekend: July 4–5
– Rivals Round (reversed): July 23–26
– Elimination play-offs: September 19–20
– Play-off semi-finals: September 26–27
– Grand Final: October 3 at Old Trafford
Broadcast note: Sky Sports will show every game of the Super League this season, including exclusive live coverage of multiple matches each round and additional fixtures on Sky Sports+.