Warrington and Wigan lock horns in a mouthwatering Challenge Cup quarter-final on Saturday afternoon – and to whet the appetite for it, TotalRL has picked a Combined XIII featuring the best players from both 19-man squads selected for the clash. Disagree with the picks? Feel free to let us know @LeagueExpress on Twitter!
Fullback: Stefan Ratchford (Warrington)
Easily the toughest decision of the entire team first up; Sam Tomkins has been phenomenal this season but a big part of Warrington’s success has been the consistency of Stefan Ratchford. He gets the nod here – but only just!
Wing: Josh Charnley (Warrington)
Since returning from rugby union, Josh Charnley has been fantastic. His one below-par game came against Wigan at Magic Weekend a fortnight ago – you sense he will be out to rectify that on Saturday.
Centre: Oliver Gildart (Wigan)
On his day, arguably the best centre in Super League. Gildart oozes class, and if passed fit for Saturday as expected, will be one of Wigan’s main threats.
Centre: Bryson Goodwin (Warrington)
Potentially the best pound-for-pound signing in Super League this season, Goodwin has proven to be an astute pick-up for Warrington with his tries, assists and goal-kicking ability.
Wing: Liam Marshall (Wigan)
His record against Warrington speaks volumes – and it’s safe to say the Wolves will have to keep the flying Marshall quiet on Saturday if they are to stand a chance of victory.
Stand-off: Kevin Brown (Warrington)
Into the halves – and while Wigan’s pivots have been key to their success this year, Brown has arguably outshone marquee player Tyrone Roberts in Warrington’s creative department.
Scrum-half: George Williams (Wigan)
Brown is joined by former England team-mate Williams, who has been constantly on the money for the Warriors throughout 2018 thus far.
Prop: Ryan Sutton (Wigan)
Now confirmed to be leaving Wigan for a big move to the NRL at the end of the year, Sutton is one of the mainstays of Shaun Wane’s pack these days.
Hooker: Daryl Clark (Warrington)
Tommy Leuluai is thriving at hooker for Wigan – but Clark remains one of the best number nines in Super League to this day.
Prop: Mike Cooper (Warrington)
Cooper is enjoying somewhat of a renaissance under Steve Price – and his return on Saturday will be a significant boost for the Warrington coach.
Second row: Harvey Livett (Warrington)
The form of Livett has helped plug the cap many Wolves fans feared was unrepairable – the loss of Ben Currie. That is a testament to the ability and skill of Livett.
Second row: John Bateman (Wigan)
Simply put, a class act. Will play centre on Saturday afternoon but there is no doubting that Bateman is one of England’s best back-rowers without question.
Loose-forward: Sean O’Loughlin (Wigan)
If O’Loughlin plays, Wigan’s chances of victory improve dramatically. Enough said.
