Sky Live: Wigan Warriors vs Leeds Rhinos talking points and team news

Wigan and Leeds face off on Wednesday as the race for the Super League play-offs hots up

We look at what is being said and team news as play-off hopefuls Wigan Warriors and Leeds Rhinos face off in Super League on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports...

Adaptability serves Rhinos well

All being well, Richard Agar may have what has been a relatively rare luxury of being able to name the same half-back pairing for the second game running when Leeds travel Wigan on Wednesday.

Callum McLelland and Rob Lui linked up to help the Rhinos to an 18-12 victory at home to Huddersfield Giants at the start of Rivals Round last week, although injuries and unavailability this year have seen the likes of Liam Sutcliffe, Kruise Leeming and Rhyse Martin have had to turn their hands to those roles at times too.

It is just one sign of how Rhinos players have had to adapt to different roles at times during the 2021 campaign as the team chase a place in the play-offs and while there have been frustrations for head coach Agar, he believes there are still positives to come out of it.

"We've just got to a point, as most clubs have, where adaptation is the key," Agar, whose side sit just outside the top six on win percentage said. "We can't change too much.

"I suppose the frustration you feel as a coach is you like to get to a point where you can start adding things on and evolving as a team, but we've had to keep it very close to what we think are our fundamentals as a team offensively.

"That varies week to week whether we've got the ability to kick the ball through one, two or three players, what our rotation looks like at No. 9, so we just have to adapt and not make it such a big deal for the players.

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Highlights as Leeds Rhinos kicked off Super League's Rivals Round with a win over Huddersfield Giants

"Adaptation is the key and having to play people out of position at times and just be flexible with it. The silver lining out of the season will be the experience the young guys have had, and hopefully when Covid goes away that will reap dividends in the next season or two."

Lam: We'll get it right

The last time Leeds were victorious at the DW Stadium was eight years ago when current Wigan duo Zak Hardaker and Brad Singleton were both playing for the Rhinos, so they will want to ensure their former club's run of losses at Wigan is extended.

More pertinently though, the Warriors are aiming to rebound from a chastening 26-2 derby defeat at home to St Helens last Friday in a match which saw them fail to score a try for the first time since they moved to the DW Stadium in 1999.

Adrian Lam's men remained fourth in the standings even with the loss, but with Hull Kingston Rovers, Hull FC and Wednesday's opponents Leeds hot on their heels the Wigan head coach knows they cannot afford anymore slips.

"We attacked poorly and didn't manage the process," Lam said. "Every little thing we tried, we were frustrated, it was nothing like how we trained.

"I've got belief in them. I know it was a real disappointment, but I have confidence in the group that we'll rally and get it right over the next couple of weeks."

Despite Wigan playing more matches in Super League than any other side so far this season, only Huddersfield Giants, Salford Red Devils and Leigh Centurions have scored fewer points than last year's Grand Final runners-up, while ill-discipline also reared its head again in the defeat to Saints.

"I've had a few players suspended over the season, which has been unfortunate for us considering the injuries we've had on top," Lam said. "It's an area we're working hard on."

Team news

Wigan are set to be without Willie Isa and John Bateman after the pair were banned for four and one matches respectively in the wake of the derby defeat to St Helens. However, Brad Singleton is available again and Sam Powell may be added to the squad after a medical assessment.

Rhyse Martin, Matt Prior, Cameron Smith and Jack Broadbent are all back in contention for Leeds, with Ash Handley facing a further assessment on an injury picked up against Huddersfield last week after being named in the initial 21-man squad.

Named squads

Wigan Warriors: Zak Hardaker, Oliver Gildart, Liam Marshall, Jai Field, Brad Singleton, Joe Bullock, Oliver Partington, Morgan Smithies, Liam Byrne, Harry Smith, Ethan Havard, Jake Bibby, Mitch Clark, Joe Shorrocks, Kai Pearce-Paul, Jackson Hastings, Amir Bourouh.

Leeds Rhinos: Tom Briscoe, Harry Newman, Ash Handley, Rob Lui, Kruise Leeming, Matt Prior, Rhyse Martin, Zane Tetevano, Brad Dwyer, Richie Myler, Cameron Smith, Tom Holroyd, King Vuniyayawa, Bodene Thompson, Sam Walters, Callum McLelland, Luke Briscoe, James Donaldson, Jarrod O'Connor, Jack Broadbent, Morgan Gannon.