Sky Live Super League preview: Wakefield Trinity v Wigan Warriors
Watch live on Sky Sports Arena or Main Event from 7.30pm on Thursday.
Last Updated: 07/06/18 7:45pm
Wigan will be hoping to get their season back on track and keep the pressure on Super League leaders St Helens when they tackle Wakefield at the Mobile Rocket Stadium on Thursday night.
The high-flying Warriors enter the clash on the back of successive defeats - to Hull KR in their last Super League outing and to Warrington in last weekend's Challenge Cup quarter-finals.
They will also be without Joel Tomkins, who was fined and suspended by the club earlier this week after a video showing him being abusive to bar staff surfaced on social media.
His brother Sam was also fined £5,000 for his role in the incident, but retains his place in coach Shaun Wane's 19-man squad.
"All I would say is they have made a massive error but I have known them for 15 years and they are very, very good people, well mannered," Wane told reporters this week.
"They've made a mistake on one night and they are paying the price, big time. I've known (Joel) more than half his life. I'm very close to him, and Sam. They're very well brought up. I've never had a problem with him. He's a credit to his club and to his family - he's just had a shocker."
Ryan Sutton is also absent as he is still undergoing assessment for a knee injury picked up in the disappointing 23-0 defeat to Warrington.
Dan Sarginson returns to the mix having overcome a hamstring problem and Gabe Hamlin is also recalled.
Wane has also dismissed suggestions that his side's recent downturn in form was partly due to the recent announcement he will leave the club at the end of the season.
"We have to deal with things, players are going and I'm going but we're professional sportsmen," he said.
"We have to dust ourselves down and carry on. I know my players very well, I know what they can do and I know what they can deliver and we dipped below our standards (at Warrington).
"I know how much the Challenge Cup means to them and I know the players are hurting badly, but we were absolutely way off. I don't think it was anything to do with any announcements."
Wakefield boss Chris Chester has made only one change to the side that scored an away win over Widnes last time out with Matty Ashurst coming into the side to replace Chris Annakin.
Chester believes the enforced two-week break will benefit his side as they look to cement their place in the Super 8s play-off picture.
"Some of the players had a bit of time off at the start of last week and it will have done people like Matty Ashurst, who have been carrying knocks, a lot of good," he said.
"It probably did come at a good time. Bumps and bruises and injuries have been catching up on us and to have that week off has been good for everybody.
"It seems to have been a long season and there's still another eight rounds to go before the split (into Super-8s and Qualifiers)."
Team news
Wakefield 19-man squad: Tinirau Arona, Matty Ashurst, James Batchelor, Mason Caton-Brown, Anthony England, David Fifita, Ryan Hampshire, Keegan Hirst, Justin Horo, Tom Johnstone, Ben Jones-Bishop, Max Jowitt, Danny Kirmond, Reece Lyne, Jacob Miller, Pauli Pauli, Tyler Randell, Bill Tupou, Kyle Wood.
Wigan 19-man squad: John Bateman, Tony Clubb, Tom Davies, Morgan Escare, Liam Farrell, Ben Flower, Oliver Gildart, Gabe Hamlin, Willie Isa, Tommy Leuluai, Liam Marshall, Romain Navarette, Sean O'Loughlin, Sam Powell, Dan Sarginson, Taulima Tautai, Sam Tomkins, George Williams, Josh Woods.
Tune in to Sky Sports Arena and Main Event from 7.30pm on Thursday to catch Wakefield v Wigan in Super League from the Mobile Rocket Stadium.