WIGAN coach Shaun Wane is ignoring all of the Giants’ injury woes and still expects his opening Super League XVII opponents to be a major threat.
While the Warriors will be at full-strength for Sunday’s DW Stadium clash (3.00), Huddersfield have eight players ruled out by injury and suspension.
Back-row forward Dale Ferguson became the latest casualty after damaging a knee in training and joins captain Kevin Brown (ankle) and forwards David Fa’alogo (back), David Faiumu (shoulder), Luke O’Donnell (knee), Keith Mason (groin) and Larne Patrick (wrist) on the sidelines, while new prop signing Tony Tonks is banned.
But Warriors chief Wane, who takes charge for the first time following the departure back to Australia of Michael Maguire, is reading absolutely nothing into the events at the Galpharm.
And he has prepared his players as if the Giants have all of their big guns at their disposal.
“Whichever Huddersfield side takes to the field we know they’ll be a threat,” said Wane.
“And we’ve certainly not taken any notice of how many players they’ll have missing, because I know for a fact if I had that many players missing I’d still make sure I turned out a team ready to have a dig.
“That’s what we’d do, and that’s exactly what Huddersfield will do.
“I’ve got total respect for the way Nathan Brown gets his side to play, and I know any side coached by him will work well together and be competitive.
“He’ll have them playing skilful and fast, and defending tough, regardless of who he sends out there.
“That’s why we’ve trained as if they’re at full-strength, because our lads know that if they don’t perform they could come up with a loss.
“Although Huddersfield have players missing, they’ll still have some great players out there on Sunday and we’re under no illusions that we need to be at our best.”
