A combination of 13 Wigan Warriors, St Helens stars: French, Smith, Bell…

Ahead of Friday night’s derby between the pair at The Brick Community Stadium, we pick one combined the Dream 13 of Wigan Warriors and St Helens stars.

Only players currently available for selection were considered and chosen, meaning players such as Wigan’s Jai Field (injured) and Saints’ Moses Mbye (suspended) were never in the competition.

So, without further ado, our combined 13…

1. Jack Welsby (St Helens)

We kick things off with Welsby, who has had little competition with Wigan’s Field injured but is still fully deserving of his No.1 spot. The Saints defender is a truly outstanding talent and it’s hard to believe he’s still only 23.

A Super League without him is not something we want to be a part of! 11 Super League tries so far this season and 14 assists, he is electric up front and plays a big part in why the Red V’s defense is also strong.

READ THE FOLLOWING: 7 players who played for both St Helens and Wigan Warriors in the derby

2. Abbas Miski (Wigan Warriors)

Our first inclusion from the Warriors camp is Miski, who hasn’t gotten as much acclaim this season as he did last. There’s context to put around that, you feel, with several drops down Wigan’s opposite flank and changes at center feeding the Lebanon international throughout the campaign. In our opinion, however, he remains one of the best inside players you’ll see in Super League.

Constantly posing a threat, the last thing any defender wants to see is him running at them at full speed. When the Lebanon international does go to the line, it’s a rarity that he’s stopped, and nine Super League tries so far this year isn’t exactly a bad return.

3. Mark Percival (St Helens)

Percival, 30, has been there, done it all and took the shirts to prove it. He continues to deliver big performances regularly for Saints and when he has missed games this season, it shows.

As well as all the accolades and accolades the center has received, he scored a brace of tries twice against Wigan and is the man we want at No 4. He would take conversions for us too.

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4. Jake Wardle (Wigan Warriors)

This choice was a no brainer. Wardle, in our opinion, is the best center in Super League. He won the Harry Sunderland Trophy with a man of the match appearance in last year’s Grand Final triumph and only continued to excel in 2024.

The Cherry & Whites’ No.4 has 11 assists in Super League so far this term, but has been involved in many more tries than that. His ability to influence in attack is simply unmatched in the competition.

5. Liam Marshall (Wigan Warriors)

Marshall would go in almost any 13 we put together and he certainly does in this one – he just keeps getting better. The end of his try against Leigh Leopards last week was awfully good, but the fact that he scored the way he did was no surprise.

The 28-year-old is on course to end the season as Super League’s top try-scorer at a canter – currently five clear of any of his rivals, with 17 to his name in the space of 14 appearances. His ability to score tries in big games at important moments is largely unmatched in Super League.

READ THE FOLLOWING: Liam Marshall’s outrageous finish is the try of the season – Wigan Warriors’ star winger deserves more credit

6. Bevan French (Wigan Warriors)

In the stand-off – even if he has played defender in recent weeks – is the French star overseas. He is probably the most exciting player we have in Super League at the moment. The Australian exudes class and makes everything he does look effortless, producing too many memorable moments to count on two hands during his time in the British game.

He has scored 11 tries in Super League so far this season, including one in the Warriors’ Good Friday defeat at Saints, and has also registered 10 assists for good measure. Those stats and moments of offense are the focus, but he helps stop a lot of attempts at the other end as well. A player we had to have in this team.

7. Harry Smith (Wigan Warriors)

At the start of the season, you could have argued that having a Wigan double in our halves was a mistake, but at this point, we think the duo are picking themselves. Smith plays second fiddle to the Frenchman, but the link between the pair is often what earns Wigan a large proportion of the points they score.

The Warriors academy product has now established himself on the international stage and, at 24, is reaching the levels he was inclined to when coming through the junior ranks at Robin Park as a teenager.

READ THE FOLLOWING: Super League Casualty Ward – How your club is doing in terms of injuries, with regular updates from the 12 treatment rooms

8. Matty Lees (St Helens)

England international Lees is a consistent performer, delivering when it counts most regularly for Saints. He tops our powerful front row after making 30-plus eye-catching tackles in eight of his last 10 Super League appearances.

Because he’s been around for so long, and has been one of the first names on the Saints team sheet for so long, it’s easy to forget that Lees is still only 26 years old. He has just entered his prime after already achieving so much in the game with Red. V – one of the most underrated players in Super League, for us.

9. Daryl Clark (St Helens)

It remains to be seen who will play at 9 o’clock on Friday night for Wigan with Brad O’Neill suspended, but even if he had been available we’d probably be beaten for Saints prostitute Clark. There was a huge expectation on his shoulders when he joined the Red V in the offseason, ultimately brought in to try and fill James Roby’s shoes.

No one was going to fully fill that void, but Clark has done exceptionally well so far. He has been instrumental for the Saints this year and remains a threat every time he has the ball in his hands.

READ THE FOLLOWING: My Ultimate Team – Matty Smith names his best 13, including St Helens and Wigan Warriors stars

10. Luke Thompson (Wigan Warriors)

The only man in this squad who has played for both clubs is Thompson, who has put in some huge performances for Wigan since they lured him back from the NRL in the off-season. Before heading Down Under, Thompson won two Super League titles with the Saints and it would be no surprise to see him take his tally to three with the Warriors this year.

He’s had the impact we all expected since his return, playing a ridiculous amount of minutes for someone in his position on a regular basis. An approach machine and an absolute Behemoth that anyone can try to stop when in charge with any kind of momentum behind it.

11. James Bell (St Helens)

With the injury crisis facing the Saints, they had Bell play at 13. We put him back in the second row for the purposes of creating this team.

The Australian-born Scotland international has been one of the most consistent performers for Paul Wellens’ side so far this season, one who simply gets on with what he has to do without any fuss. Whatever you want from him as a coach, he delivers.

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12. Liam Farrell (Wigan Warriors – captain)

There was no way we would ever not include Farrell, who captained Wigan and would also captain our combined team. As a leader we are really struggling to think of anyone better, certainly in the Super League at least. The 34-year-old’s ability to rally a team when the going gets tough, lead from the front and set the standard is truly remarkable.

That grit and determination to keep a team out would honestly have been enough to earn him a spot in this 13, but he’s quite adept at picking the right pass near the line at the other end. A giant of a man among men, as was amply shown recently in Wigan’s Challenge Cup final triumph under Wembley Arch.

13. Kaide Ellis (Wigan Warriors)

We round off this 13 with Ellis, who – in our opinion – has been one of the most underrated stars in the Cherry & Whites ranks this season, a truly consistent performer for Matt Peet’s men.

Ahead of the Challenge Cup final last month, the Aussie admitted he felt the weight of the pressure that came with wearing Wigan’s number 13 shirt, but he’s far from showing it! Ellis has made his own jersey and would be a welcome addition to any team – including the combined.

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