Kangaroos to confirm schedule - will they face Wigan Warriors?

[josie andrews]

Fans may discover within the next month whether Wigan will face Australia later this year.

The Kangaroos are playing an Ashes series against England in October and November.

And the NRL says officials are expected to finalise matches outside the three-Test series while in the UK for the February 22 World Club Challenge between Sydney Roosters and St Helens.

Toronto have declared their ambition to host the tourists before the series begin while Wigan, Leeds and St Helens have also confirmed their interest in taking on the Green and Gold either before or during the series, which begins at Bolton on October 31 and climaxes with a match at Tottenham Hotspur's new ground on November 14.

Wigan last faced the World Champions in 1994 but the tradition was ditched with the introduction of Super League.

"Wigan would love to play the Kangaroos," the club's executive director Kris Radlinski told the NRL website last year. "One of the highlights of my youth was watching Wigan play the 'Invincibles' in 1982 and 1986."

s are also expected to play a Test against France after the Ashes series, while a match against the England Knights has also been mooted.

The NRL reports officials want to confirm the financial viability of matches before finalising an itinerary.

A Wigan-Australia match would generate a lot of interest, and revenue, but it would mean prolonging their season until at least the end of October, when the players are usually on their off-season break.

It would also throw up the strange prospect of Adrian Lam coaching against Australia, even though he is Meninga's assistant with the Kangaroos.

https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/kangar ... 1-10216820

[morley pie eater]

What about a combined Wigan-Saints team to play the Aussies?

There'll be limited slots available, and it might beat a Leeds bid.

[ancientnloyal]

Or “Lancashire”

[morley pie eater]

Not sure that Lancashire would attract as good a crowd as Wigan-Saints. Plus Yorkshire would belly ache about it.

1 Hardaker
2 Makinson
3 Gildart
4 Percival
5 Marshall
6 Lomax
7 Hastings
8 Burgess
9 Roby
10 Walmsley
11 Taia
12 Farrell
13 Smithies

14 Thompson
15 Partington
16 Fages
17 French
18 Powell
19 LMS (just to see him smashed)
etc etc

Could allow a 10 man bench and extra interchanges.