CRAIG Smith is battling to be fit for Wigan Warriors' capital showdown on Saturday night writes David Magilton
The Kiwi prop is struggling to overcome an ankle injury and his absence would be a major setback to coach Stuart Raper's plans of putting their opening day Super League defeat to Bradford Bulls behind them against London Broncos.
The Warriors missed the driving force of the big Kiwi in the defeat by the Bulls but Raper is not too confident of Smith's availability.
"It will be touch and go on him," he confessed. "I hope he will be all right but I am not holding my breath. Ankle injuries are always a complex thing and we must see how it progresses. It is coming on very slowly.
"It is hard to lose any player but that is why you build a strong squad and not base it on individuals.
"He played 30 minutes in France and I was keeping him on to play some footy as he did not play as much as I would have liked against Hull. To be honest I was just about to bring him off when he went over on his ankle."
The possible loss of Smith in addition to Danny Sculthorpe and the suspended Simon Haughton puts extra pressure on fellow props Terry O'Connor, Harvey Howard and young Ricky Bibey.
"Harvey and Terry are experienced and although Ricky Bibey isn't as experienced, he isn't a boy and gets better every game. He might be young but we have to see how he goes and throw him in."
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