Wigan coach Frank Endacott writes for the BEN

I READ with interest the comments of St Helens coach Ian Millward, concerning the injury to his big forward Peter Shiels.

Shiels was the victim of a punch from Leeds player Barrie McDermott in the recent cup semi-final.

Millward has been saying that Shiels will miss our game with them on Good Friday at the JJB Stadium, but I can honestly say I am treating everything he says on this issue with caution.

I would not be surprised if this is a ploy on behalf of the coach to make us focus our attention and do our homework on another player who would replace Shiels in the side, only for him to miraculously recover in time for the game.

Millward would not be the first coach in history to do this, and it will not make any difference to the way we approach the game. Peter Shiels is a very dangerous player, but only one player of a very dangerous squad.

Saints are going very well at the moment, and are buoyed by their recent World Club Championship win. It has got to the stage where they are the favourites in every game they play, and it is not often Wigan go into games as the underdog.

The game against Saints comes smack bang in the middle of a very tough two weeks for us, where we play four games in 14 days, starting with Halifax away tomorrow.

Halifax will be a tough assignment for us. They have just appointed Steve Linnane as their new coach for the next two years and they will be all out to impress him on Friday.

Our squad for the game is: Radlinski, Dallas, Renouf, Johnson, Hodgson, Johns, Lam, O'Connor, Newton, Stephenson, Betts, Cassidy, Furner, Farrell, Davies, Haughton, Howard, Smith.