What I believe is our strongest 17 compared to how I actually think Wane will line up is slightly different.

I would go

1.Escare
2. Davies
3. Sarg
4. Oli
5. Budgy
6. Sam
7. Williams
8. FPN
9. Tommy
10. Benny
11. Faz
12. Bateman
13. Lockers

14. Powell
15. Clubby
16. t
17. Joel

I actually thing WANE will have them line up as follows

1.Sam
2. Davies
3. Sarg
4. Oli
5. Budgy
6. Williams
7. Tommy
8. FPN
9. Powell
10. Benny
11. Faz
12. Bateman
13. Lockers

14. Escare
15. Clubby
16. t
17. Joel

Flower better than Clubb, Tautai or Sutton? Don't think so, time that lad got shipped out

Every time I think of a best 17, I get to the starting props and bench props and get stuck. I have pretty much no faith in any of them.

To have not signed an out and out prop (counting Hamlin as more of a loose forward) this off season on the back of the performances from the lot of them last year is pretty staggering.

IMO FPN is by far our best prop and last season he was playing how Wane wanted him play, it wasn't good and any impact he had the previous season gone. Even though I like Clubb, Sutton & Tautai they would struggle to get in to a top SL starting side, as you said when it comes to our props we have issues. If I was a prop at Wigan and Wane continued to pick his mate i'd leave like Crosby

As has been said, the way we played last season was the reason for our props and therefore the team's downturn in form.
Play to our strengths and I think we have a front row to match anyone's.
If we don't change and improve then 2018 could be another troubled season.
Get it right and anything is possible as basically we have a very good squad.

I'd go:

FB Escare
RW Davies
RC Sarginson (assuming Gelling is gone)
LC Gildart
LW Burgess
SO Williams
SH S.Tomkins
P Nu'uasala
H Leuluai
P Flower
SR Bateman
SR Farrell
LF O'Loughlin

S Clubb
S McIlorum
S Tautai
S J.Tomkins

Nu'uasala is so frustrating, one very good game then three full of surrender tackles. Very nearly had Sutton or Isa in there instead.

agree 100%

I think (if we are to lose Gells and Micky) we’ll see Sam move to 6 and Escare to 1. This is logical.

We need a kicker, Escare is a kicker.
We need creatively and spark in the halves, Sam has creativity and spark.

Only issue with this is defence. Sam is a far better organiser thab Escare.

If TL is at 7 then we can kiss this season goodbye.

Escare
Davies
Sarginson
Gildart
Burgess - think he’ll have a better year looking injured throughout last year
Williams - hopefully pre contract extension form
Tomkins
FPN - hopefully end of 2016 form
Tommy
Flower
Farrell
Bateman
O’Loughlin

Tautai - hopefully pre contract extension form
McIlorum
Clubb
ISA

JTomkins
Powell
Hamlin
Marshall
Sutton
Etc

That squad should be good enough to compete on all fronts, minus McIlorum, but add Ganson, Bretherton, Wells etc.

If we are looking at squad depth then we really do have a lot of depth.

Add to the above and the depth of the squad is huge. All with the exception of Partington have played 1st team in the past 12 months.

Macaully Davies
Liam Forsyth
James Worthington
Jack Higginson
Joe Bretherton
Jake Shorrocks
Josh Woods
Josh Ganson
Callum Field
Oli PARTINGTON