Wigan v Leigh teams: Warriors dealt huge blow as in-form man ruled out
Wigan Warriors head coach Matt Peet
Wigan Warriors will be without in-form centre Adam Keighran for Friday night’s huge local derby at Leigh Leopards.
Keighran has been one of the Warriors’ real standouts in 2026, providing plenty of points and a string of impressive displays.
However, an injury has seemingly kept the Australian out of their line-up for the latest Battle of the Borough. Noah Hodkinson comes into Wigan’s 17 – with Zach Eckersley moving in from the wing to deputise at centre in place of Keighran.
It is a blow for Matt Peet, who has had to reshuffle his backline as a result.
However, Liam Marshall is available – despite Adrian Lam saying in his pre-match press conference on Thursday that he had heard from inside the Warriors’ camp that the star winger could be missing.
There are changes to Wigan’s 13 elsewhere, with Sam Walters coming in to start in the back row alongside Oliver Partington, and Kaide Ellis moving to 13 as a result.
Youngster Taylor Kerr makes up a youthful-looking bench which also has George O’Loughlin on it, as he comes into the 17 to replace Keighran, with Hodkinson stepping up from the bench. Sam Eseh remains 18th man.
Wigan: Field, Hodkinson, Eckersley, Wardle, Marshall, French, Smith, Havard, O’Neill, Thompson, Walters, Partington, Ellis. Subs: Mago, Kerr, O’Loughlin, O’Connor.
Meanwhile, Leigh have to move David Armstrong to the wing as Lam faces his own backline reshuffle – with Josh Charnley missing out for the Leopards.
That means Gareth O’Brien goes back in at fullback, with Andy Badrock coming into the centres. Jack Hughes played there last week, but he moves to back row to cover for the loss of Frankie Halton.
There is a major boost for Leigh on the bench; two, in fact. Robbie Mulhern is back fit and available, while Jacob Alick-Wiencke is also fit enough to be among the interchanges.
Leigh: O’Brien, Senior, Badrock, Hanley, Armstrong, Cook, Lam, Ofahengaue, Horne, Liu, Trout, Hughes, Brogan. Interchange: Mulhern, Vaalepu, Alick-Wiencke, Davis.
