For the first time this season, the 19-man squad remains unchanged from the previous game. It is expected that Sitaleki Akauola will return to the starting 17, while Steve Price has hinted in the Warrington Guardian this week that Luther Burrell may drop out of the 17 after his debut last time out against London Broncos. Stefan Ratchford, Kevin Brown, Ben Murdoch-Masila and Ryan Atkins remain unavailable through injury, and there is no place in the squad for Ben Westwood or Jack Johnson.
Full Back - 22 Jake Mamo
Has been in good tryscoring form of late, with three tries in six games at full back, and has had a very positive impact on the team's attack. His defence is questionable though and I have no doubt that Tui Lolohea and Jackson Hastings will target him with the high ball that he has looked so shaky under lately.
Winger - 2 Tom Lineham
A sound display in London last weekend from Lineham who bagged the game's first try. No doubt that he keeps his place here as he looks to have his first real consistent run of games in 2019.
Centre - 3 Bryson Goodwin
Last time out against Salford, Goodwin was deployed on the wing and had an awful game despite scoring a try. There will be no repeat of that on Friday, he is back in the centres and in really good form as his final Wire days play out.
Centre - 18 Toby King
King is a fairly permanent fixture in this team these days and is a very consistent performer. Getting himself right among the tries too.
Winger - 5 Josh Charnley
It was announced this week that Charnley has agreed a new deal at the Wire until the end of 2022, which is good news for everyone. The flying winger will be looking to celebrate his news with a try on Friday night.
Stand Off - 6 Blake Austin
Friday night will see the battle of Super League's two outstanding halfbacks in 2019 when Blake Austin and Jackson Hastings take to the field. Austin has been a little quiet of late but it won't be long until he is back in business.
Scrum Half - 15 Declan Patton
One of Patton's best performances of the season was on Saturday afternoon against London, which was worlds away from his display in April's defeat to Salford. We're approaching the business end of the year now so it is crucial that our halves finally start to consistently click.
Prop - 16 Lama Tasi
Tasi put in easily his best Warrington performance against London last time out, and I expect him to keep his place against his former team. It is unlikely he will stay in the team when Chris Hill returns from suspension, but let's hope he can continue to do a good job in his place this week.
Hooker - 9 Daryl Clark
Clark has been Super League's best player in 2019 for me and has been in fine form the last three games. With Danny Walker's gametime growing, Clark is going to be afforded more of a rest as we approach the playoffs.
Prop - 10 Mike Cooper
Another top-class display from Cooper in the capital city last Saturday which featured a lovely try. There is a possibility that he will be rested soon as he has played every game since London in Round Nine, but I expect us to wait for Chris Hill to return before Cooper is given a game off.
Second Row - 11 Ben Currie
Currie picked up three Man of Steel points on Saturday for an excellent display in the win over London. A fit and in-form Ben Currie is a huge advantage as the back end of the year approaches.
Second Row - 12 Jack Hughes
Hughes was also in great form last time out with one of his best runs of the year. This is a player who hasn't had much rest in 2019 and could be given a game off soon, but I don't see it being this one after such a good game last week.
Loose Forward - 19 Sitaleki Akauola
Steve Price confirmed that Akauola will return to the fold after being rested last weekend, and I expect him to start at 13, like he did in the St Helens game.
Interchange - 14 Jason Clark
Had a decent impact from the bench against London, and will look to continue this positivity this week.
Interchange - 17 Joe Philbin
Has a chance of starting at loose forward, but I expect Akauola to get the nod. It appears that Philbin is being utilised from the bench again after a run of starts earlier in the year.
Interchange - 23 Matt Davis
A very tidy performance at loose forward from Davis against London. I think Akauola is likely to take that spot this time, but Davis will still be useful in the 17.
Interchange - 21 Danny Walker
Walker was really unlucky not to have been given his first Wire try last time out, and is definitely becoming a player we are more confident in using from the bench.
We turned in our worst performance under Steve Price against Salford on Good Friday as Ian Watson's team ran out 38-12 winners. That was an embarrassing display full of errors, poor discipline and shocking decision making. Salford ran us ragged that day and were tremendous in attack. They are a team that boast one of the best players in the league in Jackson Hastings, who has recently signed for Wigan for 2020. Hastings has been one of my favourite players to watch in the last few years, and is right up there with Ben Barba and Rangi Chase as one of my favourite non-Wire players over the years. Hastings has everything in his locker and can run a game on his own. He is not the only danger man though, with hooker Joey Lussick also a top player, while second rower Josh Jones is also a threat. The hard-working Gil Dudson will look to help his pack win the forward battle, while at full back, Niall Evalds is a rapid speedster who needs due attention. Since signing from Leeds, Tui Lolohea has shown flashes of good play, and we need to ensure that this isn't the game he really gets his Salford career going. On the wings, Ken Sio and Jake Bibby are both very quick and free-scoring and are also players to watch out for. Salford are an enthusiastic team with good attacking shape and can be devastating when they get in the groove, as we found out at Easter.
These last eight games are all about putting in promising performances ahead of the big stuff in September and October. A top five place is all but secure, and we are only a few wins away from ticking 2nd place off. Now we need to see Wire play some good stuff and put on a show. These games might feel meaningless for us in terms of results, but they aren't entirely, as momentum can be built and players can click in this time. There is also the small matter of the Challenge Cup semi-final which is just over two weeks away, another big event to build towards. And while it might not be hugely important for us, it is a massive game for Salford who are looking to bounce back after two straight defeats and get their hopes of a top five spot back on track.
Finally, this is state of mind round in Super League, and it is great to see so much coverage of men's mental health in the sport this week. If you haven't already, make sure to check out the videos on YouTube of Brad Dwyer, Blake Austin and Jackson Hastings speaking about mental health. Powerful stuff.
It's always our year.
Daniel (@aloosewire)
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