Resting players vs consistency in combinations

[The Indian]

I'm no coach but I'd be resting a few - at least I'd be telling them to be extra careful about not getting some rubbish careless high shot or make believe crusher charge and missing a couple of finals.

They've had all year to work on combinations and for the first time in ages we have the possibility of going into the semi's pretty fit ( touch wood ) - let's take that health for starters. You don't get it most years.

At the very least I'd have Suli, Sironen, De Luis, Lawton and Walker etc playing much bigger minutes IN CASE we need them to play big minutes in a final.

 

[The Indian]

I'm no coach but I'd be resting a few - at least I'd be telling them to be extra careful about not getting some rubbish careless high shot or make believe crusher charge and missing a couple of finals.

They've had all year to work on combinations and for the first time in ages we have the possibility of going into the semi's pretty fit ( touch wood ) - let's take that health for starters. You don't get it most years.

At the very least I'd have Suli, Sironen, De Luis, Lawton and Walker etc playing much bigger minutes IN CASE we need them to play big minutes in a final.

On the basis that Roosters and Eels lose that is.

 

[pjayz]

On the basis that Roosters and Eels lose that is.

Eels will get about 50 put on them this weekend with eight players rested against a full-strength Panthers outfit.

The Roosters v Canberra game will be very close. I have a sneaky feeling Roosters will still get over the top of the Raiders even though the Green Machine should get them based on player availability.

 

[Dion Johnson]

Lots of talk of resting players which is definitely a reasonable tactic as it removes risk of injury to key players and can fill players petrol tanks for the games that really matter but it does come with some risk.

Form can be a fickle mistress in RL, winning and losing often become hard habits to break. Resting your best players can disrupt cohesion and 1 week before the most important game of the year may not be the best time to mess with combinations.

Bellamy was asked about resting players in his post game presser and implied that after the performance against Parra they may need to forgo resting players in order to work out some of the issues they had in that game.

In a perfect world it would be nice to rest all our key players but we weren't exactly fluent in attack or defence on the weekend and may need the cows game to get things humming before the finals.

I think the best tactic is to name a full strength squad(especially as there is a good chance a loss costs us top 4) and put our best foot forward, then give a few players an early shower. If anyone gets rested it should be in the engine room and let the skill players work on their timing and structure.

Who are the Rookie Monsters resting this week?

 

[Will on the hill]

Who are the Rookie Monsters resting this week?

Resting everyone... until the GF.

By the way, if you wanna strike a gentlemens agreement for the PM me.

 

[The Indian]

Resting everyone... until the GF.

By the way, if you wanna strike a gentlemens agreement for the PM me.

Good luck to you both. I was part of the roadkill you left on the highway several weeks back. Was a very competitive league this year. You've done well.

Always the toughest week to win with Bellamy up to his usual last round tricks.

 

[Rosko]

Easts have 3 big guns back and will win on Thursday.
We need a win for Top 4 and to rebuild confidence after two flat performances.
Cowboys are a lot more dangerous than the wooden spooners.
Full strength until the game is clearly won this week please.

 

[Budgie]

How dumb is Brad Arthur? Team finally clicks and he gives them a rest. Dumb is as dumb does.

 

[Shoe1]

No one's saying it ,but let's hope we havnt peaked too early

Doesn’t look like it to me. Brilliant in patches but we aren’t a well oiled machine yet.

 

[eaglebuzz]

How dumb is Brad Arthur? Team finally clicks and he gives them a rest. Dumb is as dumb does.

Probably doesn't want to do to his team what the Roosters and Rabbits did to each other last weekend. He'd know their chances of making the top 4 are pretty crap given we play the Cows. Better to eat a loss this week and be at full strength next week.

It's a different equation for us. We can guarantee top 4 if we win by any margin.

It looks like the Sharks might be able to do a number on the Storm, given how many players they have rested. That will mean us vs Penrith. I think I'd prefer to play them while they're still a bit busted than a Storm team full of freshly rested players in week 1 of the finals.

 

[Fibro Eagle]

Melbourne still have named fairly good team , They will beat the sharks
Penrith should win well but won’t be enough for them to overhaul Melb
All going well Manly get 4 th and play Melb with no fear

 

[ManlyTragic]

I’d only be resting players if they have a niggling injury that could do with a weeks rest , otherwise , onwards and upwards!!

Yeah ! I agree!

they only work once a week then get 6 months holidays! … and get overpaid!

just sayin’

 

[Shoe1]

Parra will lose by 50 or 60 with that team they gave named. It can’t be good for momentum, despite their main guys not being there.

Also 2 of them are called haze ffs.

 

[eaglebuzz]

Eels will get about 50 put on them this weekend with eight players rested against a full-strength Panthers outfit.

The Roosters v Canberra game will be very close. I have a sneaky feeling Roosters will still get over the top of the Raiders even though the Green Machine should get them based on player availability.

Raiders should win that, the chooks are shot to pieces. So many injuries, and Manu has been carrying them on his back for quite a while.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Parra will lose by 50 or 60 with that team they gave named. It can’t be good for momentum, despite their main guys not being there.

Also 2 of them are called haze ffs.

Probably best if they end up at Storm, at least then they'd be purple Haze.

 

[Brookie Bob]

Finish 5th and play the Sharks.
Finish 4th and play storm?

And beat the Storm - we can do it!

 

[Remy]

For us, it's not about resting players, but it's preventing them from unnecessary injury. Because if we roll into that Cowboys game with that top 4 spot already locked in there is absolutely no reason at all we play our best players. The most meaningless game of the year, it really won't make any sense at all.

 

[Go manly]

Des has built his mantra as a player and a coach on hard physical work, playing tough when busted and playing for each other as a unit

he seems to know his top 13 and in reality has 6 bench players to turn into 4

the risk of resting some of the top 13 and providing bench players additional minutes striving for maximum effort provideadditional risk of injury related to fatigue in those playing outside their normal patterns

Losing bench players now to injury has its own impact on patterns and rotation and arguably as much as a starting player

I think Des will stick to his top team and practice our patterns in moving to where we want to be in field position and defending kick chase and playing to practice forcing errors through defence of our forwards

I think our forward combination is as vital as our backline

unless there is an injury I don’t think he will rest anyone just to freshen up like some other teams

Possibly Moses will get a run for future contingency purposes and Keppie will have to play to get some yards in him again

agree with all that if we get the chance during the latter stages then we look for a chance relieve some of our troops then

Go Manly

 

[SeaEagle21]

Good to see a full strength team named for this week. Our timing last week was off and we need to fine tune with Keppie and Paseka coming back in. As others have mentioned we are at full strength for probably the first time this season and getting the little things right are really important.

If things fall into place then the whole team can have a rest in 2 weeks but there are still things to work on as well as making sure we lock up 4th.

 

[The Indian]

I still expect the Storm to beat Cronulla - yeah a few are out but look at who they still have in. The Storm can handle it cause they are winners. And the next blokes in are playing for a bench spot in a team favoured to win the whole thing.

Cronulla are missing 4 or 5 of their highest paid players and have been all year, Wade Graham, Dugan, Shaun Johnson, Fifita, Mulitalo are a pretty significant group of outs in itself. And what is left isn't great.

I still think we're playing Melbourne in round 1 of the semi's.

Bring it on.