Resting players vs consistency in combinations

[Will on the hill]

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.

 

[Captain Moondog]

We need to put the best we've got available on the field on Saturday. Like the Bulldogs the Cowboys will have nothing to lose and they're a better team than the dogs.

 

[The Who]

We will put forward our best team initially because we may have to win this match to remain in the top four. If Easts and Doesn'tmatta get beaten then we can promote our 18th and 19th player into the top team, and give as much rest as possible to our 'guns', Turbo, DCE, Jurbo, Kapow, Guaca and The Shoe.

 

[Remy]

We will put forward our best team initially because we may have to win this match to remain in the top four. If Easts and Doesn'tmatta get beaten then we can promote our 18th and 19th player into the top team, and give as much rest as possible to our 'guns', Turbo, DCE, Jurbo, Kapow, Guaca and The Shoe.

yes exactly, if we got that 4th spot locked in by Friday night, get those 2 reserves to cover Turbo and maybe Chez. And then early into the game, take off schuster, crocker and foz. Just imagine in such a meaningless game, we lose one of them by injury or suspension when we got top 4 wrapped it. No worth in it at all.

 

[40 years an eagle]

It's "building" time and we have been really clunky. The only players getting a "rest" will be the one's who NEED a rest.

 

[robbiea]

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

 

[manlyfan76]

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

 

[The Bandit]

Des will take a bird in the hand approach. If he reaches milestone one and secures fourth spot , off comes Tommy for the cotton wool. I noticed a few weeks back he pulled Jake and Croker at the same time, those two are both in the top 15 for number of tackles for the season. Extreme work rates. DCE , Jake , Foz in stellar form ATM young Ocky starting to prove a real handful. We are in for a treat this final series, with a little bit of luck we will frighten **** out of the favorites.

 

[deanm]

If we finish top 4 , We have a minimum of 3 games left for the season. We need to play every game from here on in at full strength , in my opinion.

 

[BOZO]

If we finish top 4 , We have a minimum of 3 games left for the season. We need to play every game from here on in at full strength , in my opinion.

I see your point

Full steam ahead is the way to go

Half throttle is not the go .... Look how we went again the wooden spooners last week .

We play like that with any other sides and we lose

 

[BOZO]

Also we need another Monster back to back up Tommy

Because without Tommy our backs are Tame

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

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

That clearly happened in 2017.
Under Des in 2019 the side had bulk players missing, including Turbo, but turned up perfectly primed in the finals to blast the Sharks and were unlucky not to get Souths and make the prelim final.
I've no doubt the team will be ready and will play well, will just come down to whether or not they are good enough.

 

[Tragic Eagle]

The finals are all about momentum and you can’t build that being clunky and resting players. Time to hit the accelerator not turn the engine off. The only players rested should be by necessity due to niggling injuries.

 

[Rafferty]

If we finish top 4 , We have a minimum of 3 games left for the season. We need to play every game from here on in at full strength , in my opinion.

The whole side gets the opportunity for a rest if we stay top 4 and win week 1 its basically an all or nothing shot, i see Melbourne and us winning this week, so we will meet week 1, it will be a highly physical game that is a given, losing will most likely spell the end, it would be very hard to get up the following week from a heavy physical loss to face a side that’s won and growing in their self belief, there are a lot of other factors of course and anything can happen, but just win this weekend and again the following week earn the rest then have an all out crack at entering the big dance. Pumped for our shot

 

[The Who]

The whole side gets the opportunity for a rest if we stay top 4 and win week 1 its basically an all or nothing shot, i see Melbourne and us winning this week, so we will meet week 1, it will be a highly physical game that is a given, losing will most likely spell the end, it would be very hard to get up the following week from a heavy physical loss to face a side that’s won and growing in their self belief, there are a lot of other factors of course and anything can happen, but just win this weekend and again the following week earn the rest then have an all out crack at entering the big dance. Pumped for our shot

That makes sense in an ideal world. But injuries happen in almost every match.
I'm sure we all agree that if we were missing Turbo or DCE through injury our chances of winning a finals match would plummet.

 

[MissKate]

If we end in 4th position and play our guts out and beat the scum in first week of the finals, then the whole team can have a rest/week off

 

[maxta]

Now is the time to build momentum for the finals.
Need to get those key finals style area's in point.
Completions, line speed, kick/chase, execution.
After a flat performance against Dogs, then to rest players and go into a final against Storm (likely)...would be a real shock to the system.
Confidence and match fitness are critical and having time off, unless carrying a serious injury, is definately more risky then matching up against the Cowboys.
After 60 minutes or so, would maybe look to spell a few Key players, but with only a handful of games remaining including Finals, it's time to step up and aim for glory.

 

[Rafferty]

That makes sense in an ideal world. But injuries happen in almost every match.
I'm sure we all agree that if we were missing Turbo or DCE through injury our chances of winning a finals match would plummet.

Probably true, but you can’t go into games fearing injury and or suspensions, mitigate and manage the best we can, building continuity, momentum and confidence is more important with only a handful of games to go, better to go after it and should we fall short at least we will know we had a red hot crack, falling short by adopting a conservative approach will leave a pretty empty feeling.

We only have to do what we have to do this week, but it’s a must win, then it’s all in the following week, injuries are part of the game, let’s just hope we get threw unscathed.

 

[Rafferty]

Now is the time to build momentum for the finals.
Need to get those key finals style area's in point.
Completions, line speed, kick/chase, execution.
After a flat performance against Dogs, then to rest players and go into a final against Storm (likely)...would be a real shock to the system.
Confidence and match fitness are critical and having time off, unless carrying a serious injury, is definately more risky then matching up against the Cowboys.
After 60 minutes or so, would maybe look to spell a few Key players, but with only a handful of games remaining including Finals, it's time to step up and aim for glory.

Just posted and saw yours, I was basically implying the same thing, I 100% agree it’s time to swing into gear, we have been a little clunky as a unit, this week is our last run before playing the most important game of our year to date

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

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