Will/Should Hasler rest anyone for the last 2 rounds?

[Moe]

What is everyone's opinion on a resting key players for the last few games?

i.e. if there is any player that is has a few niggles, give them time off to make sure that they are 100% fit for the finals?

Will it do more harm than good?

Does anyone know how Franky pulled up from that ankle injury? He may be a good candidate.

 

[MP4 - Eedz]

Personally, we need to win against Canberra to secure the Minor Premiership - NO RESTED PLAYERS

Roosters - REST PLAYERS, hope for a loss

A loss against the Roosters wouldn't be a bad thing, because it won't impact the boys imo and it will drop the expectation for a loss IMO. Week 1 they will be ready to go !!!

 

[K E]

I'd rest Barba, TBH. He's either putting it on (I don't think he is) or he's copping a lot of small injuries. And let's not kid ourselves, he's our main strike weapon in the Backs.

 

[Bakes]

Hope for a loss??? We dont need to lose. We will step it up come finals time.
I will never hope for a loss!

 

[jimmy_the_greek]

If we were to rest anyone it would be this week...not against the Roosters next week (a week before the finals)...Des would rather our players have that element of match time coming into the finals, not give them a week off before and throw them straight into the deep water (looking likely that it will be Manly at this stage)

Also the fact that some of our forwards are struggling with fitness/tiredness, means they need to do the hard yards (sometimes giving that week off, may mean they get into cruise stage which isn't a good thing either)

 

[Izzy Forreal]

We are four points ahead of the Storm and I'd like us to stay there and win the minor premiership. I know that the minor premiership is nowhere near important as winning the grand final but, I think it would give our guys a huge boost in morale.

Even though they've won twelve in a row they've all got memories and can remember what went down in 2010 and 2011. Winning is a mentally contagious thing in sports and there's no reason why we can' go all the way.

So the only player(s) I'd stand down are those that would benefit from the break.

 

[the Coyote]

Smash the Raiders with our full team ...... then rest Frankie, Graham and Tolman for the Roosters game ....
bringing in Gavet, Tapau and Romelo into the 17, with Payne starting .

We need our to give some of our back up players some 1st grade time before the finals, and we need
to rest up our main go forward men....

Kas has had a few weeks rest already, and really needs the fitness....

 

[Weak Gutted Dog]

barba could do with a rest. and he is so crucial for our premiership campaign we need him at full capacity. i say rest him this week.
franky also, he looked almost hurt a couple of times on fri and had his hammy heavily strapped.

 

[K E]

barba could do with a rest. and he is so crucial for our premiership campaign we need him at full capacity. i say rest him this week.
franky also, he looked almost hurt a couple of times on fri and had his hammy heavily strapped.

How he continued to play on after bending/crushing/twisting his ankle like that is beyond me. Fck me it looked painful.

 

[bmw_s2000]

Smash the Raiders with our full team ...... then rest Frankie, Graham and Tolman for the Roosters game ....
bringing in Gavet, Tapau and Romelo into the 17, with Payne starting .

We need our to give some of our back up players some 1st grade time before the finals, and we need
to rest up our main go forward men....

Kas has had a few weeks rest already, and really needs the fitness....

In a hypothetical scenario, This does sound like the most plausable thing to do. However Honestly I dont think Des will rest any players.

 

[dogkat]

Melbourne's for and against means we can't afford to rest anyone, unfortunately.

 

[boggie23]

I would say this week is when the rest is needed. Tolman, ennis, Pritchard, Morris maybe Reynolds are the players I would consider (especially tolman, you can't be a prop forward in round 25 without being sore and carrying niggles)

I think roosters you would want the full team so they are not sluggish week one. Potentially if you get a rest and win against the roosters then week one finals you could go into the semi with 2 games in the last month. We all saw how bad jesting played after he missed a few weeks but really warmed into the game by the end.

We have the team to take out the title. We just need to make sure they are all on the field come finals time.

 

[K E]

I wouldn't rest Reynolds. Granted he has a slight injury but he needs experience in high intensity games and Friday night will be one. Raiders will be pumped up. I'd love to rest Tolman, Pritchard and Barba, though.

 

[likeadoggy]

id like to see us rest players for the Canberra game and take the loss if it happens.

the cold can mean greater risk of injury plus I'm leaning towards wanting to have a loss now or at least not be too worried about one and would rather it now than one week before the finals.

 

[Hansta]

since we are back to full strength in the props department, id give tolman the week off and pritchard if he is injured.

 

[Number13]

I suggest that we play a full side against the Raiders to ensure the minor premiership. Our team against the Roosters should be the reserve side only. You only have to look at the Roosters current form they are capable of causing injuries, potentially rendering our finals campaign uncompetitive.

 

[Moe]

I wouldn't rest Reynolds. Granted he has a slight injury but he needs experience in high intensity games and Friday night will be one. Raiders will be pumped up. I'd love to rest Tolman, Pritchard and Barba, though.

I reckon theyd have a hard time trying to rest Reynolds anyway lol. The guy would play on crutches if he was allowed.

 

[MP4 - Eedz]

I suggest that we play a full side against the Raiders to ensure the minor premiership. Our team against the Roosters should be the reserve side only. You only have to look at the Roosters current form they are capable of causing injuries, potentially rendering our finals campaign uncompetitive.

Fair point, Roosters have been playing very dirty and the last thing we need is a key player getting injuried.

If we sustain an injury in Week 1 we could atleast potentially have 2 weeks to recover

 

[Moe]

I don't think resting a lot of players for the Roosters game would be ideal

1. You want the players to be match fit coming into the finals (Although, I don't know how much fitness a player will lose in 1 week, if any at all)
2. IF we win week 1, we will have a week off anyway. That would mean that any player you rest in Round 26 would only have played one game in 3 weeks coming into a prelim.

 

[K E]

There's always the option of resting players during the game. Give the younger forwards more game time and rest Barba and play Inu at FB or whatever your liking is.