Ashton
Bateman
Crowther
Currie
Drinkwater
Dufty
Harrison
King
Lindop
Musgrove
Nicholson
Philbin
Powell
Tai
Taylor-Wray
Thewlis
Walker
Whitehead
Williams
Wood
Yates

Well, Lindop will not be playing but I think CTW will be. Where is Holroyd ?

If players are to have a rest then I guess this is perhaps the game to do it. Treat London as a warm up game to get the team back into the groove before the playoffs ? If that is Burges's plan then Wood and Whitehead may get on the pitch.

The team for Saturday will likely depend on the results from Friday night matches.

I suppose if HKR lost by a big margin to Leigh it could change things around, Im assuming we finish third.

Yeh I understand that thinking, I’m resigned to us finishing 3rd also but if HKR or even Wigan lose their last 2 games I think it will have a bearing on the team selection.

It would be interesting to know what Burgess thinks of having a week off by finishing second. Is it good because the players can recharge the batteries, or does it interfere with the rhythm and focus of the team ? I suppose it certainly avoids an injury to a key player.

How times change, for the last x years we dreamed of finishing 3rd

I do wonder if SB has decided not to rest players following on from the Wembley performance.

I f see don’t blame that on resting players.
I blame it playing Fitzgibbon when injured, and lack of big game experience with much of our team. Many playing the occasion experience and not the game.

If you look through the year - and more particularly recently - most players have had a 'rest' be it through injury, suspension, form or the ocassional 'rest' to recharge the batteries.
On the whole the downsides of finishing 3rd are we could lose the first play off match, or a playes could get injured or suspended, and if we so win we are away (probably to HKR).
I'd suggest the upside could be we have a chance with the extra game to keep tge players ticking over and close to boiling.

I very much doubt the 1st play off match will be a 'walkover' - unless we play Saints!

Or, being banned by the disciplinary committee.

1. Taylor-wray
2. Thewlis
3. Tai
4. king
5. Ashton
6. Williams
7. drinkwater
8. Musgrove
9. powell
10. Yates
11. Nicholson
12. Bateman
13. Currie

14. Walker
15. Philbin
16. Harrison
17. Crowther

Crowther works really well as he covers prop, second row and loose. Great utility forward for us


Even Though Burgess has said Dufty is ahead of schedule, i would give him the extra week and play him at London.
I would rather minimise the risk for the playoffs rather than rush him back just because.

Having a week off seems to undercook certain teams. Not sure about us. I'd be more keen to have a stiff test every week and arrive at the final battle-hardened (if we make it).

I was wondering what conclusions SB had learned, it may well be a combination of factors but personally I suspect over confidence following on from our youngsters performance the week before May also have played a part. It may also have ensured that Wigan weren’t over confident.

I'd take a rest rather than play every week. Sending offs & injuries are more of a concern than players suddenly losing form. I don't buy the idea that we lost the Challenge Cup because of any rest. I reckon we lost because Wigan are currently a better team than Wire. We might beat them on a good day but all things being equal Wigan look the best team & that Junior Nsemba looks like the most dangerous attacking forward in Super League.

It's good to bring quality players through your club coaching system, but the flip side is that they are liable to be poached by the NRL. Fortunately Nsemba is so eye catching that he will more than likely move on pretty quickly.

Wigan will just produce another Nsemba - it’s why they’re where they are - we need the same mindset with our youth development. If we’re playing at the higher end of SL with home-grown talent that talent is going to be targeted by the NRL.

Great player Nsemba. Great story there too, he’s the nephew of Rigobert Song and Alex Song, both former Premier League footballers and Cameroonian internationals.

That's so weird, thats twice this week I've heard rigobert song's name

Tonight's 17, baring injuries in the warm up .......

CTW
Thewlis
Tai
King
Ashton
Williams
Drinkwater
Yates
Powell
Harrison
Nicholson
Bateman
Currie

Musgrove
Philbin
Crowther
Walker

I'd have started Musgrove again