I think that next week is a chance to look at the bigger picture in the current Super League format.
We are currently in a great position on the League Ladder, 5 pts clear, with two games in four days to come.
We have a massive clash at Wire on Monday followed by what will be a tricky clash against Cas just four days later.
I think it is important to get at least one win from these two fixtures.
With this in mind I would look at the bigger picture and play a younger side against Wire to give them experience of a big game, whilst playing a strong side against Cas to make sure of a win on Friday (as sure as possible anyway).
I know it goes against the usual thought process, but it is the reality of the hard work we have done so far this season, plus the play off system at present.
We could give everything against Wire and still loose on the night, whilst having nothing left for the Cas game and then potentially loosing that also.
Interesting week ahead and have we learned that going full out every game doesn't mean anything in the "bigger picture"

Our injuries at present seem to be Prescott, Dudson, Flower & Lockers, I'd expect Green, Smith, Richards, Sam, MicMac & Farrell to be fit for Friday.
Not too sure who we'd rest as Wire have around 8-10 players over 31 and they have game exerience we don't. If we rest too many it could become quite messy.
Wire also have Briers and Morley back hence their return to form.
Agree we have to be careful and Cas still have the benefit of the "new coach" syndrome.
Shaun's squad 19 on Wednesday will be interesting.

Finding it hard to focus on the big picture when we have a 13 game winning streak.

Know it might not be that important in the scheme of things but it would be nice to keep it going.

Huddersfield play Leeds on the Sunday before our Monday night game with Wire. This would mean a win against Wire could put us 7 points clear, and give more options around the latter end of the season and challenge cup tie(s).

I don't think you can literally throw the young kids to the Wolves. There has to be some duty of care and a young side getting beaten up by an experienced Wire side isn't going to do them much good at all IMO.

I was just opening it up for debate, I wouldn't exactly play the U19's !!
What I would do is try and keep a strong side fresh for the Cas game, by mixing and matching as much as possible.
Both games are for the same amount of points and possibly equally as difficult due to the circumstances.
The main issue is I don't think that we should go all out at Wire and jeopardise our chances on the Friday night aswell because of it.

More important to beat Wire in my view. Play a weaker team with changes against Cas.

We could go to Wire with a full strength team, play brilliantly and still get beat on the night. Then play Cas with a weakened team and get beat.
Would that be forward planning?
Why is the Wire game more important?
We are clear at the top and most people accept that finishing top isnt that important anyway?

You should always try to beat your main opponents, experiment in the easier game. Where did i say it was important to finish top?

I'd rather beat wire and get beat by Cas if we are to lose one of these 2 games. Cas aren't going to trouble alums at the top of the table, were as if we beat wire then we will be 7 points clear of them.

I'm not confident about the wire game though to be honest.

Pull yourself together man!!!! Good grief!!!

If I was Shaun Wane I would be picking my strongest possible side for the Wire game. Your record from memory isn't the best against Warrington over recent seasons and Wane might want to field a strong side and get that monkey off your back. The is plenty of time to rest players during a season but against Warrington?? That would be plain stupid.

Strongest possible side for Wire and then maybe look at resting a few against Cas with it being such a short turnaround.

That would be the more sensible option....

All guns blazing at Wire for me. If we send a weaker team and get dusted, it'll do nothing for the confidence of the team that plays. And will probably be a big confidence boost for the Wolfs. Plus we need our best players to have an intense hit out, I don't think these thrashings have done much good for us.

thats my view on things...games v top sides are 4 pointers, we can afford to risk dropping points v teams near bottom, and at the same time giving kids vital experience.

I know for a fact that Smith won't play next Monday

I'd rather us wipe that smug look from Smiths face

Never did Leeds any harm not winning against the top sides the last few years, we would also still be top anyway.
Beating or loosing to Wire in June means nothing at all.

Why not play the young kids against us. We will probably be fielding the old past its against you.

What's your other option?

The bigger picture shows what a farce the playoff system is that we can have these threads. The regular season games just don't matter, and something needs to he done.

It's quite simple really. If we have to have a play offs, and there are good commercial reasons for having them, then go back to the five team system. That really rewarded the team who finished top by ensuring that they only had to win one game to reach the Grand Final, and even if they lost that first game they had earned the right of the "safety net" game at HOME as a second chance.
Also the team that finished 5th had to play all their games away to get to the final.

Agree totally with Rogues. The original Top 5 system rewarded performances during the season by making it easier to qualify for the GF if one came top or second in the league - and rightly so. It didn't of course guarantee these teams' appearance in the GF - as can be seen by Wigan's reaching the GF from third and Bradford winning it from third.

Isn't the current top 8 system yet another example of Sky calling the shots - there are considerably more games in the top 8 than in the top 5 system and these are deemed to be "exciting" games. However, it just becomes almost another CC - but starting with the Q/Fs. No harm in that ( after all that is what the old style Premiership was), but it does not necessarily lead to the best team ( as proven by performances throughout the season) becoming "Champions".

It is quite feasible that Saints could hit form in September and become Superleague "Champions" after finishing 8th - they or anyone else only need to win 4 games to do so.

That's the right way forward. An alternative which the clubs might prefer would be to use the 6-team format we had from 2002-2008. Anything's better than 8 teams out of 14 getting into the playoffs.