Because those players are normally squad players, key players will be rested during the season.

At this point in the season I don't think that's a valid issue, however the risk of injury or a player getting a ban in the league game has to be taken into account I would say 2 players maybe 3 max could be rested to ensure availability for the saints game

Yeah, I don't think we can afford to take the Saints path as we aren't the settled entity they are. We are still a work in progress and too much disruption could be just as counter productive as over playing players.

In the scheme of things I don't think Friday's result will have a massive bearing one way or the other on our chances of silverware whereas the semi final clearly does. Getting the balance right is a job for the coaching staff to ponder on but, for my own part, I'd accept resting players for this one if they feel it's necessary.

Was the Wire game on Sky? From the brief highlights on TSLS, they seemed to be going quite well without Williams and Ratchford,

Not sure how settled we are to be honest - we have a similar situation in needing to find an answer to Dodd's injury.

But the majority of your team, and all of your spine, have been in your system and/or playing together for some time now. Dodd's loss is not something that would be made better or worse by resting or not resting players. Our spine is Field (1st season proper), Cust (1st season and only arrived late), Smith (2nd season but not 1st choice half) and O'Neil (2nd season and with only 2 first team games under his belt).

I doubt even someone with the biggest Saints bias in the world would liken that to a spine of Welsby, Lomax, A.N. other and Roby!

Completely agree there is more to work out at Wigan for sure! Just that we have our own conundrum to solve this/next week too.

They would be bonkers to go with Roby at 7 in the longer term. Hopoate was a good fullback for Tonga, move him there and play Welsby at 7.

I was suggesting A.N. Other as half and Roby at hooker. They'll probably do as you suggest as Welsby has played alongside Lomax before, hasn't he?

Thats the natural solution with minimal changes however Hopate can't seem to string two games together since he signed and also this is Welsby's first season as a starting 1 so moving him hinders his development and we lose the attack he gives us coming into the line and his trademark cut out pass.

However I agree with you that if Hopoate can stay fit then your suggestion is the most sensible one.

I see what you're saying Stu but Welsby's utility role last year didn't seem to hinder him.

I think Woolf himself suggested in an interview that Hopoate will go to fullback. I don’t think it matters where Welsby plays tbh. He just seems like another Jake Connor but with more pace, in that he’s freakishly talented and really comfortable anywhere. He’s also not a massive tool, so that helps.

You don't half come out with some garbage at times.

Just like you, but not as bad.

Did we, or did we not rest a load of lads Vs Saints, with an eye on the Leeds cup game? We got bumm£d by Saints and lost to Leeds anyway. Having a rest, isn't some magic bullet to suddenly making everything all sunshine and rainbows.

This rest stuff is absolute BS, or at least at this stage of the year it is. It's the latest buzz/hipster topic everyone loves to buy into. Woolf must be laughing at his ability to set the narrative (he's almost Fergie like) and I'm sure part of it is also undoubtedly politics to get the Easter Monday fixture cancelled. We're 12 games into the season FFS and more than half the squad haven't played every game.

Mate, you keep saying things like "we're 12 games into the season" etc as if that makes a difference. If you run a marathon you'll still be tired whether it's your first or your 10th. We've just run the equivalent of a rugby league marathon. Players will be fatigued on the back end of it whether that's after 12 games or after 20. You dismiss it as "the latest hipster topic". That's so ignorant of the reality as to be bordering on the farcial!

We're talking about what gives us the best chance of winning the semi. Just ask yourself simple question. Do you operate at your best when you're fatigued? If the answer is yes then please hand yourself in to the nearest research lab as the world needs to study you. If the answer is no, as I suspect it is, then by all means join in the debate as to whether there is more gained by resting players than is lost to continuity. Dismissing it as BS or "the latest hipster topic" just makes you look foolish.

Unchanged squad from the Salford game.

Field
French
Halsall
Thornley Marshall
Cust
Smith
Singleton
O'Neil
Ellis
Bateman
Farrell
Smithies

Byrne
Mago
Havard
Partington

Give Halsall a start instead of Bibby and move Thornley to other side let O'Neil do 80 mins

good shout

Could be wrong but doubt O’Neill can do 80 minutes at SL level at this stage

Big mismatch in the game between Walker/Clark to O’Neill/Shorrocks.

Surely it would be a good opportunity to get Bevan into the game more. Put Miski on the bench, bring him on for O'Neill. Then Cust to 9, Field in the halves and French to fullback. Might be a lot of movement but worth trying as opposed to a stint with Shorrocks at hooker.

That's an incredible amount of disruption on our spine. Personally I think Shorrocks to 9 for 20 minutes is, although not ideal, our only realistic option.

I'd like to see Halsall given a start but I don't think Peet will select him. He would play opposite King who is an experienced and strong player. We could see Bateman playing right centre with Isa 2nd row and Shorrocks on the bench.

I reckon we'll go - Field, French, Bateman, Thornley, Marshall, Cust, Smith, Singleton, O'Neil, Ellis, Isa, Farrell, Smithies. - Havard, Mago, Shorrocks, Byrne.

Peet may rest a prop and bring Partington off the bench

That would be my 17 for the SF.
The main problem would be French would never get a pass but we would be tighter defensively

Maybe but looks like that's what we're going with (albeit with Halsall instead of Miski).

Looks like the big switcharoo is on.

Good to see if it’s viable this week for next week.

When O’Neill comes off Cust to 9 Halsall onto the wing and French in halves.

I think oppositions will fear french moving in field targeting some tiring defenders a lot more than they would 40 mins of slow distribution from Shorrocks.

Big pressure on Smiths kicking game during that period though.

I know it's for a good cause but we've been bloody awful in that pink kit so far.