Strictly speaking this has little to do with Wakefield, however, with Saints making 9 changes for their fixture against London today, the result could have serious implications for our super league survival.
Although it's not unusual for sides to rest players in the week before (and after) a cup semi final, Saints choosing to make 9 changes for this game could be hugely important towards deciding which club faces the drop.
Having come unstuck just a few weeks ago when they rested 5 players, so many changes and with London fighting for survival almost gifts the 2 points to the opposition and with the LLS almost in their hands, they can easily afford to sacrifice a win.
They say that lightening doesn't strike twice but, for a side to have lost only 2 games all season to make so many changes against the bottom side, who the RFL believe "need" to be in the top flight could their be "dark forces" at work.
Clearly Trinity along with all of the other clubs under threat, still have their future in their own hands, especially as we still have to face London but, are they getting a deliberate helping hand ?

If we won a few games there would be no problems now.So the replacement players must be decent players to be on the Saints books.
Any updates on the players we are bringing in,re CC statement.

As I said, they rested 5 players a few weeks back and came unstuck so, it's reasonable to assume that, by resting 9, they will struggle to win.
I'm not suggesting that they are breaking any rules, as all of the players will be from their own playing roster but, they appear to be "throwing" the game, which is certainly against "the spirit of the game".

If we go down we’ve no-one to blame but ourselves. To be quite honest on our current form we deserve it.

Why do they need to rest players for a cup game against Halifax ?

Agree,

What Sts do is up to them!

I’ll assume that the players selected for the London game are listed in their 2019 SL squad and as such their selection is as valid as any other player.

Maybe they’ll select a couple of Juniors from the Academy but given their superb record of talent production I won’t presume to second guess their judgement.

At the end of the day, Wakefield Trinity are responsible for winning enough points to stave off relegation and shouldn’t be looking outside the club for favours.

Sts are doing what’s best for Sts not trying to manipulate the relegation battle

To be fair it's still a decent saints side with a lot of quality players. That would compete with most if not all current sides in SL. I think saints will win fairly comfortably Wakefields fate is in our own hands. We shouldn't be worrying about other clubs or conspiracy theories.

You're correct saints can do what they like but that is a particularly weak squad. They are almost gifting an advantage to London in a tight relegation battle ...for the second time. It's not just us affected and it doesn't sit right with me. I wonder how saints would feel if the boot was on the other foot.

You are seriously having a laugh aren't you?!! Dark forces?! Were these in existence when we went down to their place twice and conceded over 80 points?!! If I were a London fan and read what you have put i'd be laughing my head off. Whomever goes down will no doubt deserve to do so, including ourselves, we've had weeks to arrest our slump, and haven't apart from 1 game. We've now got lots of opportunities again in the next few weeks to avoid relegation, so if we don't then we only have ourselves to blame.

AS I said in the previous post, it's not just Trinity that are affected here.
KR, Leeds and Huddersfield cant be overly happy that the bottom club are being "gifted" the 2 points.

Just to magnify this issue, how would any side feel IF a club needed to win their last fixture to survive and their opposition in one of the other critical fixtures fielded such a heavily and deliberately weakened side (not due to injury).
I'm fully aware that our game is a squad base sport, partially brought about by Saints from a number of years ago, putting out a nothing side, with one of their own players famously suggesting that people back the opposition.
Whether we are affected or not, this isn't good for the sport.

Let's remember that they have already been beaten by London, when resting just 5 players but, this is a whole different level.

They probably don't, maybe it's to lessen the risk of serious injury on the plastic pitch.

As I said earlier, Sts are doing what’s best for Sts!
They’re not interested in what’s best for Wakefield, Leeds or Hull KR. As long as they’re not breaking the rules they’re free to do what they want with selection.
How do we know they haven’t targeted the London games to offer their squad and juniors some game time right from the beginning of the season?

Obviously I get where you are coming from, but first of all, the game hasn't even been played yet!! Yes if London win, any reasonable person is gonna think Saints leaving players out has contributed to them losing, but relegation of a team doesn't come down to 1 game does it? They have a squad, they are entitled to pick from that squad who they wish to make the final 17. I do get it's probably not very ethical, but they haven't broken any rules so the other clubs are just going to have to deal with it if London win. It may not be the last time Saints don't pick a 'full strength' team, someone else may benefit when it comes to cup final time......

Chester said in an interview after Wigan game that if he was in Saints position he would probably do the same.

I dont disagree with what you are saying and as stated previously, they (Saints) are so far ahead of the pack that they can do whatever they wish with regards to selection and having "blown" both major trophies last season, they were always likely to try a whole new approach if they were in a similar position this time around and good luck to them, as they are deserved leaders of the comp etc.
However, resting/ rotating 4/5 players (which backfired last time) is one thing but, 9 ??? for me is just not taking this particular game seriously enough.
Of course they are in a position where they dont have to but, is this good for the sport ? or any sport in that matter ?

Back in the day, pre squad numbers etc, clubs were supposed to field their strongest available squad or risk bringing the game into disrepute.
Of course, before a big final, there used to be a raft of faux sick notes, with coaches pretending that there was an injury crisis.

As I said, they aren't breaking any rules but, this leaves a bad taste and their actions will very likely be one of the determining factors on who drops from the league, which makes it worthy of comment.

Would this Saints team beat us?

With Wakefield’s current form/confidence etc Holbrook might want to rest a few players when we meet soon.

And London go 6 up

At least Leeds are 12 down
Every cloud and all that

Not just 9 though is it. More like 12/13. Personally think it brings the game into disrepute. Affects the SL survival of another 4 club's and it doesn't sit well with me

Only ourselves to blame. Fair play to London, showing what a team with fight can do.

Leeds are giving Hull a hell of a game, and London are walking it. Anyone still in denial about us being relegation fodder should get the wake up call this weekend.

Next round of fixtures
Hudds v Leeds
London v Salford
HKR v Castleford
It's going to the game at HKR if we don't win I suspect we'll already be down by London at home . Bad times.

I'm sorry but they are basically playing a mixture of reserves and academy. It is giving our relegation rivals an unfair advantage. If they had beaten anything like a full strength saints team then I would say fair play. It stinks

Would we beat that Saints team right now? I don't think so. How many did Wigan have out last Thursday? How strong was the Cas line up the week before? We're done, and HKR, the Farts, Leeds and London know it.