Wigan to go straight into the new season (against Leigh) with no friendlies behind them. It's certainly a gamble, Leigh will have already played Saints (Tommy Makinsons Testimonial).
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2013 3:14 pm Posts: 2649 Location: Watching Rugby League
Most of the regular season are friendlies these days, and TBH did we ever play our out and out first team in a friendly? We used to always play the kids.
I would expect a few inter squad games are going on in training. Same thing.
A few teams are going down the opposed training route this season, starting this week. If they plan it properly then they might be able to get more out of it than a friendly to be fair. E.g if they want to practice a certain move then they can do it 10 times in a row at an opposed training session if they want to, whilst players not involved in it practice something else at the same time. A friendly might not present the opportunity all game. Plus in a friendly you can only have 26 players active at one time, no such limits in an opposed training session. I know they do both joint training camps and friendlies in the NFL, and the coaches tend to say that they get more out of the joint sessions.
Frank Zappa wrote:
Some scientists claim that hydrogen, because it is so plentiful, is the basic building block of the universe. I dispute that. I say there is more stupidity than hydrogen, and that is the basic building block of the universe.
The_Enforcer wrote:
Most idiotic post ever goes to Grimmy..... The way to restart should be an arm wrestle between a designated player from each side.
Joined: Tue May 27, 2003 3:21 pm Posts: 17882 Location: educating League Freak on all things rugby league
We have enough strength and versatility across the squad to have a belting inter club game without the extra risk of introducing another group of players to the mix to complicate the whole track and trace issue/expose our players to more risk of infection.
Makes total sense in the current climate and would allow the coaches to control the game as Grimmy says by stepping in every now and again in certain circumstances.
Unofficially the most boring poster on Cherry and White.
Most of the regular season are friendlies these days, and TBH did we ever play our out and out first team in a friendly? We used to always play the kids.
I would expect a few inter squad games are going on in training. Same thing.
I think this will happen. Large squad split into two teams, home shirts v away shirts, full contact, played on the Robin Park Arena pitch.
Less cost and reduced covid risk.
WIGAN RLFC - SL ERA
WORLD CLUB CHAMPIONS 2017
SUPER LEAGUE CHAMPIONS 1998, 2010, 2013, 2016 & 2018
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Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2013 3:14 pm Posts: 2649 Location: Watching Rugby League
jonh wrote:
We have enough strength and versatility across the squad to have a belting inter club game without the extra risk of introducing another group of players to the mix to complicate the whole track and trace issue/expose our players to more risk of infection.
Makes total sense in the current climate and would allow the coaches to control the game as Grimmy says by stepping in every now and again in certain circumstances.
And when running said moves, the defence knows exactly what is coming meaning you have to get it spot on which helps when you take it to a gameday environment.
