Re: Preparing for Salford : Mon Jul 18, 2016 9:37 am  

All play apart from knocks, Ellis and the lads all want to play and rightfully so we need to get as high up as possible we don't want third

Re: Preparing for Salford : Mon Jul 18, 2016 10:44 am  

I'd have snapped your hand off for 3rd at the start of the year, but targets change and would be slightly disappointed with 3rd particularly being comfy in the top 2 with the bottom 4 to play.

Only rest those with knocks, finish top and build momentum for the semi and the rest of the year.

Re: Preparing for Salford : Mon Jul 18, 2016 12:12 pm  

Dave K. wrote:

I'd have snapped your hand off for 3rd at the start of the year, but targets change and would be slightly disappointed with 3rd particularly being comfy in the top 2 with the bottom 4 to play.

Only rest those with knocks, finish top and build momentum for the semi and the rest of the year.

This is what our fixture list would look like based on the current table:

Finish Top (as it stands now):
H: Wigan, Warrington, Saints, Wakefield
A: Catalans, Cas, Widnes

Finish 2nd (Assuming Wigan come top, Warrington 3rd):
H: Warrington, Catalans, Wakefield, Cas
A: Wigan, Saints, Widnes

Finish 3rd behind Wigan & Warrington:
H: Saints, Catalans, Cas, Widnes
A: Wigan, Warrington, Wakefield

I'm not sure finishing top after R23 is that important to be honest. At the moment, a third place would mean we avoid trips to Catalans, Widnes & Cas and still have 4 home games.

Re: Preparing for Salford : Mon Jul 18, 2016 12:25 pm  

Doom&Gloom Merchant wrote:

This is what our fixture list would look like based on the current table:

Finish Top (as it stands now):
H: Wigan, Warrington, Saints, Wakefield
A: Catalans, Cas, Widnes

Finish 2nd (Assuming Wigan come top, Warrington 3rd):
H: Warrington, Catalans, Wakefield, Cas
A: Wigan, Saints, Widnes

Finish 3rd behind Wigan & Warrington:
H: Saints, Catalans, Cas, Widnes
A: Wigan, Warrington, Wakefield

I'm not sure finishing top after R23 is that important to be honest. At the moment, a third place would mean we avoid trips to Catalans, Widnes & Cas and still have 4 home games.

I agree, the main aim after the regular season is to finish top 4 and get the extra home game which we have done. the league is unpredictable this year so does not really matter who we play in the 8s

Re: Preparing for Salford : Mon Jul 18, 2016 12:41 pm  

if we end up 3rd, win those four home games and its semi final time!

[Chris71]

Re: Preparing for Salford : Mon Jul 18, 2016 1:20 pm  

the artist wrote:

Doom&Gloom Merchant wrote:

This is what our fixture list would look like based on the current table:

Finish Top (as it stands now):
H: Wigan, Warrington, Saints, Wakefield
A: Catalans, Cas, Widnes

Finish 2nd (Assuming Wigan come top, Warrington 3rd):
H: Warrington, Catalans, Wakefield, Cas
A: Wigan, Saints, Widnes

Finish 3rd behind Wigan & Warrington:
H: Saints, Catalans, Cas, Widnes
A: Wigan, Warrington, Wakefield

I'm not sure finishing top after R23 is that important to be honest. At the moment, a third place would mean we avoid trips to Catalans, Widnes & Cas and still have 4 home games.

I agree, the main aim after the regular season is to finish top 4 and get the extra home game which we have done. the league is unpredictable this year so does not really matter who we play in the 8s

For me looking at the possible fixtures I would prefer finishing 1st as at home we have a very good chance of beating Wigan & Warrington who are the nearest to us at the top. St's and Wakefield again we should beat with home advantage though neither will be easy games.

Away trips to Catalan, Cas and Widnes again are definitely winable for us this season and would prefer those away rather Wigan, Saints & Widnes or Wigan, Warrington & Wakefield.

Think that resting players for the sake of it is the wrong way to go about, if there are no injury concerns on the players then we go with the strongest and best 17 for each game to built momentum from the season so far and Thursdays win and keep it going.

Re: Preparing for Salford : Mon Jul 18, 2016 2:06 pm  

Our aim at the end of the super 8's or whatever they are called should a top 2 finish so that we get home advantage in the semi play off. If we beat Salford then we have two extra points towards that and better fixtures to achieve that.

Got to go for the two points IMO, which means play the strongest side.

Re: Preparing for Salford : Mon Jul 18, 2016 4:06 pm  

The race for a top two spot (and hence a home semi-final) starts this Friday. It looks like two from three in this particular race. Two points dropped on Friday could be the difference between playing Wigan or Wire at home or away come October. This is the first of eight games in which all points are vital in the final reckoning.

Players like to play, especially when a side is going well. It's impossible to wrap players in cotton wool, injuries are an unfortunate consequence of sport, particularly in a high contact sport such as RL.

Play our best available side, go out for the win (winning breeds ever expanding confidence) and let's start thinking about Wigan on Saturday morning.

This squad of players, both in terms of quality and quantity, has been assembled for precisely moments like this. This team has done us proud so far in 2016. There is no reason why they cannot continue to do so. Let the players get on with the job they clearly love doing and let us give them the support they deserve in the coming, potentially climatic, weeks.

Re: Preparing for Salford : Tue Jul 19, 2016 10:37 am  

Of course, if we win the semi, we'll have another problem to worry about -
...resting players in the middle of the super8's, at a time when 6 clubs will be preparing for a 2 week break.

Re: Preparing for Salford : Tue Jul 19, 2016 11:43 am  

Problem is I guess its all a matter of opinion and for me as far as resting players is concerned so good are the incumbents, that we have no real cover for Shaul, Sneyd or Houghton. well no one who is any where near as good in their positions anyway and we really do need all three fresh, fit and 'knock free' for the semi! Its a difficult one really!.