Sam Tomkins - ill??

[DaveO]

Leeds have been doing this the last couple of years and even Snake Helens are up to these trick also.

No they have not. Look at the appearance statistics for key players like Sinfield and others and you will find they are virtually ever present in the side.

It's a huge myth that Leeds planned to finish 5th IMO or lost league games because they were resting players.

They may have peaked at the right time but IMO that was not down to leaving key players like Sinfield the sidelines because they didn't.

At the moment we seem to lack confidence and form in the league and given we virtually never see the same side form one week to the next is this surprising?

Several of our key players have had time on the sidelines this season already and so don't need resting. In fact they need the game time IMO.

I said this before I went on holiday before the cup semi and that we didn't need to bother resting players v Saints and I reckon that was proved to be the case.

At this rate we will be going into the final as a team of strangers.

Are we going to see Sam rested for an even harder game v Hudds? Who else won't play?

Whats the point of having a large and good squad if you are going to play the best team in every game?

I didn't suggest we did.

I am asking is it wise to deliberately play a different team every week in particular every week leading up to the cup final? (Injuries may force his hand which is different of course).

It's a team game and centres need to establish an understanding with their wingers, the half backs with the loose forward and so on.

We don't have much league form at the moment and some players (half backs in particular) seem lacking in confidence.

In my opinion this is not helped by playing a different team every week.

In other words while Wane can make use of his squad throughout the season making the odd change here and there I'd expect him to want as settled a side as possible leading up to big games. The time for "making use of the squad" has IMO run out.

That doesn't mean he shouldn't rest the odd player in the game immediately before the final. Wigan have done this often enough in the past as most teams do but I can never recall any teams side being constantly and deliberately chopped and changed week to week leading up to finals.

Hull started their first team in their last game and then took off three key players once the game was won. That is IMO the better way to do it rather than simply not playing the likes of Sam.

Given the upcoming games are we going to see him play his next game at Wembley?

If so I think that is a huge risk, same with Lockers and others especially if Hull are playing their "final" side between now and then.

And if we did, no doubt you would still find a fault with the team selection.

And no doubt you will accuse any poster who dares ask a reasonable question of "finding fault". Change the record!

[devon jim 1]

Dave in your last statement of your post you have forgotten to add 'in my opinion' or have you already changed your record.......imo :exc:

[Nezza Faz]

100% agree that changing around the team each week does nothing for cohesion and combinations plus you lose the timing, even in defence, if you miss through illness/injury.

By the way,I know for a fact, Sam was very ill/sick and actually missed Logan's 21st Birthday bash.

[Nezza Faz]

Sorry, I think Logan was 22 !

[DaveO]

100% agree that changing around the team each week does nothing for cohesion and combinations plus you lose the timing, even in defence, if you miss through illness/injury.

By the way,I know for a fact, Sam was very ill/sick and actually missed Logan's 21st Birthday bash.

That is fair enough if that was the reason Sam didn't play and we have had more than our fair share of injuries this season that have forced Wane's hand but he wasn't the only senior player missing was he?

[Kaii]

I think people are just looking for problems now since Sam is more likely leaving, imo nothing has changed he US still a great player who's popular with the squad and will chat to any one. If he returns after two seasons a better player we will get the benefit, this isn't the end of Sam and Wigan

[DaveO]

I think people are just looking for problems now since Sam is more likely leaving, imo nothing has changed he US still a great player who's popular with the squad and will chat to any one. If he returns after two seasons a better player we will get the benefit, this isn't the end of Sam and Wigan

I think the conspiracy theories as to why Sam doesn't play in games are daft. He is either injured/ill or Wane has chosen not to play him for whatever reason. I don't think Sam is the one calling the shots as to when he plays. It's also tradition when a player is leaving they suddenly develop faults. Look at comments re Mossop. :doz:

For me the issue is continuity and if Sam isn't playing because Wane is still rotating players or resting Sam I think this is a mistake. Same goes for other senior players.

Last season when Tommy was injured the form dropped off with different line ups from one week to the next a feature then also. We seem to be right back there again and it's not good preparation for a final IMO.

If it's injuries there is nothing Wane can do but if it is by design he is IMO making a mistake.

[No straw damn us]

100% agree that changing around the team each week does nothing for cohesion and combinations plus you lose the timing, even in defence, if you miss through illness/injury.

By the way,I know for a fact, Sam was very ill/sick and actually missed Logan's 21st Birthday bash.

That is fair enough if that was the reason Sam didn't play and we have had more than our fair share of injuries this season that have forced Wane's hand but he wasn't the only senior player missing was he?

Surely if Sam was sick the last thing Wane or Wigan needed was to have him around the rest of the players. Lauaki and Gelling needed game time, and they are not allowed to play anywhere else. Flower only played 20 minutes at Leigh so was obviously doubtful. That only really leaves Farrell, who deserves a rest and Pat. l don't think Pat would have done much better than Burgess and Wane no doubt wanted to see how he would look in the first team. Burgess was rated second in the mom awards in todays League Express.

[markill]

I don't think resting a player like Pat has any effect on combinations etc. He is a winger. All wingers should be in the same positions more often than not no matter how your middle unit plays. Faz and Green link up is the only on that was really disrupted by 'resting' against KR - and they've played a lot together this season already so I doubt one game here or there would seriously hamper cohesion.

And who's to say if Lockers had been able to stay on the pitch that we wouldn't have won more comfortably. We just wouldn't know. We wouldn't be looking at things in the same light. I think the players left out against Saints couldn't be sure to put 2 80 minutes in that week given their injury/recovery situation, so leaving them out then was sensible - the players could beat London without being at the top of their performance. Its a shame we haven't then been able to kepe the settled team for Hull KR leading into Huddersfield with Sam then being out and Lockers going off fairly early.