Sam to miss Widnes

[josie andrews]

It appears Sam will miss the game at Widnes due to the pitch!

Obviously they don't want to risk his knee! And yet not heard if Joel will sit it out, he still has a dodgy knee

[LooseHead]

Ive been told on good authority that certain players around SL both now and over the past couple of years have it in their contract that they do not play on anything other than grass pitch - maybe Sam is one?

[Caboosegg]

could this not just be a excuse to rest him for the Castleford game next week? i didnt expect him to play every game straight away when he came back.

[markill]

If we win at Widnes that's the top 4 before the split basically sealed up. We'd have a 9 break until the Cas game. Shouldn't be resting players in my view. Has Sam ever played on the plastic pitch though?

[Mike]

Is it? I thought we'd need a 14 point gap to 5th before we'd sealed the top 4.

[markill]

Is it? I thought we'd need a 14 point gap to 5th before we'd sealed the top 4.

It will be 4 games left with 8 points lead at worst over Saints/Wakey. Although our points difference isn't great, there's is worse.

[Mike]

Is it? I thought we'd need a 14 point gap to 5th before we'd sealed the top 4.

It will be 4 games left with 8 points lead at worst over Saints/Wakey. Although our points difference isn't great, there's is worse.

Thought we had 7 games in the Top-8s?

[markill]

Is it? I thought we'd need a 14 point gap to 5th before we'd sealed the top 4.

It will be 4 games left with 8 points lead at worst over Saints/Wakey. Although our points difference isn't great, there's is worse.

Thought we had 7 games in the Top-8s?

23 rounds in regular season. Next week is round 19.

[DaveO]

Shouldn't be resting players in my view.

I agree and Sam needs the games.

As to the plastic pitch if as someone else suggested some players have a clause in their contracts not to play on it this seems very strange.

Do Widnes players who play on ot week in week out suffer for it? If there is something intrinsically wrong with a plastic pitch for RL over time all their players would end up crocked.

[Exiled Wiganer]

I would not play him, in part because, for players unaccustomed to the surface the broad consensus is that it does take a heavier toll on limbs, in part because the cup game is so important we could field a reserve team on Thursday for all I care (happily, Widnes may have one eye on their own cup game). Plus, our superb run of recent run of form leaves us in a happy position of being able to rest players without being overly concerned about missing out on the top 4. Finally, I am no expert but I would have thought that a rest after a run of games would be beneficial to any player who has been out for a while. The cup game is so important and we have earnt the luxury of resting players... It would be crazy to risk anyone.