Our draw is honestly pretty weak, Parra will probably turn up for both our games but outside that only Storm are a strong team.
Hence why priority number 1 should be to just get the roster healthy.
Get through origin, get the rest healthy, give the origin guys a break somewhere and then see where we are at and reassess where we can land.
I feel even titans in Rd 18 after origin will be tough, because Capewell likely gets rested.... but Patty and Haas both need a rest as well.
The game is winnable though and if we dont beat the dragons then we will be absolutely desperate.
We need a good showing and a win against the dragons next week... a healthy run through origin and Paix back for the following week... and go from there.
Rd 19 is Parra away... probably a loss... give everyone that needs a break that week off.
Focus everything on Rd 17 vs Drags and Rd 18 vs Titans... Haas and Patty rested vs Parra (if we cant before that).... and then Rd 20 onwards everyone fit and firing again for the run home.
When Bellamy knows he's a chance of losing or his team is busted he just goes all out and rests everyone that needs one... he did it against the cows this year.
Papy was already injured, Hughes was 50/50, Harry was 50/50 (cant remember if rested or not though), etc. why bother sending a broken squad up to Nth QLD for a 50/50 game against a challenger when I can rest half the squad take the loss and use the game as research...go in as an underdog and see what my reserves have whilst also looking at a team I'll face in the finals and see how they want to try and beat me.
I think the same happened last year against Panthers... and in previous years against roosters