Round 27 v Storm / Strategy?

[thenry]

So... hypothetically if we are guaranteed Top 2 and the home final in week 1....And presuming the Minor Premiership is off the table...

Do we rest players v Storm in the last regular season game, or do we go hard full strength to try and smash them and break the hoodoo?

I lean towards resting our most important players tbh.

Keen to see what others think...!

 

[Bish]

Firm believer in playing your best players/team. I’d rest players carrying niggling injuries or strains, but at this point, that’s probably most of them anyway.

Trust in big bad Kev

 

[thenry]

Firm believer in playing your best players/team. I’d rest players carrying niggling injuries or strains, but at this point, that’s probably most of them anyway.

Trust in big bad Kev

Fair call. Yeah most players would have niggles.
For what it's worth I think even if we're guaranteed top 2 Kev goes hard at the storm to keep momentum..

 

[Morkel]

Yeah we need to go balls out, if we lose (even with a second string team) it may dent our confidence.

On the actual game strategy, we'll need to expect Paperhouse to be playing, who, even after a long layoff, will be much harder to contain than Nick Meaney. Having him there will also free up Munster & Hughes, so we'll need to be super tight in the middle. Munster thrives on the battle, so we won't be able to blunt him with brute force, but if we can smother & manhandle Grant, we'll limit them getting around through the middle.

I'm am hoping like crazy that they go full arrogant Storm mode and park NAS out wide at some stage. They would love to get him up against one of our halves, however, if we can counter by taking advantage of his limited movement and send Walsh out that way with support we'll tear them the **** apart.

 

[Galah]

anyone watch the replacements?

Kick ass on one

 

[HarryAllan7]

Playing your best team in meaningless games is so stupid and amateurish...

I was raging at my TV last week when Reynolds and Walsh were still on the field with 10 mins to go in a game we were winning by nearly 50 points. I would have rather finish the game with 11 on the field than have them out there in meaningless time risking getting hurt... All it takes is one tackle / run / hit - If one of them is injured then our season is completely over.

Our goal is to win a premiership, not a specific game. If there is nothing to be gained from playing our key players then we shouldn't be playing them - end of story.

All risk, no reward. How would it feel beating the storm Reynolds or Walsh doing an ACL in the process... If they get injured in a regular game then so be it, but injuring themselves in a game they didn't need to play would really hurt.

 

[Johnny92]

Melbourne could rest players if 4th spot is locked in for them.

 

[Morkel]

Playing your best team in meaningless games is so stupid and amateurish...

I was raging at my TV last week when Reynolds and Walsh were still on the field with 10 mins to go in a game we were winning by nearly 50 points. I would have rather finish the game with 11 on the field than have them out there in meaningless time risking getting hurt... All it takes is one tackle / run / hit - If one of them is injured then our season is completely over.

Our goal is to win a premiership, not a specific game. If there is nothing to be gained from playing our key players then we shouldn't be playing them - end of story.

All risk, no reward. How would it feel beating the storm Reynolds or Walsh doing an ACL in the process... If they get injured in a regular game then so be it, but injuring themselves in a game they didn't need to play would really hurt.

There is the possibility that we'd have to face them in the finals. If that is the case, we want to push them as far as possible in order to see where their strengths and weaknesses are. We can't do that with a weakened team. It's not about winning this game, it's about learning what shots they have to fire in case we have to face them in a sudden-death environment.

If we were playing a team that wasn't going to feature in the finals... maybe.

 

[HarryAllan7]

There is the possibility that we'd have to face them in the finals. If that is the case, we want to push them as far as possible in order to see where their strengths and weaknesses are. We can't do that with a weakened team. It's not about winning this game, it's about learning what shots they have to fire in case we have to face them in a sudden-death environment.

If we were playing a team that wasn't going to feature in the finals... maybe.

It works both ways... They might use the game to test schemes and gameplans that expose our weaknesses (like our right defensive side). In fact, especially against an exceptionally well-coached team like the Storm, I'd argue that time on the paddock together would probably benefit them more than us, as their coaches have a more consistent and solid track record of gameplanning to exploit other sides.

I would rather take our chances in the finals and see whoever is better on the day with a full strength squad than risk injury to a key playmaker in order to gain a little 'tactical experience' which could probably be sourced from watching game tape anyway.

Not saying there's NO benefit from playing our key players, or from winning against the Storm (I would LOVE us to beat them), but I just don't think it's worth the risk in a meaningless game... Not to mention, we could play all our stars and STILL lose - what would that do to our confidence if we had to play them again a few weeks later?

 

[Foordy]

Kev has already said we won't rest players.

and he's correct, with a bye so close to finals we have no need to rest the players.

that said, we probably wont risk someone who is carrying an injury

 

[Morkel]

It works both ways... They might use the game to test schemes and gameplans that expose our weaknesses (like our right defensive side). In fact, especially against an exceptionally well-coached team like the Storm, I'd argue that time on the paddock together would probably benefit them more than us, as their coaches have a more consistent and solid track record of gameplanning to exploit other sides.

I would rather take our chances in the finals and see whoever is better on the day with a full strength squad than risk injury to a key playmaker in order to gain a little 'tactical experience' which could probably be sourced from watching game tape anyway.

Not saying there's NO benefit from playing our key players, or from winning against the Storm (I would LOVE us to beat them), but I just don't think it's worth the risk in a meaningless game... Not to mention, we could play all our stars and STILL lose - what would that do to our confidence if we had to play them again a few weeks later?

If we play all our stars and lose, we go over what went wrong and work on it.

I suspect that our specific game planning this year is a lot better than it has been in the past. I heard Kev say something about preparing for games in blocks earlier in the year, and it not quite working, so they are now preparing for each game individually. It could mean a lot of things, but if they are preparing one game at a time, I'd say their homework for each individual team is quite specific. So I wouldn't assume that the Storm's homework will be any better than ours to be honest.

 

[Bish]

Playing your best team in meaningless games is so stupid and amateurish...

I was raging at my TV last week when Reynolds and Walsh were still on the field with 10 mins to go in a game we were winning by nearly 50 points. I would have rather finish the game with 11 on the field than have them out there in meaningless time risking getting hurt... All it takes is one tackle / run / hit - If one of them is injured then our season is completely over.

Our goal is to win a premiership, not a specific game. If there is nothing to be gained from playing our key players then we shouldn't be playing them - end of story.

All risk, no reward. How would it feel beating the storm Reynolds or Walsh doing an ACL in the process... If they get injured in a regular game then so be it, but injuring themselves in a game they didn't need to play would really hurt.

Mate, no game against those bastards are ever meaningless.

Your point about last week I agree with, once we’re away and clear by 20+ it was game over.

We have 2 games left and are equal with Panthers, so it’s also likely to be going down to the last game for top spot.

Injuries can occur getting up from your chair, but I get where you’re coming from.

 

[mitch222]

The tactic should be to flog these *****. Im sick to death of being flogged year in year out by these pricks

 

[Super Freak]

I've got tickets to this game so my answer is don't rest anyone.

I don't think we need to when we've got the bye this week. Resting players can also backfire on you. It can be disruptive.

 

[Santa]

So... hypothetically if we are guaranteed Top 2 and the home final in week 1....And presuming the Minor Premiership is off the table...

Do we rest players v Storm in the last regular season game, or do we go hard full strength to try and smash them and break the hoodoo?

I lean towards resting our most important players tbh.

Keen to see what others think...!

We won't be resting players (what Kevvie has said), and I generally agree. We have been pretty fortunate with the timing of the bye, and Kevvie has been good with resting our origin players already.

Teams and players coming of byes have generally been a bit flat this year. Playing a team like Melbourne is exactly the type of match we need coming into the finals. Easy wins and resting, won't benefit a young team like ours. The win against Parra was cool, but we need to keep stepping it up if we are going all the way.

P.S. I think that's why the Warriors will fall off in the finals (similar to the Sharks last year). In their last 3 games they nearly lost to the Raiders, 13 man Titans, and the Tigers. They're good enough to beat the crap teams, but if they keep play playing how they have recently, they will quickly get knocked out in the finals.

 

[Broncapz]

We need to become Storms bogey team. We need to beat the Storm for a new day to dawn. No resting, foot to the throat. Haven't felt this confident against the Storm in like 15 years.

 

[GCBRONCO]

Strategy to beating the Storm? Simple, we get on the field and fucking beat them.

 

[Mustafur]

Full strength unless players geniuenly need rest, we have the late bye, having another week off not long after can be disruptive.