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Holbrook Springs a surprise for Leeds


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Just seen the Saints Squad for the Leeds game on Thursday and Holbrook has sprung a major surprise by only resting those still carrying injuries (No Coote, Walmsley,  LMS, Paolo & Roby). I think everyone was expecting a virtual A team to be turning out !

1. Jonny Lomax, 2. Tommy Makinson, 3. Kevin Naiqama, 4. Mark Percival, 5. Regan Grace, 6. Theo Fages, 7. Danny Richardson, 10. Luke Thompson, 11. Zeb Taia, 15. Morgan Knowles, 16. Kyle Amor, 17. Dom Peyroux, 19. Matty Lees, 20. Jack Ashworth, 21. Aaron Smith, 22. James Bentley, 24. Matty Costello, 25. Joe Batchelor, 29. Jack Welsby.

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54 minutes ago, Saint Toppy said:

Just seen the Saints Squad for the Leeds game on Thursday and Holbrook has sprung a major surprise by only resting those still carrying injuries (No Coote, Walmsley,  LMS, Paolo & Roby). I think everyone was expecting a virtual A team to be turning out !

1. Jonny Lomax, 2. Tommy Makinson, 3. Kevin Naiqama, 4. Mark Percival, 5. Regan Grace, 6. Theo Fages, 7. Danny Richardson, 10. Luke Thompson, 11. Zeb Taia, 15. Morgan Knowles, 16. Kyle Amor, 17. Dom Peyroux, 19. Matty Lees, 20. Jack Ashworth, 21. Aaron Smith, 22. James Bentley, 24. Matty Costello, 25. Joe Batchelor, 29. Jack Welsby.

So he named his strongest side, less those that are carrying injuries? 

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3 minutes ago, hunsletgreenandgold said:

So he named his strongest side, less those that are carrying injuries? 

Looks like he left out those carrying injuries and named his strongest side?

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1 minute ago, Manx RL said:

Looks like he left out those carrying injuries and named his strongest side?

Yeah I mean did anyone really expect anything less? Yes they have the CC final week after but getting tanked by Leeds (which they almost certainly would) putting out an A team wouldn't be the ideal preparation for it either. 

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2 hours ago, Saint Toppy said:

 (No Coote, Walmsley,  LMS, Paolo & Roby).

1. Jonny Lomax, 2. Tommy Makinson, 3. Kevin Naiqama, 4. Mark Percival, 5. Regan Grace, 6. Theo Fages, 7. Danny Richardson, 10. Luke Thompson, 11. Zeb Taia, 15. Morgan Knowles, 16. Kyle Amor, 17. Dom Peyroux, 19. Matty Lees, 20. Jack Ashworth, 21. Aaron Smith, 22. James Bentley, 24. Matty Costello, 25. Joe Batchelor, 29. Jack Welsby.

Well that’s 5 players he’s resting. And as he hasn’t named the 17 that will play it could well be 7 that are rested, or even more if there is a late change to the 19 man squad.

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To be fair, out of that lot there are only three on less than 10 appearances this season (including Welsby and Costello who are on nine). The squad has been rotated in and out all season so hopefully it's a chance to get some key combinations going ahead of the final and not worry too much about the result

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1 hour ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

Well that’s 5 players he’s resting. And as he hasn’t named the 17 that will play it could well be 7 that are rested, or even more if there is a late change to the 19 man squad.

He isn't resting five players.  Coote (knee injury) and Walmsley (retina injury) have been missing for a few weeks.  Roby came back for one game after a few weeks out following groin surgery but was sore after that game and so missed last week.  Paolo went off with a hamstring injury last week.  I don't know about LMS.  We will have Knowles back this week.  He's also been missing for a few weeks with injury.

I was hoping Makinson may be rested as he took a knock to his try scoring hand when scoring a try last week but it seems he is playing.  He may rest Lomax as Lomax is a very important player for us and so risking injury against Leeds in a game we don't actually need to win may prove unnecessary.  But who knows?  He may want to ensure as many players as possible are up to speed with the plays and defence before the big game and so not rest anyone.

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12 hours ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

Perhaps Holbrook wants to stop Leeds getting 5th spot as they would be a genuine threat to Saints in the play offs 

The chance of Leeds getting into 5th are virtually zero. There are 3 teams that are 6 point ahead of them(Salford, Cas & Catalans), so they need all 3 of them to lose all their remaining matches in order to take 5th spot and Leeds have to win all their remaining matches.

Its made even more difficult because 2 of those 3 also have better points differentials. Leeds need to make up 72 points over Cas and 157 points over Salford.

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Surprised by this team selection in all honesty, I expected a side more like the ones sent to London, if I’m honest.

While I have reservations over Holbrook’s team selection around big games, it’ll be interesting to see how this all plays out. Having the hubcap sewn up made me think we’d have rested a few more players and a lack of Roby and Coote ahead of next week’s final, even just for a spell, leaves me feeling uneasy. 

 

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17 minutes ago, Saint Toppy said:

The chance of Leeds getting into 5th are virtually zero. There are 3 teams that are 6 point ahead of them(Salford, Cas & Catalans), so they need all 3 of them to lose all their remaining matches in order to take 5th spot and Leeds have to win all their remaining matches.

Its made even more difficult because 2 of those 3 also have better points differentials. Leeds need to make up 72 points over Cas and 157 points over Salford.

You’re not great at spotting jokes, are you? 

The game before Wembley is always one that players simply want to get out of the way, particularly in a case like this where there is nothing to play for. Whoever they pick will go through the motions, either consciously or subconsciously. 

 

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