putting out weakened teams

[graveyard johnny]

was this sort of thing not heavily frowned upon at one time and clubs fined heavily for doing it? just before big cup matches as usual there seems to be a glut of it now both here and down under

[Tommygilf]

Yeah it was all of those things but then this little pandemic happened and suddenly it became less important...

[Robin Evans]

Nah.... there's the pandemic.... then there's taking the pizz

[MADREDNIGE]

Full strength teams or not, a lot of games have been a waste of time. Got sick of hearing Wigan had a poor team out it was THEIR choice not St. Helens. Did they expect Saints to go easy on them? 

[graveyard johnny]

9 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

Yeah it was all of those things but then this little pandemic happened and suddenly it became less important...

so none of the wigan players rested will be playing on sat ?

[M j M]

I saw who the OP was in this thread and thought to myself, "well this is likely to be an uplifting and realistic post taking into account the compressed schedule of games we have to play and the already acknowledged wider use of squad players that will entail".

And how right I was.

[Red Willow]

There is a case to be made in this case, played at the weekend, play on Tuesday and again on Saturday.

Teams have fringe players for this reason, there is no relegation so no one else is really disadvantaged.

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

From the Op Rules, no mention of fielding the strongest possible team 

Each Club shall take all reasonable and permissible measures throughout each Match to ensure that its team gives its best efforts in an attempt to win the Match and/or of obtaining the best possible score in the Match. All Players and Officials shall take all reasonable and permissible measures and give their best efforts in an attempt to win each Match and/or of obtaining the best possible score in each Match.

[LeeF]

Define weakened team

[MADREDNIGE]

Not playing your best players. 

[Wanderer]

maybe having to play twice a week clubs will have weekend teams and midweek teams

[DEANO]

If it was a proper  league where every point counted there would be no weakened teams. 

[MADREDNIGE]

Proper league? Lol. 

[DEANO]

I’m on about the type where everyone plays each other home and away and the best team is the one at the top at the end of the season instead of playing 27 glorified friendlies with loop fixtures then having a cup competition to decide who’s best

[M j M]

2 minutes ago, DEANO said:

I’m on about the type where everyone plays each other home and away and the best team is the one at the top at the end of the season instead of playing 27 glorified friendlies with loop fixtures then having a cup competition to decide who’s best

Imagine how embarrassed you'll be when you find out clubs even put out weakened teams in the old first past the post days.

But any excuse to shoe-horn in a rant about season structure into something to which it is irrelevant.

[Dave T]

Well, life is pretty rubbish at the moment. Can't see family and many friends, haven't seen a work colleague in person for over 6 months, all travel canned, frustrated 4 year old daughter can't do many of her favourite things - personally I'm really grateful that we have RL to watch, and I'm enjoying every second of it. I appreciate the efforts everyone is going to to stage these games and entertain us, making life more bearable. 

Try and lighten up and enjoy it folks. 

[graveyard johnny]

did canberra need to put out such a second string last week? they are playing the one match a week as usual as far as i know

[Moove]

40 minutes ago, MADREDNIGE said:

Not playing your best players. 

Who decides who are the best players?

[Robin Evans]

2 minutes ago, Dave T said:

 

Try and lighten up and enjoy it folks. 

Oh its not armageddon dave. Its just some teams taking the pizz with the teams they field in some games as they are prioritising their fixtures. It happens. It's a pizz take but there you go.

If I was a paying speccie (I know we're not), and I was a wigan fan, I could be pizzed off with the team wigan fielded last night. 

As you allude, its not the end of the world. When I realised it wasn't a contest I turned the rugby off and listened to music.

Fielding weekend sides is not a symptom of covid. Its always happened mate

[LittleboroRoughyed]

Once l'd seen the line-ups I switched over. One of the glamour ties of SL, one that casual fans may tune in to watch, disrespected. Hopefully Wigan will also lose the semi.

[Bring back the Boyd]

At any given time, any team can lose players because of Covid and out of necessity call upon fringe players—- makes sense for them to be given game time in a game that perhaps win or lose doesn’t really matter that much, instead of finding out they’re not up to it in a game that does—- cup semi or the playoffs. I’d never seen many of the Wire squad against Salford play before—- some I would feel assured playing in an important game if called upon and some I wouldn’t and I’m sure Steve Price learnt a few things as well 

[Oldbear]

Think this is going to happen more frequently, given the number of games that the league is trying to fit in over the coming months, plus the protection from relegation, wonder how SKY feels about it though?

[wiganermike]

23 minutes ago, LittleboroRoughyed said:

Once l'd seen the line-ups I switched over. One of the glamour ties of SL, one that casual fans may tune in to watch, disrespected. Hopefully Wigan will also lose the semi.

Leeds appear to have put out even more of a fringe team than we did last night. 15 changes compared to Wigan's 10. Eight players (not including Brett Ferres) with a number 30 or higher on their shirt according to team sheet on BBC website. They are losing and likely to do so just as we did but they played last weekend, are playing midweek and will play on Saturday. No wonder three of the semi finalists put out the kids (Salford I believe didn't name a full 21 so I doubt they had the same luxury available). I don't blame any of them for doing so, it's the sensible approach to take. They are only damaging their own efforts for a top 4 place so no harm done to other teams.

If there was no midweek match and these teams had been rolled out last weekend with relegation a factor in the season then people would have legitimate cause to complain but given the unusual circumstances involved they don't in this case IMO.

[Hela Wigmen]

I make Wigan right for doing what they did last night and I’d have hoped we’d have done the same if we were playing in the Semi-Final on Saturday. 

It wasn’t ideal that the first Saints-Wigan game of the year saw it being men against boys in a few ways but we live in different times now and we have to do whatever it takes to fulfil obligations with Sky and to finish the season in as professional a way as possibly. Wigan and Lam prioritised the cup, as we did a couple of times last year, resting players vs London twice, to get to a final, which we did. 

[DEANO]

4 minutes ago, Hela Wigmen said:

I make Wigan right for doing what they did last night and I’d have hoped we’d have done the same if we were playing in the Semi-Final on Saturday. 

It wasn’t ideal that the first Saints-Wigan game of the year saw it being men against boys in a few ways but we live in different times now and we have to do whatever it takes to fulfil obligations with Sky and to finish the season in as professional a way as possibly. Wigan and Lam prioritised the cup, as we did a couple of times last year, resting players vs London twice, to get to a final, which we did. 

And nearly kept London up !!