And yet Wire didn't win the Grand Final either. So cleverly saving themselves in the league didn't work out too well.

Wane wanted to win the league. Whether that was the right thing to do or not is a different debate but given that was his stated intention there is only one sensible approach to winning the league when you also have to play-off - get it won as soon as possible. Otherwise you end up in the situation I described.

like it Dave O.......win the league as soon as possible if you can then you can rest/rotate or even try out new plays in remaining games that have no meaning ready for the playoffs....

Given there is only one way to win the league, amass more points than anyone else, it seems to me you must try and take every point on offer. If you come across a weak side you still want to ensure victory as you never know when you might needs those points in the bag later on. That was shown by what happened last season IMO with us having to bust a gut at HKR or face Saints to win the league in the last match.

The fact we play-off after the league just makes it even more important you get winning the league over with as soon as you can. Of course this assumes that you have made winning the league a priority which Wane did last year.

What? Completely missed the point.
My point does not suggest we shouldn't finish fifth whatsoever, but rest key players when playing weaker opposition. I believe resting key players doesn't mean we can't finish top whatsoever. I believe a team without 1 or 2 stars could beat the likes of Salford, London, Widnes etc.

We need to be fit and fresh and in the right state FOR THE PLAYOFFS. Players playing less games throughout the season will keep them fresher.
There are other advantages squad rotation.

Not really. You simply have to get into the playoffs and win the playoffs to be SL champs. Winning the league is irrelevant.

Exactly. There are two trophies worth winning throughout a season, the GF and CC. You do what you can to ensure winning.
People who think winning the league is the goal are sadly living in the past, it doesn't mean much sadly.

You didn't read this bit then?

"Of course this assumes that you have made winning the league a priority....".

Speak to Wane then. You can go on about squad rotation all you want but until the coach buy's into your view of the world you are banging your head against a brick wall.

Of course this ignores the other aspect of this which is that treating the league as you suggest would be commercial suicide.

This a discussion board, hence we are discussing different thoughts and opinions. If you don't have anything to offer more than 'speak to Wane' don't bother commenting, you could say 'speak to Wane' after nearly every OP.

Why would you make winning the league the priority? When to be CHAMPIONS you have to win the GF.

Wane got it right yesterday. He rested Powell and Taylor bringing in Logan and Crosby. It's just a shame about the injury to Mossop.

Also on the plus side Ben Flower has been really good this season, I wish he was about 6" taller and two stone heavier though, but he does look like a good squad member.

Shortly I'd like too see Burke given a rest and Lloyd given a couple of games.

Because winning the league:

1) Gives you a nice piece of silverware to stick in your trophy cabinet
&
2) You gain an easier route through the play-offs making it more likely that you'll reach the grand final.

And yet one 'thought and opinion' that almost no-one who advocates fielding weakened Wigan teams seems willing to debate is the one Dave O mentions in the post you've responded to regarding commercial suicide.

We already have a problem in Super League in that at least half our home fixtures are not sexy enough to attract all but the hard core fans. Poor attendance by away supporters is another issue. Too often the North Stand is closed. Too often the atmosphere is flat because everyone expects it to be a dead rubber. Even yesterday, when it was close at halftime, no-one seriously expected that Wigan would lose.

Under those circs, would it really be sensible to start fielding weakened Wigan sides as well? The club is in the entertainment business, and yet some people are calling for a policy that would make it even less entertaining.

would there be 9500+ season ticket holders if you knew that half the home games would be a weakened side due to squad rotation or would fans decide to only turn up against Leeds/Wire/Saints and a couple of others..... The club needs the revenue to spend up to the salary cap and deveolpe youth.....

That is not how I meant that comment and you know it. There is far too much of the coaches always right on here as it is. However it should be obvious to you that Wane [idoes[/i like to win the league so if you want success in the playoffs as well then instead of putting forward your squad rotation idea you should be thinking about what he could do to win both the league and the play offs. And as I said, the way to do that is get the league won as soon as you can then you are not doing as we did last season.

Nothing wrong with resting a couple of players against a side like London. What Wane didn't do was go OTT as he did v Widnes last season and rest another three including the likes of Sam despite the shoulder injury keeping him out the week before. Maybe Wane has learned something from last seasons experiences.

You can't wrap up the league early Wigan aren't far superior to the other teams, plus there is very little incentive to win the league. Sooner do what we can to win the playoffs.

Surely this is what I've been saying all along.

Really? Your opening post for the entire thread was hardly suggesting one or two players rested.

Talk of resting players now to save something for the playoffs that only start in 7 months time is ridiculous. There is a full season to go yet and a player left out for a game now will feel no fresher for it come September and October. They may even be out injured by then. The time to look at resting the big names to save their strength is from about the cup semi finals onwards that way the week off that they get is close enough to the big games to actually make an impact on preserving energy levels.

It is right that some squad rotation should occur (2 or 3 positions max per game) throughout the season but the focus of it at this stage is to give game time and experience to young/fringe players when games are less high pressure. So that when games are more important (clinching a top2/top 4/top 8 spot, cup semi final/final, playoffs) they can be called upon if needed and confidently step in. Getting game time early on when pressure is lower also allows those capable of becoming regular first teamers to stake their claim for a spot without the players themselves having the worry that their own inexperience/nerves could de-rail the season, reducing the chances of this affecting their performance.

Some people are also getting a bit too hung up on the 'being champions from 5th place' thing that Leeds have managed. Leeds are as good as they ever were in the last decade, they are just older (in the main) and the league campaign is no longer the two horse race that it has been since the start of SL (whether it was between Sts & Bradford/ Leeds & Sts or any other dominant pair in any given season). Us and Wire have joined Leeds and Saints and with Hudds and Catalans interchanging there are now a dominant 5 each season as opposed to a dominant two and any of the 5 can beat any of the others in a given game. In the last two seasons Leeds have just managed to win against all of those from the top 5 that they met in the games that ultimately decided the championship. Any of this seasons eventual top 5 could do the same (wherever they finish within the top 5) as all are capable. It's just that so far only Leeds have managed it. Leeds didn't rest the squad and settle for 5th (Sinfield played in every game for club and country and the likes of McGuire, Burrow et al only missed when injured) it's just that with more teams now capable of winning the trophies finishing 5th now is largely the same as finishing second in the first 15 or so SL seasons. That is where the lowest of the realistic title contenders will end up.

One does wonder how the club coped back in the early nineties in order for them to win the league and cup double? Oh and the fact they had the mid-week distractions of the Lancs cup and Regal trophy (which we usually won as well). Don't remember the mass rotation then either, Mission Impossible season anyone? Sheesh!

They could have done so last year and that is a fact. The way you try and do it is not to blow the easy games and there [iare[/i easy games whether that is the politically correct thing to say or not. You get the points in the bag whenever you can. That is how you try and win a league and always has been. It's got nothing to do with Wigan being superior to other sides.

As to there being no incentive to win the league that doesn't matter given that was Wane's aim so given that is what he wanted to do he should have approached the season differently so as not to leave us chasing games just before the play offs.

This is just common sense.

If Wane wanted to win the league that much he was prepared to flog his players that much in the last couple of Weeks of the season and not peak for the playoffs, then he is a doilum.

Indeed they came up short at the final hurdle but they learned some lessons from the previous season and at least made OT last season