This Sat the Waves have additional injuries from last weekends game v View, ie a 1sts prop and a key winger, to add to their list of 6 1sts players previously injured, none are back this weekend.. In addition, both 2nds props are also out v Oakhill, it's the worst list I have ever seen.
Fair to say it's an excuse but you take more than half a 1sts side out of any team, and it is what it is. This also then has a cascading effect into the 2nds and 3rds and 16as all of whom have lost quite a number of key players, ie only the better players get pushed up.
Trouble is if/when these players do return they will have little/no match fitness before the Comp starts, so it will be pretty tough to see the Waves being really competitive this year, but you never know.
Oakhill will most certainly not ease off as a result, and you wouldn't expect them to, but it's hard to see the Waves winning much tomorrow, except for their younger age groups, 13s -15s, who are pretty strong, but Oakhill is also usually strong in these younger ages . Interesting battles ahead!
A long way to go and hopefully ALL teams get to full strength before their respective comps!