Resting Test Players during the Super Rugby Season

[Nusadan]

For want of putting this article into an appropriate thread, so here it is...

http://www.rugby.com.au/news/aap/s-...ff_says_otago_coach,147015.html/section/21893

Seems he (Jamie Joseph) may have a valid point for the time being, but I think Oz player stocks will rise due to more opportunities especially for those who would have otherwise have gone overseas or even return...

 

[qwerty51]

I'm not sure why he singled out the Tahs/Reds matches. They'd be the most physical.

 

[Hawko]

Thank you Mister Joseph! With this plastered all over the changeroom walls in three weeks time there will be no other motivation required to make sure the Highlanders are greeted with the appropriate levels of physicality.

 

[ACT Crusader]

I'm not sure the likes of Genia or Cooper need resting. How old (or should I say young) are these guys? They need rugby under their belts, not forced rests.

I don't think Henry is calling for any young backs to be rested. I can understand seasoned fatties or 26yo+ certain starter backs, but everyone else, just play.

 

[Scotty]

Joseph has clearly not watched the last reds vs tahs game and he seems to be just spitting the dummy about the competition format.

 

[Bullrush]

While I wouldn't necessarily agree with the comments on the Reds/Tahs game, when 3 of the bottom 4 spots on the ladder go to one country, there possibly could be something in saying that the competition is not even.

The Reds have beaten all-comers so it's hard to argue that they don't deserve to go thru (ouch...lol) but a case could be made that the Tahs will have had 6 'easy' games by the end of the season compared with teams from NZ and SA.

I don't know if that's actually the case but I can see the logic that drives that arguement....

 

[wolverine]

Managing player welfare will be crucial to winning a World Cup. South Africa rested players during the away leg of the 2007 Tri Nations, on the advice of Sports Scientist Dr Tim Noakes, and the Boks peaked for the World Cup. Australia rested nobody, and we lost our playmaker Larkham to injury in the first game, leaving a rookie in Barnes in charge.

In principle, NZ were on the right track with the reconditioning program.

This whole resting of players is just rubbish, have a look at someone like Darren Lockyer, the guy plays up to 30 games a season(NRL State, Test)..

Lockyer has played up to 37 games in a season, and several years ago, called for a reduction in the NRL season from 24 competition rounds to 18. Lockyer, along with several senior RL players like Melbourne/Qld/Aus hooker Cameron Smith, former Newcastle/NSW hooker Danny Buderus, NSW Blues hooker Michael Ennis, England captain & prop/second row Jamie Peacock, former England captain & five eighth/lock Paul Sculthorpe, and coaches like Manly's Des Hasler and Melbourne's Craig Bellamy, have consistently called for the workload on elite RL players to be eased, either by a shorter season, and/or stand-alone weekends for representative matches like tests and State of Origin. Broncos NRL coach Anthony Griffin rested Lockyer and 3 other players in the Broncos' test contingent after the test match vs NZ. Winger Yow Yeh was called back into club duty at the last minute.

 

[Scotty]

While I wouldn't necessarily agree with the comments on the Reds/Tahs game, when 3 of the bottom 4 spots on the ladder go to one country, there possibly could be something in saying that the competition is not even.

The Reds have beaten all-comers so it's hard to argue that they don't deserve to go thru (ouch...lol) but a case could be made that the Tahs will have had 6 'easy' games by the end of the season compared with teams from NZ and SA.

I don't know if that's actually the case but I can see the logic that drives that arguement....

It has a valid basis but you wouldn't expect that at the start if the season the brumbies would be so poor but you would expect a new team to struggle. It will be more even in the years to come.

I doubt the crusaders would say the force games are 'easy' ones. Those contests always seem to be close.

 

[Bullrush]

It has a valid basis but you wouldn't expect that at the start if the season the brumbies would be so poor but you would expect a new team to struggle. It will be more even in the years to come.

I doubt the crusaders would say the force games are 'easy' ones. Those contests always seem to be close.

Yeah....there wouldn't be very many games (if any at all) that any of the teams would look at as 'easy' in terms of actually playing, running, hitting etc but I suspect that most teams would look at the Rebels, Force, Lions, Cheetahs and maybe the Hurricanes this year and would target those as games where they 'should' get 4 points.

As punters, we do don't we?