We all have access to the store of stats. It is how you interpret them that counts. Assuming you read them correctly. Handley made 7 missed tackles not 6!

I have watched the highlights. The TJ puts the flag up the second Watkins steps in touch!

I care. I'd take the highest spot possible over the cup any day.

Correct. It was right in front of me. Watkins was clearly in touch and the TJ flagged it straight away.

Seriously? So you'd take third instead of fourth over a win next Saturday?

The point im making is that if we dont rest players against Bradford and London we are top right now and are in pole position for a home game in the first week of the playoffs. As it is, we now are just as likely to finish 6th (yes, I know thats a home game too) as we are 2nd.

And anyway, yes, I don't care much for the Cup as it is. I didn't even watch the last cup final we were in.

Maybe so - but the Cup semi and Final are clearly more important games than fixtures against Bradford and London. You might not care about winning the Cup, but the players and club clearly do. And for what it's worth, I think this is the year they finally will do it too. All worth it then, even if they don't manage a top two finish. It's so tight in the race for the GF this year anyway, I'm not sure finishing position means very much at all.

In any case - resting players was not the reason the game was lost yesterday. It was the inability of the team selected to get the job done when in a winning position.

You genuinely care more about the game yesterday than the final next week?

At least next year resting people at this stage will not be an option as it's a top 4 playoff. The cup needs to go back to May though. It's cheapened the finish to the season even more than usual this time.

And if the final was moved back to May (I agree on this point) teams would still rest players before the final.

Genuinely!

For me the cup is a day out for the fans. It doesn't make you the best.

Finishing strong and getting a home tie by finishing in the top 2 is a lot more important to me because it gives you a better chance of making and winning the grand final. To me this should be the number 1 priority every year.

The Cup is a sideshow.

And Im not saying we can't win it from 6th. Im just saying we'd have a better chance from 1st or second.

Yes, they probably would. It has slighty less of an effect at the start of the year though compared to a vital run in in August. I know losing 4 points at any time means the same outcome but at the same time it is different.