Moon and Watkins are two of our key creative attackers. Moon has been carrying an injury and Watkins didn't look 100% last week. So this is not a game to risk them in with a cup final and playoffs coming up. Keinhorst should play centre with Ablett if Cuthbertson is fit and if not then Handley and keep back 3 the same. Golding to drop out with either Cuthbo/Handley

Why are people getting their panties in a bunch about winning the LLS?

Top 2 is all that's important to guarantee you the home semi-final. With neither Saints nor Wigan in particularly fluent form at the moment and Leeds currently holding a five-point gap over the reigning champions, a defeat on Friday is hardly critical to that ambition.

I certainly wouldn't be risking Hardaker. Last thing Leeds want is facing going to Wembley with either Golding or Handley at full-back. Likewise Sinfield sits out for me, because you don't want to risk going into the Cup final without your first choice goal-kicker.

If we hadn't just lost Aiton I'd agree with you on Hardaker and Sinfield.
As it is I think we need as many games as possible with our halves playing in order to get used to playing without Aiton.

If either of them have knocks though then I'd rest them.

The LLS now has £100k status with WCC place so very much worth going for.

I think if Hudds beat saints and wire beat Wigan we should be away with the LLS. Pies and saints still have to play each other too.

I'm not worried about resting a few players for Hull, it's the games after vs saints and if we get any more injuries, the away to cats game. Really need Delaney to string some games together without injury, same for Achurch

I reckon the WCC is going to become a big deal and - for the kudos - it should be a focus for the club to proper batter an NRL side or two.

1. 100k, the same amount of money you win for winning the challenge cup.
2. a trophy in the cabinet.
3. a place in the world club series which gaurentees more income into the club.
4. The most consistent side throughout the season, which we have not been in quite a while.
5. you'll play the second best team in the world club challenge, rather than the third (requested) team if we win the challenge cup.
6. The possibility of a treble which doesn't happen much in rugby league, especially with JP, Leuluai, Sinfield, Aiton all leaving at the end of the season.

1-3 I might give you as being in some way important (although arguably our red hot start to the season benefitted from not having to fit in a glorified friendly against a mid-table NRL team), but 4-6 as justification for risking players ahead of a Cup final? Really?

Not a cat in hell's chance any player since its introduction would swap a LLS win for a Challenge Cup win.

They might not have done previously, but under this new concept, I bet they would now. I personally would have done anytime, but certainly now under this new concept and prize money.

The different to previous times though, is that we know who we are playing at Wembley, and should be capable of winning that with players missing. We have a chance of doing this League Leaders aswell as we stand, but are unlikely to win games with players missing.

I agree on your first post with regards Hardaker, and with regards Cuthbertson. Hence why it seems stupid to me that Watkins and Moon are the ones rested. I think with the first choice settled centres, even resting Hardaker and Cuthbertson we would still beat Hull. But with the selection chose by missing your centres, I don't think we will beat them, and you are still risking the likes of Hardaker.

Watkins and Moon are undoubtedly a large part of Leeds' success story...but is strange MDermott seems to value conserving these two above the likes of Hardaker and Sinfield .These two along with Peacock; Cuthbertson and McGuire i would suggest are the more important team members to be running out at Wembley !!!
Injuries to any of these in a relatively unimportant match a week before the cup final would be unforgivable!!!

Can only think the centres have sufficient niggling injury worries to be prioritising their absence this week.

So you'd rest a fit Hardaker so you could play Moon with an Achilles issue instead.

I'd suggest the reason both Watkins and Moon have been omitted is the massive drop-off in quality between them and their potential replacements is arguably higher than any other position on the field.

Not saying I agree with it, but I can see an element of logic about it. If either of those two are missing, then you're looking at Ablett/Briscoe/Handley/Keinhorst to come in - all of whom are a significant downgrade.

I agree, it would be nice to get top spot sown up as soon as possible but i reckon at least one of Saints or Wigan will lose this weekend and like you say they have to play each other too aswell. It's the sensible thing to do to rest a few and i think we certainly are in a position to do it. I don't think we will win tomorrow but that 19 man squad still has the enough quality to pull it off.

I agree with your first two paragraphs but as I previously said Moon and Watkins apart from doing a lot of solid defensive work are our main creative attackers along with McGuire and both look to have been carrying injuries. I think the coach would have not rested anyone if fit for this one as he values momentum and better get the points in the bag now and give rests just before the playoffs.

I do think we will win although it will be tough.

Can't see why so many people think we'll lose. Hull are a poor team this year and beat a poor Saints team. We still have lots of quality in for tomorrow. Yeah, Watkins and Moon are big losses, but we can deal with it and still put in a performance. It's not like we've got Vickery coming in.