Don't really think the bench was the problem.

I heard Ben was playing but not seen anything of Bailey even getting a reserve match

The infection on Bailey's leg has cleared up and he can now start running again. So I would guess we are looking at 2-3 weeks minimum before he even gets a run out in the reserves. Meanwhile Ben Evans has been playing since the third week in February. He has played twice for the reserves and twice for Rochdale. But... he was injured during March 2015, so he has had a full year out, plus no pre-season so I don't know what sort of player we will get back this season.

I'd be tempted to hand a few rests out:

1. Russell
2. Lineham
3. R Evans
4. Atkins
5. Penny
6. Gidley
7. Patton
8. B Evans
9. Ratchford
10. Cox
11. Currie
12. Westwood
13. Westerman

14. I really want to give Daz a rest. Morgan Smith has played at hooker I think? Dubious.
15. Philbin
16. G King
17. Hughes

After what happened at wakey today I wouldn't rest anybody. Hudds season could start this fri if we don't play to our full potential.

If Gidley shakes this calf issue he has, then he should be kicking Friday. As you say, Brough wont miss many, so we need him back on duty!!

This

I agree and thankfully so do the RFL. No charge for Ryan.

Is it a case of resting players or player management/conditioning Hull and Cats had players out knocks/rested over Easter and are going well while Saints played their fittest team including youngsters against some of our not so fit players and goal kickers and get a win.

No player would thank a coach for resting him for the sake of it players with knocks/strains would accept it so they should if any be the ones to miss out giving others a chance being a team game surely Gidley is not the only one with a brain.

My guess is that TS will play virtually his strongest side again. This year there are no easy games as Wigan recently learned to their cost. Then there is the new format. You have to finish in the top 4 to have the chance of the GF, and that means there is much less margin for error - you have to go for every point during the season. Finally Huddersfield will be desperate for a win and we should expect the kitchen sink to be thrown at us.

He missed a couple of regulation kicks at Hull on Friday!

Be gentle with us please, we didn't mean it last year

I also think he should go with his strongest team (fittest team) there is very little wriggle room as I can see Cats and Hull holding up well with other teams having plenty of players to come back, they would all be capable of taking points from us.

As you say Huddersfield will be quite desperate and it should be tough.

Yes, 'fittest' is an interesting point. When we discuss players that are injured on here it means they have a broken leg, torn muscle etc etc. But players will have 'bumps and bruises' as Tony likes to call them as well. They are also injuries, but which can be played through. But invariably it means that if they play, they can not train. Or if they play, they can not do the goal kicking etc. At some point players carrying these sorts of injuries will need time off to heal and recuperate. If they don't, then they end up needing an operation at the end of season or being physically clapped out by the time they reach 30. So I agree, at some point the walking wounded will definitely need a break and we will have to bring in our reserves. Lets hope that Evans, King, Laithwaite etc are fit to play soon.

Got to play your best team at the moment. Everyone knew that April was going to be a testing month with the fixtures that we were given. Lets get Huddersfield and Widnes out of the way, then we get to play Wigans 4th team again. There could be scope to give some of the more battle weary a break in the Challenge Cup if we get a favorable draw. Lets get the points on the board early and let everyone else play catch up.

The main thing is that none of us really know who is carrying what amount of 'bumps and bruises'.
Clearly some of the 17 last week weren't 100% fit, so it's a balancing act because as others have said, to keep playing guys who are carrying an injury or a cumulation of bumps and bruises will eventually take it's toll.
Cox didn't play and I'd not heard about his problem , but is 1 week's rest enough? I guess that's the physios job but I do know that too many RL players play with injuries and injections. That's not good.
Having said that it's not wendy-ball so there's a balance to be had.

Starting point for Friday will be the same 19.