Video interview with Tony Smith who says he will be fielding a strong team against Keighley Cougars with only Benny Westwood, Louis Anderson, Brett Hodgson and Richie Myler absent www.warrington-worldwide.co.uk/a ... Page1.html

Video interview with Tony Smith who says he will be fielding a strong team against Keighley Cougars with only Benny Westwood, Louis Anderson, Brett Hodgson and Richie Myler absent www.warrington-worldwide.co.uk/a ... Page1.html

Top quote from Tony:

"up & down like a brides nightie" quality

Good to see we are showing our opponents respect but I would have hoped this would be a game to give Woody and Harrison a break. If you check the SL site Woody has been our most impressive forward by a mile and I would go with Coops and Carvell starting which is more than adequate. As O'Brien looks to be getting his chance at 7, Grix could move back to 13 to give Harrison a break too. FWIW I would also rest both Monaghan's.

I assume we don't want Michell and McCarthy cup-tied so they seem the logical replacements for Westwood and Anderson. A bench of Moz, Big Dave, Higham and Blythe would easily do the job for me with Riley at FB for this one.

Here is my team which I think is a good mix of experience and youth:

1 Riley
2 Evans
3 Bridge
4 Atkins
5 King
6 Briers
7 O'Brien
8 Cooper
9 Clarke
10 Carvell
11 Mitchell
12 McCarthy
13 Grix

14 Higham
15 Morley
16 Big Dave
17 Blythe

Good to see Riles back!

Would expect Evans have a field day on the wing in this one

Surely this is a game where Evans should get a gig at centre?

Yes I agree - I put him down on the wing without thinking that Willams could cover for Joel with Evans perhaps taking Bridge's spot. He seems so much more effective at centre than wing. Good call.

Which team has been more consistent than table-topping Warrington so far this season?

Obviously we are the most consistent of the 14, i just think he wants more of it.

I am not saying any one is more consistent at this stage - I am just stating that I don't think we should be slipping up at home to teams like Catalans and Hull and resting players when they are fully fit.

How very dare you, how very, very dare you! This is the Lord Tony Smith your disagreeing with. Like Tony says he sees them almost daily and knows what knocks or bumps players may have or even how they are feeling to make the decision to rest or drop players. I will go along with Tony in that the teams put out against Hull and Catalans were good enough to win. Were all entitled to our opinion just not to have one against the Lord Tony Smith

No disrespect intended, but the Cougars will hardly prove stiff opposition. Part time players in the 2nd tier of a competition getting further and further from the top flight each day.

Our table topping u20s could have this one for me.

I think that's just it though Gary, we're not resting fully fit players are we, we're resting players with bangs & knocks that we'd normally make/expect to play through them. Given the way our season fizzled out last year post Wembley, Smith has obviously looked to keep people fresher for the duration. I think by the end of last season, even our 'machines' like Westwood & Monaghan looked pooped.

The defeats hurt sure, but you've always next week to right wrongs. Lose in the playoffs, no right of response. If TS has hatched a plan, who are we to disagree with him.

I didn't want to lose the games we have any more than the next fella, but Gary's view is a bit 'traditionalist' and doesn't take into account the realities of modern-day RL and balancing the squad to peak at the right times.

This is the year when we need to perform in the play-offs and I'm sure TS will be happy to sink or swim in our performances in September and October.