The panel on The Late Show With Matty Johns was break up firmly down the center when debating the deserves of the Penrith Panthers resting their stars for the ultimate recreation of the NRL common season.
The Panthers tackle the North Queensland Cowboys on Saturday night and will wrap up the minor premiership in the event that they emerge victorious.
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However, the Cowboys can be no pushovers given a victory might see them make the eight.
Given Penrith have already got a finals spot locked in, there’s a case to be made for coach Ivan Cleary to maintain a few of his stars in cotton wool for the finals.
Yet Brian Fletcher and Nathan Hindmarsh felt the Panthers boss will desperately wish to bounce again from their horror defeat to the Parramatta Eels final week.
“I don’t reckon they’ll rest them, no,” Fletcher mentioned.
“I think after last week when they got beaten by Parramatta, and the fact no [Jarome] Luai, so they need Cleary and Cogger to form some sort of partnership in the halves.”
Hindmarsh added: “I think they’ll want to prove a point. They’ll want to get stuck into the Cowboys and really set that platform leading into the semi finals and get back to where they know they can play their best footy.
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“I think the forwards were a bit below their best last week. I think they’ll be out to prove a point.”
However, Matty Johns disagreed with the duo and felt Cleary will take a look at this weekend as a golden alternative to maintain a few of his massive names rested forward of the finals sequence.
“I’d be really surprised if Nathan [Cleary] plays,” Johns mentioned.
“I’d be surprised if Nathan plays and [Moses] Leota and [James] Fisher-Harris play.”
Gorden Tallis concurred and felt the chance of one thing going awry within the recreation and ruling a Panthers participant out for the finals was too nice.
“You look at the judiciary, you look at the HIA, I wouldn’t risk it,” Tallis mentioned.
Source web site: www.foxsports.com.au
