AS he prepares to take his side to London Broncos on Sunday, Sam Burgess has a balance to strike in terms of his Warrington Wolves team selection.
While insisting he will field a strong side in the capital with the likes of Toby King and Joe Philbin returning from injury, he also admitted there would be an element of squad rotation at play with options now plentiful in certain areas.
He confirmed one player who would be given a breather this weekend, but here we take a look at a couple of others who may be in line for a rest…
BEN CURRIE
Burgess has already confirmed Currie would sit this game out in order to manage his workload.
The long-serving forward has been a revelation since moving into a loose forward role and he has featured in 19 of Warrington’s 24 matches in all competitions this year.
He missed both of the back-to-back games against the Broncos back in March through a combination of injury and the birth of baby son Theo but since a pectoral injury kept him out of the Challenge Cup win at St Helens and the Super League victory over Leigh Leopards that followed, he has played in every game bar one.
The only game he missed was the Super League loss to Wigan Warriors just prior to the Challenge Cup Final when the majority of first-team players were rested, while he also played in England’s mid-season Test match against France.
With Philbin back from injury and James Harrison’s return from suspension as well as the recent signings of Luke Yates and John Bateman giving them depth in his position, it seems a good moment to give Currie a breather.
MATTY NICHOLSON
Another player we would not be surprised to see taken out of the firing line this week is Nicholson.
The 20-year-old second-rower missed the early weeks of the season having had a hernia operation during pre-season but since making his return in the Challenge Cup win over London Broncos, he has been ever-present.
Not only that, but he invariably plays 80 minutes every week and is often top of the team’s tackle charts due to the enormous amount of defensive work he gets through.
Nicholson was one of the only front-line first-teamers to play in the aforementioned Wigan game while he too played for England in France, so he is another good candidate for a rest.
PAUL VAUGHAN
The Australian prop is another who has played a lot of rugby this year, missing just three matches this year.
Two of those were when suspension ruled him out of away wins at Leeds Rhinos and St Helens in early April but since then, the Round 13 Wigan fixture is the only game he has missed.
While he was among the players to be able to get an extended break during the international window – and a quick look at his Instagram page will tell you he’s grabbed the chance to get some Spanish sun with his family this week, too – it may be that Burgess opts to keep him as fresh as possible with options plentiful in his position.
MATT DUFTY
Like most of his teammates, Dufty sat out the Round 13 loss to Wigan in order to keep him fresh for the Challenge Cup Final – but that is the only game he has missed all year.
Having taken in more carries than any other Super League player in 2024, Dufty’s body has taken a battering this year, so it would not be surprising if he too was stood down for a week.
Prodigious young talent Cai Taylor-Wray has been itching for his chance at full-back since debuting in the Australian’s place against Wigan and would be primed to step in, but Burgess will no doubt be conscious of the impact taking such a key attacking weapon out of his side would have.
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