Swifts wary of player drain

SWIFTS are out to defend their Ipswich Rugby League seven-a-side crown tomorrow but coach Wayne Finch won’t be too disappointed if they don’t.

With about 14 of his 17 man squad for the opening round of the IRL the following weekend decided, Finch is using the trial to run his eyes over the rest of his senior squad.

It is the reason the club has entered two senior teams but part of him hopes neither goes all the way to the final because it will take too much out of them.

Finch suspects other clubs will be resting their A-Grade stars.

“I don’t think any of the sides will be starting their top line players,” he said. “It is going to be a long season now it’s over 21 rounds.

“I prefer that but you’ve still got to look after the players.”

Finch made no secret of his thoughts of the sevens competition.

“I don’t like it,” he said.

“If you make it through to the finals it seems to drain the players’ bodies.

“By the final a lot of the players are suffering.

“You sit around for an hour or an hour-and-a-half between games and by the end of the day you’ve played three rounds, plus quarter finals, final and semi-final.”

Finch believes the taxing format for the winners had a longer term effects on the club last season.

“They won their first three games (of the regular season) but copped a lot of injuries,” he said.

Other clubs voiced the same concerns.

Finch would prefer a return to the days when all clubs played each other in a pre-season trial competition.

“I wish they would bring back the Woollies pre-season competition,” he said.

“Each A grade side played 35 minute half trials over three weeks and everyone got to have a look at each other.”

IRL operations manager Brendan Rose said the sevens format would be reviewed at the end of the season. “Pre- season trials are definitely an option if that’s what the clubs want to do,” he said.

Sevens games start at 10.30am with the final at 6pm at Llewellyn Motors Field, Purga.