SYDNEY - Former top coach Roy Masters has raised the prospect of Manly "tanking" Sunday's NRL match against the Warriors to freshen their star players for next month's playoffs.
Manly are assured of finishing second with still two rounds remaining but have virtually no hope of overhauling competitionleaders Melbourne, who are four points clear in the minor premiership race.
Masters wrote in yesterday's Sydney Morning Herald newspaper that Manly coach Des Hasler might consider resting his frontliners from the taxing trip to Auckland after their upset loss to South Sydney on Monday.
That would be a handy boost for the Warriors, who need to win just one of their final two matches to make the top eight, but can earn a coveted top-four spot and home advantage for the first playoff match if they beat Manly and Penrith and other results go their way.
"The Warriors are a big team who have beaten their past four opponents at home by an average winning margin of 33 points and haven't lost at Mt Smart Stadium since a 4-2 defeat by the Storm in early June," Masters wrote.
"Teams travelling back across the Tasman don't have a good record the following round. Nor do Monday night teams, and the Sea Eagles lost 24-18 to South Sydney last Monday, after leading 18-6.
"Hasler must be tempted to withdraw up to five players, headed by test stars Brent Kite and Jamie Lyon, from the trip to New Zealand.
"Masters said hard-working forwards Glenn Stewart, Mark Bryant and Glenn Hall may also benefit from a rest ahead of their final round match against St George-Illawarra."
All five were named in Hasler's side to travel to Auckland but there is always room for late changes.
Masters, a long-time Herald columnist, is highly regarded as a league analyst in Australia.
