To rest, or not to rest. That is the question and it could be a Canberra Raiders masterstroke.
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Coach Ricky Stuart has decided to rest four players from the last round of the regular season, leaving Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Jordan Rapana, John Bateman and Sia Soliola out of the team to play the New Zealand Warriors on Saturday.
It could serve as a timely break to refresh key players before the finals series begin, especially with the Raiders already all but guaranteed to finish in the top four.
But there are risks. If it backfires, the Raiders will lose momentum before their first finals campaign in three years.
We also hear from Nicoll-Klokstad after he signed a massive three-year contract extension.
The Raiders will finish in the top four for just the second time in 16 years and are chasing a drought-breaking premiership.
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![Podcast: Should the Raiders rest players before the finals? Podcast: Should the Raiders rest players before the finals?](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/j2iwCiKfwhVWJky39Vsdpt/70c41254-2835-41b8-8e72-1992220ce06f.jpg/r0_0_2362_2362_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)