Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has expressed his frustration regarding the club's demanding match schedule, which he believes contributed to an injury to standout player Simi Sasagi.
Sasagi has emerged as one of the league's top centres this season but recently suffered a hamstring injury that kept him sidelined for the match against the Tigers.
Stuart voiced his disappointment over Sasagi's injury and criticized the NRL for imposing such a strenuous burden on his team within a condensed timeframe.
"It's disappointing we have had a very heavy load over the last 18 days," Stuart remarked.
"This is the fourth game in two and a half weeks basically, so something is going to give and it did with Simi.
To manage his players' fatigue, he noted, "I have had to lighten up the loads this week with all the travel we have had and then the short turnarounds."
The situation raises concerns about player welfare as the NRL looks to balance competition integrity with the physical demands placed on teams.
With the potential for a historic crowd draw looming, the challenges posed by the current schedule underscore the need for careful consideration of player management as the season progresses.