COACH Justin Holbrook does not believe player fatigue was a factor in Saints falling short in the two big semi-finals last year.

Saints stormed through the year, winning 26 from 30 games and Holbrook largely stuck with the policy of picking his strongest 17 throughout the season.

But when the team wobbled after the Challenge Cup semi-final defeat by Catalans the question of squad rotation was among those raised from the terraces as fans sought an explanation for a season that promised so much ending in two big knockouts.

But the Saints boss does not believe player burn-out was behind those two big match defeats.

He said: "It was not down to a lack of freshness.

"People have said that but in the Challenge Cup semi we lost it in the first 20 not the last. When you burn out you get done in the last 20.

"Looking back beating Warrington the week before that game did not help us - it may have been better if we had lost that. Instead we cruised into the next week thinking we were good and then in our biggest game we got beat.

"And then ahead of the Super League semi, we rested plenty the week before against Castleford - maybe five or six – and I don't think it helped us play any better for having a week off.

"People look at us because we lost those two games, but just because we won all the other weeks did not mean we were not fresh. All those other teams lost so we must have been doing something right.

"There is no right or wrong way. You can rest players when you want - but if you rest them and it doesn't work then people will ask 'why did you rest them?'

"If players are fit then I will play them, but if they need a rest then they will get one."