TO rest, or not to rest, that is the question – and the proof of the Easter pudding will be in the Headingley eating.

Ahead of Saturday’s massive Challenge Cup tie at Leeds Saints boss Nathan Brown opted to rest the spine of his team and not risk a number of other players carrying knocks.

Brown felt it was a gamble clearly worth risking ahead of such a big tie.

Leeds chose a different strategy, playing strong teams in both of their games, meaning that they confidently bounce into this Saturday in fine fettle and top of the league.

Should Saints pull off a win at Headingley Brown will be hailed as a tactical genius and Good Friday’s disappointment will be buried.

However, lose and he will walk a mile in the shoes of Ian Millward and, a fair while before him, Billy Benyon for a strategy that backfired.

Millward was not averse to sending scratch teams out with mixed results.

In 2002 a depleted Saints side sacrificed two points in London on Maundy Thursday for the greater good of an Easter Monday win over Wigan. But a few weeks later Millward sent a team of youngsters and loan players to surrender at Bradford and got the full blast of Bulls chairman Chris Caisley’s ire. Saints should have been focused on beating Wigan at Murrayfield but spent the next week sending sick notes to the RFL.

And of course plenty said Saints looked underdone when Wigan pulled off that shock win to lift the cup. Millward, of course, repeated the dose two years later, and although Saints took out the Challenge Cup, the betting scandal cost them Long and Gleeson and derailed the 2004 season.

All coaches have done it - Alex Murphy sent a virtual A team to Central Park on Good Friday 1987 with Wembley a few weeks off.

And Billy Benyon copped a lot of stick when he gave his A team lads the chance to play against Australia’s invincibles - Meninga, Sterling, Kenny, Price, Boyd and Grothe six days before the 1982 Lancashire Cup final.

Alas, that did not work and Saints were nilled two weeks in a row.

Given Saints had a tough work out on Friday, they will hardly be underdone - so let's see what happens Saturday.