All this talk of a bye round before the finals, it wouldn’t make a blind bit of difference. If Melbourne has a bye next week, given they’d still have zero to play for, they’d still be trotting out the same team they are now, as would Brisbane, Penrith, Warriors and Newcastle.
Chucking a bye round in doesn’t suddenly make these games anymore worthwhile, the clubs would still protect their stars rather than playing them in what they seem a meaningless game, given it has limited (or zero) impact on their final position.
They’ve got the wins in the bank and have earned themselves the right to rest players - it’s a reward for their efforts throughout the long season.