South Sydney coach Anthony Seibold insists he has no reservations about pulling star duo Greg Inglis and Adam Reynolds from both the team's trials due to injury issues.
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Seibold has already ruled Inglis out of warm-up matches against Wigan and St George Illawarra as the captain continues his recovery from a knee reconstruction.
However Reynolds could also be saved until the Rabbitohs' round one match against the Warriors as he remains on ice following a minor ankle complaint a fortnight ago.
"We're not looking to play Greg in the trials," Seibold told AAP on Friday.
"And we'll just see with Adam. He's missed two weeks of work. It's not a whole heap of work that he's missed but I'd rather our whole focus is round one against the Warriors.
"With all due respect to our two trial games, it's about making sure that we have our best team available for round one and both Reyno and Greg are very experienced."
Seibold, who is entering his first season as an NRL head coach, believed Reynolds was primed for a career-best season before his ankle blew up during a camp in Canberra.
However the former NSW State of Origin playmaker isn't in doubt for the season-opener.
"He's had a particularly good pre-season. He's been there day one. He had a bit of hiccup at the AIS camp, just an overload with his plantar fasciitis causing him some dramas," Seibold said.
"He's been in a boot for two weeks but he won't have any issues starting the season proper."
Seibold clarified his cautious approach with Inglis had nothing to do with the depression issues the representative star addressed last season.
The Rabbitohs' March 10 home fixture against the Warriors will be almost exactly one year since Inglis underwent major knee surgery.
"Greg's right at the pointy end of his rehabilitation, so we're certainly not going to rush him back. He's going to be thereabouts at the start of the season," Seibold said.
"But if he needs another week or two or three even, we're not going to put any pressure on him. We'd rather Greg come back a couple of weeks too late and than too early.
"Everyone wants to know what position he's going to play - he's trained at fullback and also trained at left centre over the pre-season. We'll do what's best for Greg and for the team."
Australian Associated Press
