User blog comment:The Milkman/Mass Effect in Retrospect/@comment-4721065-20130419132524/@comment-5521671-20130419210631

'''1. Which is exactly why you gather intel, to find out. We know the Collectors are beyond it, but why would you gather a team of specialists to go through there if literally anything could be beyond the relay? Hire an army and send them through. Send them in waves if you have to. Why risk everything in one ship? This is why intel is important.'''

If they hadn't gathered intel them the Normandy would have been destroyed the moment they hit the Omega 4 relay. It's just the Collector's attack forced Shepard's hand. And by the way, how a army with dozens or maybe hundreds of Ships would be effective against a debris field? They would suffered massive losses even before the fight started.

'''2. That logic is inconsistent. You saw we can't send probes through the relay because nothing ever comes back, but it's perfectly fine to put all of our eggs in one basket and bumrush it? What? Also, you would be wrong. The Shadow Broker sent a probe through and found it.'''

Just one ship with the right intel and the right team. Putting all eggs in one basket would be if The Illusive Man had sent all his available ships and troops throw the relay(Omega4). Also just a clarification: The Shadow Broker found only some wreckage from his probe.