Hull KR V Wakefield Wildcats
Handicap: Hull KR -6
Both sides will come into this game confident in picking up a result. Hull KR opened their win account last week when they kept a Bradford side scoreless, while Wakefield ran top of the table St Helens very close.
At face value, Hull KR’s 16-0 victory against Bradford looks like solid form. However, if you look at the statistics for this game with the amount of territory and possession they had, the scoreline could have been a lot more. That has been one of KR’s major problems this year; they have struggled to score the necessary points to win matches. They have the second worst attack in Super League having scored just 94 points in their six games so far. They quickly need to get over the loss of Michael Dobson and start producing the try scoring opportunities.
As for Wakefield, after a slow start to the season their form has picked up dramatically. Victories over London and Catalan were followed by a narrow defeat against St.Helens last time when they were actually leading at half time. Wakefield have really started to find their feet this season and are playing some good rugby. Jarrod Sammut is pivotal for them and I think he can have a big impact on today’s game.
With Hull KR missing a couple of forwards, I think we may see an upset today and I like Wakefield with the six point start.
Verdict: Wakefield to win with the favourable handicap
Huddersfield Giants V Warrington Wolves
Handicap: Huddersfield – 4
There are some tough games to predict in Super League this weekend and this is one of them. Both sides have been inconsistent, particularly Huddersfield. On their day they have the ability to be one of the best teams in the competition, but they have struggled to produce their best rugby for a sustained period.
The Giants had a terrible result last weekend when they were soundly beaten by a Catalan side who had not picked up a point before last weeks game. Head coach Paul Anderson accused his players of been out-enthused by the Dragons and he will be demanding a better performance this week.
As for Warrington, they made far too many errors in their defeat to Wigan last week. While that can partly be blamed on horrendous weather conditions, the Wolves were not blameless. If you gift that much possession to a quality outfit then you will struggle to win matches. Warrington have a young pack and they have been criticised a little this season. They will have to be at their best today as they come up against some of the best prop’s in the competition.
Danny Brough’s kicking game is huge for Huddersfield and if he can push Warrington back, I feel the Wolves may struggle to gain the metres forward. This is a game that could go either way, but I think Huddersfield can just edge it with their coach looking for a response to last weeks defeat.
Verdict: Huddersfield to win and cover the handicap
Widnes Vikings V Bradford Bulls
Handicap: Widnes -20
Widnes are having a fantastic season so far. They have lost just one game all season and picked up a superb 0-7 victory at Hull last week.
A pivotal factor here is the fact that Widnes have home advantage. They are very strong at home on their ‘plastic pitch’. I’m a big fan of Widnes and Denis Betts and I love the way they go about their business. They have some strong forwards who set the platform for their backs, who are immensely talented. It’s no surprise to me to see Widnes doing so well this season.
As for Bradford, they will be feeling a lot happier this week after the long-running saga over their ownership finally came to an end. However, on the pitch they continue to struggle with a very thin squad. They are really short on props and I feel that they could be bullied today. Last week at Hull KR they really struggled to get out of their own half and they never really threatened the KR line. I can see a similar pattern emerging here.
I think Widnes can keep Bradford to a low score, and as such I think they can cover the 20 point start.
Verdict: Widnes to win and cover the handicap
If I were you…
I’d have a double on Widnes (-20) and Wakefield (+6), which pays 2.64/1
Looking for bigger odds?
Fair enough, why not have a treble on Widnes (-20), Huddersfield (-4) and Wakefield all to win? It pays just over 9/1
