Will Classy Cas strike terror into the hearts of the Warriors?
After clinical displays against Leeds and Warrington, Daryl Powell’s men face a different proposition in Shaun Wane’s methodical Wigan side.
Cas are on fire at the minute and charging towards the top four, while Wigan will be keen to keep up with the chasing pack.
The contrast in styles makes this a potential classic.
Salford look to recapture their final two points following points deduction.
The Red Devils need one more victory to wipe out their six point deduction for a breach of the salary cap rules.
To do that this week, they will have to beat a Wakefield side enjoying their best form in years and flirting with the possibility of making the top four.
As the regular season enters the latter third, there’s plenty on the line for these two teams.
Can Leeds get any worse?
After horror shows against Huddersfield, Castleford and Wigan, there are no signs of improvement at the Rhinos. If anything, Leeds’s performances have deteriorated in the last month, a worrying sign.
They have another chance at making amends on Friday, this time against a Warrington side in patchy form. It really is now or never for the Rhinos.
Hull KR try to end Catalans’ winning streak at home.
After a dodgy start to life at the Stade Gilbert Brutus in 2016, the Dragons are now four unbeaten at their old stomping ground. The next team to have a crack at the Dragons are the Rovers, who lost 40-0 to Catalans just under two months ago.
All eyes on Cunningham as pressure increases.
Whether you agree with it or not, Keiron Cunningham is under increasing pressure at Saints following their indifferent season. Recent heavy defeats to Hull FC and Huddersfield has only heightened frustrations at Langtree Park, forcing Cunningham to declare that he will silence his critics.
The game against Lee Radford’s side is a perfect opportunity to get redemption, but another heavy defeat like that in the Challenge Cup will really intensify the scrutiny.
Massive four-pointer for Widnes and Huddersfield.
In arguably the most important game of the round, Widnes and Huddersfield fight it out in their battle to make the top eight.
Widnes have been in dreadful form recently while the Giants have shown gradual improvement, as was on show at Magic Weekend.
The Vikings are now just three points clear of the bottom four after eight consecutive league defeats, and a loss at home to the Giants would mean that deficit will be cut further.
However, if the Vikings were to win, they would be six points clear of Paul Anderson’s side, which would all but end Huddersfield’s push for the Super 8s.
Quite simply, it’s a massive game for both teams.
