The Rangi Chase impact..
There’s little doubting what the biggest story is in the opening game of Magic Weekend. Rangi Chase’s exit from Castleford was confirmed on Monday but surely few would have imagined he would end up at Widnes. He gets an immediate chance to show Vikings fans what he can do on Saturday – and as a former Castleford player, you suspect he will be certainly up for putting Wakefield to the sword.
Will Justin Holbrook’s presence have an effect?
St Helens may have named an unchanged 19-man squad for Saturday’s game against Hull, but you suspect they will have a different feel to them with the presence of new coach Justin Holbrook. He will be in the stands watching on as the Saints take on Hull – and there’s little doubting that the Saints players will be keen to impress against Lee Radford’s side.
How do Hull go without Mahe Fonua?
Hull are handed boosts with the returns of Carlos Tuimavave and Josh Griffin for Saturday’s game against St Helens – but they will certainly feel the loss of Mahe Fonua. The winger, who continues to be linked with a return to the NRL, has been in superb form this season – his go-forward is a constant help for Hull’s pack: replacing that will be tough.
Who is favourite in the final game of the day?
Warrington-Wigan games are always tricky to predict. However, throw in Wigan’s injuries, the backdrop of Magic Weekend and a below-par performance from the Wolves last week and it’s difficult to work out who the favourites are on Saturday evening. Does the return of George Williams and Sean O’Loughlin give the Warriors an edge? Or will Warrington’s cleaner bill of health give them the advantage?
