I MISSED my Thursday-night Rugby League fix last week but at least we have a game this Thursday, with Hull KR playing host to Warrington to kick-start round four.
It’s an attractive fixture, with Warrington aiming to follow up that straightforward win over Castleford and Rovers out to respond to their defeat at Salford, where the value of a reliable kicker was reinforced by Marc Sneyd.
I can’t help admiring the job Paul Rowley continues to do with his Red Devils, but Willie Peters will know he has to find a way of making his side more consistent.
I do think Rovers will win this one, by twelve, while Salford will find it hard to follow up with a victory at St Helens on Friday, when I reckon the home team will triumph by 16.
That night’s other two games pit Castleford and Huddersfield (the Giants by ten), and Leigh and Leeds, who deserve credit for overcoming Catalans.
For the Dragons, it was a throwback to the bad old days of being ill-disciplined away from home, and you could see Steve McNamara’s frustration with both that and his side’s toothless attack.
As for Leeds, the players are really turning up for each other, and while they haven’t yet produced an 80-minute performance, they are having moments of catching opponents out.
Brodie Croft is also becoming more influential – although I do think there is a lot more to come from him – and I believe they will win by seven at Leigh, where I will be watching with real interest from the stands.
Catalans are back in action at home to Hull FC on Saturday, and the Black and Whites could well feel a backlash. I think they’ll be beaten by 28.
London also have a tough test, with Wigan hitting the capital. I’m going for a 32-point Warriors’ success.
