Rugby League
Super League preview: Class will prevail in relegation scrap
We are eight games into the Super League season and the table is starting to take shape. This weekend could prove crucial with battles up and down the standings, and certainly won’t be one to miss.
The pick of the action comes on Friday night with half of this week’s matches falling in that slot, as sides look to give their fans a positive to take into this weekend.
Two of the key clashes come at opposite ends of the spectrum, as crucial points in both the relegation battle and the race to Old Trafford are up for grabs.
We preview two of this week’s key matchups below.
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Castleford Tigers vs London Broncos, Friday 20:00
At the start of the season this fixture will have been circled in the calendar for fans of these two sides as a potential relegation decider, and this season has followed that script with these two managing just one win in 16 matches between them.
That win came for Castleford three weeks ago when they defeated Salford Red Devils with a gritty performance in front of the Wheldon Road faithful. Innes Senior was the star of the show that day, touching down four times with each of them an impressive effort. The Irishman could be a key asset for the Tigers moving forward and is 4/6 to make a stamp on this game.
There have been a few ins and outs at Cas following their thrashing by Wigan in the Challenge Cup and subsequent improvement to lose 36-14 to the Warriors in the Super League. That last performance will certainly have given the Tigers a boost, as will the addition of former Hull FC full-back Tex Hoy. One can only imagine that the Fords will be underdogs for the majority of their games this season, but their 1/5 favourite status here shows just how impactful the crowd at the Jungle, in combination with some positive performances, can be.
As for the London Broncos, there are very few positives to dig out from their season so far. They have been on the back of some real pastings, even failing to score a point on two occasions, but their 4-12 home defeat to Salford last time out was one of their better performances.
The form lines from that outing do not bode well for the capital’s representatives as Castleford turned over the same opponents by a 36-24 scoreline – that sees the Broncos head into this clash as the 15/4 underdogs.
Key factors to note are Castleford’s tendency to fly out the blocks this season, setting a real precedent early on in their past few league games and their extra bit of class could be the difference here. With this in mind, we’re taking Cas to score over 12.5 points in the first half (10/11) and Innes Senior to score the first try of the match (7/1).
Hull KR vs Wigan Warriors, Friday 20:00
The second of three matches on Friday night could be equally as decisive at the other end of the table, with just two points separating these sides who sit fifth and third in the table respectively.
Despite having the home advantage, Hull KR remain the 11/4 underdogs whilst Wigan’s star-studded squad and wealth of experience in big matches sees them head to Craven Park as 1/4 favourites.
One of those big names for the Warriors who continues to perform at the highest level is Liam Marshall who, having scored twice against Castleford last time out, currently sits joint top of the Super League top scorers table with nine tries in six appearances. Marshall will be keen to make his mark on the game as early as possible, as will the Warriors as a collective and they are 4/9 to score first.
The highlight for the Robins this season has been their sturdy defence, conceding just 44 points in their five wins this season, even managing to beat their arch-rivals Hull FC to nil on the opening day.
Second-row stalwart James Batchelor has been at the forefront of those efforts, racking up 314 tackles to far this campaign. If Hull KR are to get a result here they’ll need to keep the Warriors out for as long as possible and would certainly be happy if they can keep the scores level until the halfway stage, which could be the value play here at 8/1.
