Super League XIV Round Four Previews

March 5, 2009 at 9:41 pm | Posted in Rugby League, Sport, Super League | Leave a comment
Tags: bradford bulls, castleford tigers, catalans dragons, Celtic Crusaders, huddersfield giants, hull fc, hull kr, leeds rhinos, Round Four Previews, Rugby League, saints, Salford Reds, st helens, Super League, wakefield trinity wildcats, warrington wolves, Wigan Warriors

Sadly, James Lowes Doomwatch lasted less than a week.  The bookies and their 1/3 odds on him going first were outsmarted with a great, visionary appointment by the Wolfs.  If Smith can get his side tackling they can throw another team into the playoff mix this year.  Also last week, Wigan and Harlequins RL served up the kind of game last seen in Workington, Manly mounted Leeds, Castleford went above .500 and the league rocked to the sound of Hull KR’s magnificent millions bringing the Eddington End down at Saints.  Maybe not a week to forget but plenty for us to consider.

Salford v Harlequins RL
This might be evenly matched.  It probably isn’t.  Let’s face it, Harlequins RL gifted Wigan the game last week by managing to flunk chance after chance and turn the ball over with their lacklustre attack.  Did I say lacklustre?  Yeah, you’re right, I’m probably being too kind.  Defensively, Harlequins RL did well last week , getting the better of the Wigan pack only for them to show us a very limited offensive armoury.  Salford’s defence will be a lot less threatening than Wigan’s and even at home I can’t see that being any tougher than fronting up last week.  I’m not repeating myself about needing to find form but when you have Castleford mullering you so early in the season you have a right to be a bit concerned.  Anti-depressant salespersons, I’ve just spotted a growing domestic market for you to exploit.  Harlequins RL by 4.

Catalans v Castleford
Here’s an interesting game.  Have Castleford improved or have their opponents just not woken up?  We’ll see this week.  Catalans one win from three is what you think it would have been with their win at Warrington compensating for the home loss to Huddersfield.  I’ve yet to see Cas so can’t comment on how effective their defence is.  It will need to be strong for the physical challenge of going to France.  It might be a good time for the Tigers to play Catalans.  Their recent wins must have given them a positive attitude that they’ve not had since the Stuart Raper days.  Again, this is one of those background matches that will ask intriguing questions about both sides and their direction for the early part of the year.  Catalans by 6.

Celtic v St Helens
A fixture that’s guaranteed to have the locals flocking through the turnstiles you would think.  Hull are a big name in league circles and those in Wales still familiar with the 80s can probably member Hull and Wigan being successful teams, however twenty years later and one of rugby’s biggest names comes into town.  A great opportunity for those brought up on the legendary open and free-flowing Welsh union game to see a natural progression of those attack minded teams.  Losing at home to Hull KR came as a surprise to most except Justinho who remarked on the achievement that it was.  Saints’ ball control was a contributor to defeat, placing the defence under undue pressure although it took the magic of Michael Dobson’s kicking game to twice cross the whitewash.  This is the first of the big guns to come down to Wales and victory over Saints would give the new franchise a perfect launch into what is beginning to look like it will be a long and challenging season.  It’s inevitable Celtic will go one step further to win this one.  Will it be enough?  I don’t think it will.  Saints by 12.

Wigan v Bradford
Over to the JJBoooooooo for Saturday night’s Cholmondley-Warner fable of faded glories.  Long, long, ago in a competition not that far removed from this, Wigan v Bradford was a biggie.  This was one of SKY’s premier games and over the past two to three seasons it’s lost its magic.  You could never really predict this game as both used to be capable of going against form and winning away from home.  I seem to remember Wigan doing this relatively often in the Andy Farrell days.  Now I look to see where the game is being played and it favours Wigan at home.  Sam Tomkins did the one thing that has been missing at half back last week, he made a break.  It wasn’t the most dazzling appearance.  It was good enough to have Noble bring him on earlier this week.  The Bulls are not at the races currently and without some confidence, the coach has his work cut out.  Harlequins RL were bad last week, Wigan were just as poor though.  Harlequins RL found it relatively easy to go upfield and with the Bulls dour gameplan there might be some success there.  I can’t see it.  Wigan travel to Leeds next week and it should be with a second win under their belt.  Wigan by 8.

Hull KR v Wakefield
In another week and if it had been at Wakefield this would have been the game of the round.  John Kear’s men have survived their depleted ranks and exploited a good schedule to rise to second in the table.  We all remember how well Kear’s team did in the first half of Super League XII so nobody will be getting carried away.  It’s a good start though and as good as their fans could have expected.  Three points from two away games at Bradford and Saints plus a home game against the champions has left Rovers with three points which only the very best would be disappointed with.  The closeness of all three games offer hope for Rovers and with Wakefield being prone to losing on the road I have to go with Rovers who need to win this game to capitalise on their surprising opening.  Hull KR by 6.

Warrington v Leeds
Well this was going to be the après-ski parade for Leeds, cruising to a comfortable win and now it’s got to be a full house with enthusiastic Warrington hoodlums booming out across the turf, backing their slumping team.  Perfect timing.  What difference can it make?  The normal rule is a new coach signals a win in the first game.  What difference will it make?  We’re all hopeful that the inclusion of another good coach in the Super League ranks can push the Wolves on and give us more competition at the top of the table.  What about this Sunday?  It should be a good one you’d think.  Wire players saved from the de-motivating thought of  coaching gamble destroying their careers must be liberated into giving a little bit more.  Even allowing for the upside down, volatile nature of Warrington teams I can’t see them being strong enough to overturn a Leeds team that is beginning to look every bit as good as last year’s and the year before.  Warrington will need to be on fire for eighty minutes to compete and it’s the second half of that comment the highlights the weakness.  Eighty minutes.  Can they do it?  Well maybe Leeds partied too hard last week knowing that it was Lowes on his own.  Leeds by 6.

******GAME OF THE ROUND******

Huddersfield v Hull
Finally, a chance for us to get a good look at the competition’s second unbeaten team.  A perfect start for Agar will be put to the test here at Huddersfield.  I’ve repeatedly built up the Giants to be a team that could be capable of breaking into the top four so the game of the round gives us a chance to make our own minds up.  A win for Hull will have me taking note of them for this, not that defeat will have me writing them off.  I expect Huddersfield to continue their impressive play with a good backing from the home support.  Beating Catalans, Celtic and Wigan doesn’t say too much about your side so it is the first test of Hull’s playoff credentials.  Huddersfield bettered a dismal Bulls last week so that bad game might be out of their system.  This may well be the first time this game has been the plum one of the round.  Who would have predicted that?  Huddersfield by 6.

Last week’s predictions;

Leeds by 2 (lost by 8 )
Bradford by 2 (lost by 4)
Hull by 8 (won by 16)
Saints by 8 (lost by 1)
Wakefield by 6 (won by 26)
Castleford by 10 (won by 36)
Wigan by 4 (won by 8 )

Creeping up slowly to 11-9.