A cracking week of Super League matches begins on Thursday night with what should be a great match as the Leeds Rhinos head to the KCOM Stadium to take on a Hull FC side who will be looking to finally end their Super League hoodoo against the multi-time champions.
Both sides have made up and down starts to their campaigns and as a result they go into the match in the middle of the table. That clearly isn’t where either side will want to be come the end of the campaign so both will be eager to pick up the two points here.
Hull FC
Although there has been a great deal of inconsistency to the form of Hull FC this season we can let them off certain matches because they had that pointless trip to Australia to face Wigan earlier in the campaign. In recent times though they have won four of their last five with the only failure in between being to St Helens and there is no shame in that.
In those five matches their attack has been in excellent touch. They have scored 150pts at an average of 30 per match. If there is a concern in that time it would been that they’ve shipped 118 which is a few more than Lee Radford would like but if they can tighten up defensively and keep their attacking instinct there is a run of form in the Hull outfit.
Leeds Rhinos
I guess in many ways you can give the same slack to the Leeds Rhinos after they made the trip to Australia earlier in the season for the World Club Challenge. To come back and then play Super League matches straight away was never going to be easy but despite that they have only lost two of their last seven, to Castleford and Wigan, and both losses were only by a point.
Defensively Leeds have been very good this season. Only Wakefield have scored more than 24pts against them in the campaign and that might just have been a legacy of the tough Easter period. If there is a concern then it would come in a lack of points offensively but they had that issue last season and put it right.
Team News
Hull FC are expected to recall Dean Hadley, Mark Minichello and Sika Manu after they have returned from injury and there is a chance Carlos Tuimavave could feature as well. Danny Washbrook and Jordan Abdull are among those missing out.
Leeds Rhinos have selected Brett Ferres in place of Brad Dwyer who misses the match with an elbow injury. Veteran forward Jamie Jones-Buchanan will play his 400th Leeds game if he is selected.
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Betting
This should be a great contest but we should remember that the Leeds Rhinos have a wonderful record against Hull FC and I am backing them to extend that in this match. They have already beaten Hull FC this season and they have already been to St Helens and won in this campaign.
Leeds have the better defence of these two by a distance and in these matches between champion sides you generally find it is the defensive ability that prevails. The Rhinos have shown a struggle offensively but Hull FC are leaking points like a sieve so I expect Leeds to get the chances in this one to run up enough points to see off their hosts.
Tips
Back Leeds Rhinos to beat Hull FC for a 4/10 stake at 2.30 with William Hill
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