The Super League play-offs continue on Thursday night where another season will end and a team will progress to the Old Trafford shootout as the Salford Red Devils host the Castleford Tigers in a do or die clash.
It is win or done for both these teams. The winner will face the loser of the St Helens against Wigan Warriors match for a place at Old Trafford. The losers will be watching on from their sofas or holiday beds.
Salford Red Devils
Their fine winning run might have ended at the hands of the Wigan Warriors last week, but the Salford Red Devils should take plenty of confidence from their performance in that match into this one with them. It was only late on in the contest that Wigan got the better of them and that should serve them well here. That was a match which was played at true finals intensity and that could be a serious advantage in this one.
You would think this is going to get tight and tense at some point so to play in a game of that kind last week should serve the Red Devils well. They were in great form going into these play-offs and if they replicate their recent performances they should have every chance here. Their forwards are in great form and the creativity and quality in their back line make the Salford outfit a very dangerous one indeed.
Castleford Tigers
There weren’t many people who were tipping the Castleford Tigers to go to the Warrington Wolves and come away with the victory to keep their season alive last week, but that is exactly what they did and the task at hand for them moving forward is to do exactly that again here. The Tigers have shown their knockout rugby prowess in recent seasons so they shouldn’t be underestimated here, but their record against the top sides still remains indifferent.
Castleford held their nerve well last week and that is never a bad thing. The chances are they are going to have to do that again here, but we know they have the scoring power to go toe-to-toe with anyone in this league. Their success in this match, or otherwise, will be determined by their defence, which throughout the season has been exposed all too easily by the better sides, something that will need to change here.
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Team News
The Salford Red Devils have named an unchanged squad from the one which narrowly went down to the Wigan Warriors last week which means that the departing Jackson Hastings will play his final home match as a Salford player here.
Castleford Tigers coach Daryl Powell has made two changes to his squad for this knockout match. Nathan Massey and Greg Eden come into the fray with Mike McMeeken and Calum Turner the two men to miss out. Jesse Sene-Lafao remains out too.
Betting
There is surely too much at stake here for either side to run away with the match so when backing a team to win getting the ultimate value we should probably look at taking them to win by 1-12 points. When the season is on the line that defensive effort is going to be stronger and we are now playing cup football and it is no surprise to me that we’ve seen two low scoring matches in the play-offs thus far.
I like Salford Red Devils here I have to admit. They are the surprise story of the season but I don’t think their campaign is ready to end yet. I thought they were excellent against a Wigan Warriors side who might well be lifting the title at Old Trafford in a couple of weeks whereas while Castleford Tigers did a good job I thought Warrington were clueless and I’m not too sure what the Tigers beat there. Salford by 1-12 will do me.
Tips
Back Salford Red Devils to win by 1-12pts for a 4/10 stake at 2.80 with Betfair
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