The pick of the matches at the Magic Weekend is the second one to be played on Saturday as the champions Wigan Warriors look to remain in contention for the Super League League Leaders’ Shield when they go up against St Helens at Elland Road.
Wigan go into the match second in the table on point difference so they will go top of the pile for 24 hours if they can win here but St Helens are trying to fend off a chasing pack for their playoff spot so this derby has plenty riding on it.
Where to watch
The match will be shown live and in full on the Sky Sports Action channel in the UK with the build-up to game two beginning at 4.30pm ahead of the 5pm kick off.
Wigan Warriors
Having looked like they were cruising towards a second League Leaders’ Shield for much of the season, the wheels have suddenly fallen off the wagon for the Wigan Warriors and now incredibly with just six rounds of matches left they find themselves playing a bit of catch up if they are to claim their third piece of silverware of the campaign to add to the World Club Challenge and Challenge Cup trophies that they have already stored away.
Part of the problem Wigan have had is that injuries in the key positions have hurt them but even then you wouldn’t have expected their form to have dropped off a cliff to the extent which it has done. They enter this match with just two wins from their last five matches and they have taken a couple of brutal beatings in that time including last time out at Leeds, although it should be said that having to catch up with the match they missed for the World Club Challenge during the week might not have helped with that.
St Helens
This hasn’t exactly been the season we would have expected it to be for St Helens either. I guess they have a little more room for excuses because they were always going to have to transition away from the James Roby era but you still wouldn’t have expected them to be in a position where just over a week ago they were looking dangerously over their shoulder for the chasing pack for their top six position. Successive wins have helped them a touch but they need to keep winning.
I think it should be pointed out that St Helens have had it tough with injuries to some pretty big players and a team who are in a bit of transition can’t really afford that but to have played 21 games and lost eight of them really isn’t the levels we would expect of a Saints side. At one point you wondered if Paul Wellens would lose his job but they have stuck with him and a win here could put six points between them and seventh if results go their way this weekend.
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Team News
The Wigan Warriors injury list is showing no signs of easing up with Harry Smith and Ryan Hampshire out for this one to join Bevan French and Brad O’Neill on the sidelines. Jai Field is back having missed the middle part of the season though.
St Helens are going to be missing a bunch of players for this one as well. Mark Percival, Lewis Dodd and Daryl Clark all picked up injuries last week while Morgan Knowles is suspended. Jack Welsby and Jonny Lomax remain out with injury as well.
Betting
I am not a massive fan of backing under on the points at the Magic Weekend because usually the bigger pitch and the intention to entertain equates to inflated scoring but this derby is never a match that is overloaded with points and when you consider that the two best half-backs in each side are missing for this one and both have issues to fill at hooker as well there might be enough of a lack of creativity in this one that the defences can remain tight enough.
You can get a 40.5 point line for this clash if you shop around and that just looks too high to me. 11 of the last 12 matches between these two have gone under that, including both meetings this season where important players weren’t missing like they are now. I don’t think either of these teams were bubbling in attack prior to the players that they have lost in the last couple of weeks so I think this is one occasion where getting on the under is the sensible play.
Tips
Back Under 40.5 points for a 3/10 stake at 1.80 with William Hill
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