The Super League campaign gets underway with a double header of behind closed doors action on Friday night as the two sides who competed in that wonderful Grand Final last term are on show to kick the season into life.
Defending champions St Helens will start their title defence in the opening match of the two before the beaten finalists Wigan Warriors will begin their quest to go one better in the second part of the double header.
Where to watch
The first two rounds of the season will be played out live on Sky Sports with this particular double header being screened on the Sky Main Event and Sky Sports Arena channels. The build up begins at 5.30pm with the matches starting at 6pm and 8.15pm.
St Helens vs Salford Red Devils (18.00)
The 2021 season will begin with a repeat of the 2019 Grand Final as the defending champions St Helens start out against the side they beat for the first of their two most recent titles in the Salford Red Devils.
This was always going to be an interesting and intriguing match anyway given that it is the first game for both teams but there is another added dynamic to it with the Red Devils employing former Saints assistant coach Richard Marshall in the off season and his first game in charge is against his old side. This is a chance for St Helens to lay a marker down but they are without their winter signings from the NRL and Morgan Knowles is another one who is missing so it might be that they build into the season. Salford made a number of positive signings in the close season but lost some big players too and it remains to be seen how quickly they will gel as a team and to the style of a new coach. My instinct tells me Salford will run Saints close here but this is a match to watch rather than bet on.
Special Offer
Open up a BetVictor account and bet £5 to get £30 in bonuses! Click the image below for this standout new account offer! New accounts only. 18+ T&Cs apply. Gamble Responsibly
18+ New Customers only. Deposit, opt in and place a £5 qualifying bet at odds of 2.00 or greater within 7 days of opening a new account; excludes cashed out bets. Receive 2x £10 Free Sports Bets, valid on set events only at odds 2.00 or greater, expires in 7 days. Plus a £10 Game Show Bonus, selected games, wager 40x to withdraw a max of £250. T&Cs Apply. Please Gamble Responsibly.
Leigh Centurions vs Wigan Warriors (20.15)
The second part of the first double header of the new season sees the promoted side Leigh Centurions looking to renew rivalry with the 2020 runners up Wigan Warriors in what may give us a flavour of what to expect at both ends of the table.
There is a lot of scrutiny and attention on the Leigh Centurions in the early part of this campaign. Usually we are looking at the promoted side to see if they can carry their momentum of the previous season through with them but Leigh don’t have any of that and were not promoted on any merit from on field activities. They will want to prove they belong at this level despite the questionable route they got into the league with. Wigan don’t always start seasons well but when the business end of a campaign comes along they are usually in top nick. It will be interesting to see if they are any better at the outset here.
I expect Leigh Centurions to come flying out of the blocks here for a couple of reasons. Firstly they will know what everything thinks of their inclusion in the competition and also because this is their rivalry match so to speak. They get Wigan at a good time here too because there is no Jackson Hastings or Bevan French for the Warriors as they haven’t been back in the country long enough to feature. There is also no Dom Manfredi, Oliver Gildart or Liam Marshall and while Jai Field could feature you sense Leigh are getting Wigan at a decent time. I’m not sure whether that will equate to a Centurions win but they showed in a pre-season hit against St Helens that they will be feisty and competitive so I think they can stay within a dozen of Adrian Lam’s men whether they win or not.
Tips
WON – Back Leigh Centurions (+12) to beat Wigan Warriors for a 3/10 stake at 1.91 with William Hill
Back them here:
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2021
