Rivals Round concludes in the Super League XXVIII season on Sunday evening when two Yorkshire sides clash at Headingley where the Leeds Rhinos take on the Huddersfield Giants in a big game for both teams.
Both teams have three wins to their name this season with Huddersfield having played a match less than Leeds so this is probably a bigger match for the home side than the visitors. The winner here could end the week in the top six so there is a decent incentive for both.
Where to watch
The match will be shown live and in full on the Sky Sports Arena channel with the build-up to the contest beginning at 5.45pm and kick off coming at 6pm.
Leeds Rhinos
There has been no consistency to the play of the Leeds Rhinos at all this season. Their coach Rohan Smith is trying to keep morale high by suggesting that their defeats have come when opponents have superseded themselves but I don’t think that is particularly true. Leeds were rancid in away defeats to the Castleford Tigers and to Hull KR recently and if that version of the Rhinos shows up here they will be in big trouble.
One positive for the Rhinos in this match is that they are at home where they have won their last two matches but even then you can pick holes in that form. One of the wins was over Wakefield Trinity where you are losing significant ground to the field if you don’t beat them. In the other match they were getting well beaten by the Catalans Dragons before the French side ran out of bodies. There is plenty of talent in this Leeds side but they need to put an 80 minute performance together.
Huddersfield Giants
I think most people would have expected the Huddersfield Giants to have opened their season with more than three wins from their opening six matches given the work that Ian Watson had done to his squad and in reflection of an excellent campaign last term. We should remember they were a week late into the league after St Helens went to the World Club Challenge and had a competitive disadvantage in their first game so the record isn’t quite as bad as it suggests.
The three defeats have been to the Warrington Wolves in their opening game as well as Wigan Warriors and St Helens, the top two from last season. Those two recent defeats were both by 14-12 scores so they have shown they can handle the leading sides defensively but now need to prove that they can go with the better teams when they attack them. That will come when Jake Connor settles in after missing the first month or so of the campaign through injury. This will be a good test of those ambitions.
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Team News
Leeds Rhinos could have some key players back for this match with Ash Handley, Nene McDonald and Ritchie Myler all expected to return. Darrell Olpherts has been left out after his mare under the high ball last week.
Huddersfield Giants will be without the former Leeds Rhinos player Ashton Golding so Jermaine McGillvary could come in on the wing. Harvey Livett is expected to return but Josh Jones is out with a concussion.
Betting
These two sides both have three wins on their season to date but the Huddersfield Giants have had the tougher of the schedule having been up against the Warrington Wolves, St Helens and Wigan Warriors in their opening six matches. You wouldn’t necessarily expect them to win any of those matches but against the rest of the league they should be expected to hold their own and I think they’ll get the better of the Leeds Rhinos here.
When the Rhinos play well they look good but the problem is they don’t play well for nearly long enough. The other issue they have is when they are bad they are absolutely terrible and that can be their undoing here. Huddersfield are competent in defence and have it in them to keep piling the pressure on the opposition with an excellent kicking game and hard running in the forwards and wait for the opponent to crack. I expect Leeds to do that so it is the Giants to win this for me.
Tips
Back Huddersfield Giants to beat Leeds Rhinos for a 3/10 stake at 2.05 with William Hill
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