After two what you would call warm up matches the main part of the World Club Series comes along on Sunday night when the Leeds Rhinos face the North Queensland Cowboys to determine who the best club side in the world is.
While the first two matches of the weekend carry little significance or meaning this one will represent glory for one side in a competition which has plenty of history so this really is what it is all about.
The Rhinos made their way into this match off the back of a historic treble winning season but as we all know that team disbanded and as a result they have had a tough start to their Super League title defence. They have lost to Warrington and were walloped by Widnes last week.
When the likes of Kevin Sinfield and Jamie Peacock retired from the sport holes were always going to be left so the one thing the Rhinos could ill afford was injury problems but that is exactly what they have at the minute.
Danny Maguire has picked up an injury which will keep him out for a while and then last week both Carl Ablett and Tom Briscoe suffered injuries which will mean they are not available for this match. Anthony Mullally is set to debut for the Rhinos while Brad Singleton and Ash Handley come into the squad.
North Queensland Cowboys head to England as the reigning NRL champions and while they haven’t began the defence of that title yet they have brought a full strength squad with them so they have come over meaning business.
The Cowboys have the man widely acclaimed as the best player in rugby league right now in the form of Johnathan Thurston and his ability to lead them around the park combined with the power in the pack from the likes of Matt Scott and James Tamou makes them a very dangerous side.
Super League sides have only beaten an NRL side once in this competition since 2008 and that highlights the task Leeds have here. It would have been a difficult task with a full strength squad from last season but this injury ravaged squad really are up against it.
Widnes exposed Leeds’ defence time and time again last week and while history suggests writing the Rhinos off is often a folly move I just can’t see how a defence that shipped 50 to Widnes last week is going to contain a potentially rampant Cowboys side here.
For the sake of the match and as a fan of Super League I hope I’m wrong but I can only see one way traffic in this match and it will be on the side of the NRL champions. They simply have to be backed to win this comfortably.
Back North Queensland (-12.5) to beat Leeds for a 4/10 stake at 1.90 with Bwin
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