Super League / George Riley / 17 April 2009 / Leave a comment

A mini crisis at the Super League champions makes Leeds Rhinos' trip to Huddersfield the tie of the weekend, writes George Riley.

Huddersfield Giants are as in-form as Leeds are out of sorts, with the defending champions on a bizarre run of three straight defeats, the latest of which - to Salford - was an absolute shocker. Some of the more stupid Leeds fans even started calling for coach Brian McLennan's head after the game, a defeat which saw Leeds slip to third, behind red-hot Huddersfield to whom they travel on Saturday.

Nathan Brown's moulded a terrific team at the hitherto underachieving Giants and they are finally starting to look the read deal. Only St Helens have conceded fewer points, and there is real flare in local youngsters Michael Lawrence and Leroy Cudjoe. Huddersfield have won seven of nine games, and will be many people's tips to provide the shock of the round with a [2.62] win over Leeds. But both the Giants' defeats have come at home, and maybe it's blind loyalty to my hometown team but I'm sticking with the [1.62] Rhinos to rediscover that winning touch.

The action starts on Friday night with two strugglers meeting at Odsal as Warrington go to Bradford. The Bulls were buoyed by a Good Friday derby win over Leeds before a narrow Easter Monday setback at Wakefield. I spent that day at Warrington watching the worst performance I have seen from any side this season. The Wolves were woeful in a home thumping by Castleford and I don't expect Tony Smith's side to justify their [3.35] at the [1.47] Bulls. They have the quality, and are so unpredictable that it may be a punt at those odds, but I can't bring myself to back a team who were pathetic just five days earlier.

Hull FC v Wakefield looks like a belter too. Wakey are on fire after back to back derby wins over Easter, and I take the Wildcats at [2.1] to wound the [1.79] Black and Whites.

Catalans Dragons v Salford is Saturday's other fixture, and despite springing the shock of the season by winning at Leeds on Monday, Salford will come back down to earth with a bump in Perpignan. Betfair customers rate the Reds at [4.6] to win this one, and that is tempting as they have shown the stomach for a fight, but I fear that the French side will be too strong at [1.17]. At those odds though you may want a cheeky couple of quid on Salford just in case.

Three games on Sunday, with St Helens' trip to Castleford the standout tie. Cas were awesome in their win at Warrington and are a formidable outfit this year. They will give Saints a real go at The Jungle and at [3.75] I'm very tempted. Saints at [1.3] should win but I wouldn't be surprised to see them come unstuck. Scrum-half Brent Sherwin is flying, centre Michael Shenton real class, and Mitchell Sargent a brutal prop. That said they did lose Brett Ferres, James Evans, Ryan Hudson and Chris Feather to injury on Monday and that could be key.

Wigan will hand Celtic Crusaders another defeat with a scarcely backable [1.1] win at the JJB while I take Harlequins at [1.66] to edge past Hull KR at The Stoop.