Super League Betting: Three to back in Round 11

Raj Bains
14 April 2016

Chris Sandow will be hoping to have another impressive game in Huddersfield on Friday night

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With both Leeds and Huddersfield fighting to save their seasons and avoid being stuck in the Middle 8s, the last thing they'll have wanted is to see highflying sides like Warrington and Hull visiting this weekend. Guiding us through Round 11 is Raj Bains...

"Possibly the worst side for Huddersfield to face right now, Wire are everything the Giants aren’t: fit, positive, happy and confident. This one only looks like it can go one way, and it might not even be close."

Warrington Wolves to beat Huddersfield Giants by +13pts @ 23/20

On the final day of the regular season last year, both Leeds and Huddersfield were in contention to take top spot. While the memories of that final second Ryan Hall try might live long in the memory, both sides form since then hasn't, with the West Yorkshire duo still rooted to the foot of the table, struggling to get anything going.

On the flip side, their opponents this weekend - Warrington and Hull respectively - have shaken off their own poor seasons last time out and are having a real go of finishing as highly up the table as possible, with both still looking for their first title of the Super League era. It's not quite Leicester winning the league, but it's unexpected all the same.

Given the class that all those sides possess, whilst not ignoring the obvious talent both Saints and Catalan have to call on as well, the matches this weekend are still an intriguing prospect, regardless of form. With so much on the line, these are going to be fantastic to watch for the neutral, and great value markets for those smart enough to exploit.

St Helens vs Catalan Dragons
Thursday 14th April, 20:00
Live on SkySports

Since the last time I tried to downplay the effectiveness of St Helens by criticising their away form against the top sides, they went to top of the league Warrington and won, showing their big game experience and will to win. It wasn't the prettiest performance in the world, and it took some great defence to see them through, but champion sides have to take the rough with the smooth across the course of a season.

Rather perversely, Catalan appear to have traded in their reliable home form of old for a more reliable set of results away, meaning everything we came to know about the side in the past has been flipped on its head. Having rebranded themselves away from home in to a gritty defensive side who score with a flourish, often on the break from distance, that notorious Saints defence is going to be their biggest challenge to date.

These two are likely to trade blows for most of the match, and while Catalan are probably the more talented squad and attacking force, there's no room to criticise what is an incredibly well drilled St Helens outfit. If this was a prizefight, neither would likely land a knockout blow, but expect the smarter boxer to come away with a points victory - and that's definitely the home side.

Huddersfield Giants vs Warrington Wolves
Friday 15th April, 20:00

It's a real cycle of pain for the Giants at present. Missing so many through injury, with rumours their best player and playmaker in Danny Brough has 'fallen out' with the management, all is not well in Huddersfield, and that's being reflected on the field. While they have improved in terms of performance, the confidence lost through losing so many times already this season has taken the edge off what was one of Super League's more relentless outfits.

Warrington, on the other hand, are flying. With so much money invested in to their squad over the years, and so much attacking talent available to call on, the penny finally appears to have dropped for the Cheshire side, and the fans are really starting to buy in to dreams of a first Super League title.

Possibly the worst side for Huddersfield to face right now, Wire are everything the Giants aren't: fit, positive, happy and confident. This one only looks like it can go one way, and it might not even be close.

Leeds Rhinos vs Hull FC
Friday 15th April, 20:00

There aren't many sides in the world that hate the Rhinos more than Hull, and the cross-Yorkshire rivalry has got an unpleasant reputation. Very physical, very high tempo and played at the height of emotion, these are two sides that like nothing more than inflicting as much misery as possible on one another, which will play right in to the hands of the away side.

Leeds are struggling right now, which might actually be an understatement, so this encounter could go one of two ways depending on how tuned in they are on the night. Scenario one, the occasion turns out to be the sort of pressure and incentive they need to break off the shackles and put in the type of performance we've become used to at Headingley over the last decade, or in scenario two, Hull offer the home side little room to manoeuvre, and suffocate the treble champions with an unreplicable workrate.

The truth of the matter, perhaps, will fall somewhere in the middle. Leeds will be missing several crucial players again through injury, so their youth prospects will have to step up yet again in their absence. While they might do enough to keep pace with Hull for long periods, the away side is the better placed to win this one for once, so expect them to do just about enough to keep the Rhinos stuck towards the bottom.