This Week's Rugby League

By The Man

Wigan v Hull KR



8pm Friday 12th February Live on Sky

I really like the look of Wigan this season. They have only added Paul Deacon to their squad but I feel that the new coaching set-up has really lifted the players who are out to impress. They had a fine pre-season victory at Warrington and this is a Warrington team that many are touting for silverware.

They have gone pretty close in recent years and there is a good batch of youngsters coming through led by the enigmatic Sam Tomkins. They got off to the start of the campaign with an expected beating of the Crusaders but they'll still be content restricting the visitors to just one try.

Hull KR are a solid enough team and were much too strong for Salford at the weekend. They they continue to be led around the park by Michael Dobson who is a fine player but Ben Galea has failed to recover from injury and will be a miss. They have a good record at Wigan since promotion but I feel this record will be blighted this time out.

I expect Wigan's defence to hold sway and restrict the visitors in the try scoring department whilst I'm sure they pose enough attacking threat to post enough to cover. I had Wigan by 12-14pts

Wigan Warriors squad:

Phelps, Roberts, Gleeson, Carmont, Richards, S. Tomkins, Leuluai, Fielden, Riddell, Coley, Hansen, J. Tomkins, O'Loughlin, Prescott, Paleaaesina, Deacon, O'Carroll, Mossop, Goulding.

Hull Kingston Rovers squad:

Briscoe, Fox, Welham, Webster, Hodgson, Colbon, Cooke, Dobson, Vella, Lovegrove, Wheeldon, Murrell, Newton, Cook, Watts, Netherton, Fisher, Cockayne, I'Anson.

Pick: Wigan -8 3pts @ 2 with Bet365

 
Wakefield v Leeds



14th February 3.30pm
 
Leeds suffered a shock defeat at home to Cas and I feel the bookmakers have over-reacted here. Take that defeat out of the equation and you would be staring at a double figure start. Sometimes good teams lose, it happens. I don't feel Leeds really got to grips with the boggy Headingley pitch and the Cas kicking game, allied to strong defence, was played to perfection. Looking at the TV pictures the Wakefield track looks in lot better nick. One defeat doesn't make a bad team and they still have an abundance of talent. I say the handicap is wrong.

Wakefield have got off to a steady start with victories against Quins and Catalan but they are what they are. A team that is destined for mid table. They probably achieve more than most given their limited resources but they are no Leeds. They have some fine players capable of winning the fixture but I'd want pretty decent odds before I considered a wager.

I had Leeds by 10-12pts. No squads announced just yet and Ablett and Delaney had to leave the field for Leeds last week but they aren't the vital cogs for me.

Pick: Leeds -8 2pts @ 1.91 with Boylesports
 
The Man