This Week's Rugby League

By The Man

Huddersfield Giants v Warrington Wolves



Friday 8th April 2011, 20:00 GMT
Sky Sports 2
 
Did Warrington prove they were the best team in the competition when winning at Wigan or did they suggest they were one of the worst by losing at home to Catalan? I think the two results are related and on their day Warrington are possibly the best team. I'm pretty sure coach Tony Smith thought they could get away with a lack lustre performance against the French and still come away with victory but the gamble failed. There is no doubt that the Wigan game will have taken a lot of physical and emotional juice out of the team and perhaps, with a big squad, he needed to freshen things up a bit more. I believe there was a lot of focus on that Wigan game and players were rested for the Wakefield fixture a fortnight before with one eye on it. They managed a win that day but the performance was poor.

I believe they will be back on the ball this week. Huddersfield are a top scalp these days and Warrington will be more than focussed and hopefully their extra class should tell. Huddersfield are just on the edge of being a top side. They are capable of bullying the lesser sides with their big pack and also of having the odd victory against the top sides but I still think they are a fraction short of being up their with the best. The recent defeat to a depleted Wigan side showed that they are not quite there.

I'm going on trust that this isn't the Wire side of old and I don't believe they are, I had Warrington by 6pts.

Pick: Warrington Wolves -2 3pts @ 1.91 Sky Bet

Dewsbury v Batley




Sunday 10th April 2011, 15:00 GMT
 
Batley actually had a start initially but the handicap has moved and that is a bit of odds compiling I couldn't work out. Batley had a tremendous victory at Barrow at the weekend and they played a very controlled, error free game. Before that they had won at Halifax to keep their dream of retaining this trophy alive and despite the blip in the league at Featherstone I believe they are a very talented side.

Dewsbury ground out a win at Hunslet on TV last week but Hunslet looked a very tired side and there wasn't much invention or guile from the visitors. I don't have Dewsbury talent wise up there with Batley.

This is a local derby and I accept that it could go either way but I still believe the prices to be wrong, hence my wager. I had Batley by 6-8pts.
 
Pick: Batley Scratch 3pts @ 1.91 Bet365

The Man