This Week's Rugby League

By The Man

Salford v Huddersfield

19th August 20:00 GMT

Huddersfield disappointed last week when they had key players returning and had the perfect opportunity to beat an under strength and jaded St.Helens team. Their attack seems impotent and for this fixture their team is weaker. Luke O'Donnell, Danny Brough and Luke Robinson miss out and they are arguably their three best players. Scott Grix steps up to the halves from full back but I don't see the same attacking threat and their kicking game could suffer.

Salford are no great shakes but on home territory they can be competitive and I'm hoping the biggish start can be enough. They are certainly capable of winning this fixture if they muscle up. Huddersfield have lost fixtures to the likes of Crusaders, Wakefield and Castleford and their road form has been poor. Given their current slump I'm sure they'd take any sort of ugly victory. I had Huddersfield by 6pts.

Pick: Salford +12 3pts @ 1.91 with Boylesports
 
Hunslet  v Barrow
 
21st August 15:00 GMT

Hunslet are fighting for their place in the Championship and this is a must win game for them especially after the shock York win on Thursday evening. They have gone down to some last gasp defeats notably against Widnes and Barrow (away) when they went down on literally the last play of the game. They have been picking up bonus points at a regular rate and if they achieve that this week then the bet should be in the bag.

Barrow's season can't finish quick enough. Points deductions for salary cap breaches has left them out of reach of the play-off berths and relegation isn't a threat. The squad is very thin and the last seventeen bodies made the field for their last fixture versus Sheffield. Their last road game was a similar fixture at Dewsbury, another team fighting for their life, and Barrow were took apart for spells before a late burst of points snatched a bonus point in defeat. It would be no surprise to me if Hunslet took all the points in this one as I only had Barrow as marginal favourites.

Pick: Hunslet +10 3pts @ 1.8 with Bet365
 
Sheffied v Batley
 
21st August 15:00 GMT

Batley have had some tough fixtures recently against the likes of Widnes, Halifax and Featherstone and they have been very competitive in all those games. I have them as a team just short of the best in the division but capable of beating those teams on a good day. They will be looking for victory to cement a third place play-off position that should earn them two home fixtures before a tilt at the top two.

Sheffield are confirmed in the play-offs but recent form has been poor. I watched them in the televised defeat at Featherstone and they were woeful. They have some decent players like Menzie Yere and Mitch Stringer but the team is also made up of average players. Quite simply I have Batley as the better team and their recent run of tough fixtures will have made them battle hardened for an intense game. I had them as 4pt favourites and was surprised to see the cap the opposite way to my thinking.

Pick: Batley +4 3pts @ 1.8 with Bet365
 
The Man