Squad watch: Super League Rivals Round squad news, TV coverage & predictions
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of Super League Rivals Round, including squad news, television coverage and our predictions.
All six Super League games are on Sky Sports this Easter weekend, kicking-off at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle in the crunch clash between Castleford and Wakefield on Thursday.
It’s a double-header derby on Friday as Hull host Hull KR before Wigan take on St Helens at the DW Stadium.
On Saturday, Leigh take on Salford, while Warrington visit Perpignan to take on Catalans.
The final fixture of the round takes place at Headingley Stadium on Sunday evening as Leeds play hosts to Huddersfield.
Super League Rivals Round squads:
Castleford v Wakefield (Thursday, 8pm, live on Sky Sports)
Castleford are without Gareth Widdop with the half-back falling victim to sickness picked up in the club’s trip to Perpignan.
Full-back Niall Evalds returns from injury. Jacob Miller is in contention to face his former club for the first time since making the switch, while Luis Johnson has been named after joining the club on loan from Hull KR.
Wakefield have received a double boost with Liam Hood and Renouf Atoni returning to Mark Applegarth’s 21-man squad. Kevin Proctor could also make his return to action.
Castleford: Evalds, Eden, Turner, Fonua, Faraimo, Miller, Lawler, McShane, Griffin, Edwards, Mellor, Westerman, Massey, Broadbent, Vete, Mustapha, Smith, Matagi, Hookem, Qareqare, Johnson.
Wakefield: Taufua, Lyne, Lino, Battye, Hood, Whitbread, Ashurst, Pitts, Crowther, Kay, Atoni, Kershaw, Proctor, Smith, Langi, Bowes, Eseh, Hewitt, Dagger, Senior, Mason.
Prediction: It’s too early to call this a relegation four-pointer, but nonetheless it’s a crucial match with both sides desperate for a win. I’m tipping the hosts by 14.
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Hull v Hull KR (Friday, 12:30pm, live on Sky Sports)
Tony Smith has made four changes to his Hull side following their 34-6 defeat to Warrington at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
Ligi Sao returns from his one-match suspension, while Ben McNamara has recovered from a shoulder knock to be included.
Mitieli Vulikijapani and Jamie Shaul are both also named, replacing Andre Savelio, Joe Lovodua, Nick Staveley and Tex Hoy.
Tom Opacic returns to Willie Peters’ 21-man squad after suffering a groin injury in the win over Wakefield. Captain Shaun Kenny-Dowall also returns, having completed his four-match suspension.
Hull: Swift, Tuimavave, Sutcliffe, McIntosh, Clifford, Sao, Houghton, Satae, Lane, Fash, Cator, Evans, McNamara, Brown, Vulikijapani, Griffin, Litten, Gardiner, Shaul, Taylor, Dwyer.
Hull KR: Coote, Opacic, Kenny-Dowall, Hall, Abdull, Sue, Parcell, King, Halton, Linnett, Minchella, Litten, Kennedy, Batchelor, Storton, Lewis, Milnes, Hadley, Senior, Wood, Luckley.
Prediction: Hull FC were very poor at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, but should need no extra motivation for this one. But I’m tipping the other side by 16.
Hull KR loan international forward to the Championship
Wigan v St Helens (Friday, 3pm, live on Sky Sports)
Wigan boss Matt Peet has made three changes to his squad for Friday’s Super League Rivals Round derby at the DW Stadium. Iain Thornley has been recalled from his loan spell with Barrow, while Tom Forber also returns from fellow Super League club Wakefield.
Junior Nsemba has also been included. The trio replace Jai Field (injury), Cade Cust (injury) and Willie Isa (suspension).
Forward trio Sione Mata’utia, Jake Wingfield and Agnatius Paasi return to Paul Wellens’ squad ahead of the short trip to the DW Stadium.
Wigan: French, King, Wardle, Marshall, Smith, Singleton, Powell, Byrne, Farrell, Smithies, Cooper, Ellis, Havard, Pearce-Paul, Shorrocks, Mago, Thornley, O’Neill, Miski, Nsemba, Forber.
St Helens: Welsby, Makinson, Hopoate, Percival, Bennison, Lomax, Dodd, Roby, Lees, Mata’utia, Knowles, Lussick, LMS, Sironen, Paasi, Wingfield, Bell, Royle, Hurrell, Ritson, Delaney.
Predictions: This is a very tough one to call, with both sides missing key players. But I think it’s a tough ask without Jai Field and Cade Cust, so St Helens by 10.
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Leigh v Salford (Saturday, 2:30pm, live on Sky Sports)
Fiji powerhouse Ben Nakubuwai has been included in Adrian Lam’s Leigh squad. It was thought he’d be out for up to a month after their defeat to Wigan last week, but it looks like he could return earlier than expected.
Leigh will be without utility back Gareth O’Brien, who failed a head injury assessment in last week’s defeat to Wigan.
England hooker Andy Ackers and winger Joe Burgess have both been named in Paul Rowley’s 21-man squad. The Red Devils boss spoke to the media earlier this week, saying they are touch and go whether they play at Leigh on Saturday.
Leigh: Hardaker, Briscoe, Chamberlain, Leutele, Charnley, Mellor, Lam, Amone, Ipape, Mulhern, Hughes, Asiata, Nakubuwai, Reynolds, Holmes, Davis, Nisbet, O’Donnell, Wilde, Hanley, Seumanufagai.
Salford: Brierley, Sio, Watkins, Burgess, Croft, Sneyd, Ormondroyd, Ackers, Vuniyayawa, Dixon, Stone, Atkin, Addy, Dupree, Wright, Longstaff, Williams, Costello, Hellewell, Cross.
Prediction: Salford claimed the bragging rights in the opening round, so we’ll go with Leigh to level things up this week. Leopards by 10.
Ackers and Burgess injury update as Salford boss talks recruitment challenges
Catalans v Warrington (Saturday, 5pm, live on Sky Sports)
Photo: Mark Cosgrove/News Images
Steve McNamara has made three changes to his Catalans side that beat Castleford last week. Siosiua Taukeiaho, Mickael Goudemand and Ugo Tison replace Sam Tomkins, Mitchell Pearce and Bastien Scimone.
Former Australia and Samoa international Josh McGuire will make his debut for Warrington this weekend after completing his seven-match suspension. He will more than likely act as a direct replacement for Thomas Mikaele, who has headed back to the NRL.
Sam Kasiano, who joined Warrington from Catalans in the off-season, is back in Daryl Powell’s side for their trip to Perpignan.
Catalans: Mourgue, Davies, Keighran, Laguerre, McMeeken, McIlorum, Bousquet, Whitley, Seguier, Garcia, Da Costa, Goudemand, Navarrete, Rouge, Chan, Romano, Taukeiaho, Dezaria, Johnstone, Tison, Zenon.
Warrington: Ashton, Currie, Drinkwater, Dudson, Dufty, Green, Kasiano, Mata’utia, McGuire, Minikin, Nicholson, Philbin, Ratchford, Reddecliff, Russell, Thewlis, Thomas, Vaughan, Walker, Whitehead, Williams.
Prediction: A tough one to call with it being a top of the table clash, but Warrington are playing with confidence so I’ll tip them by 10.
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Leeds v Huddersfield (Sunday, 6pm, live on Sky Sports)
Leeds: TBA
Huddersfield: TBA
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