Betfred Super League: Williams-less Warrington Host Resurgent Rhinos
Round 17 of the Betfred Super League gets underway on Thursday night at the Halliwell Jones Stadium. Second place Warrington Wolves are without James Harrison and George Williams going into the fixture against Leeds Rhinos, who are similarly suffering in terms of squad availability.
Cameron Smith is awaiting a late fitness check and Justin Sangare is sidelined, however Nene MacDonald and Tom Holroyd have been named in Rohan Smith’s 21-man squad. Josh Drinkwater is the only returnee for the hosts, who’s experience at halfback will be vital for Daryl Powell’s side.
Where: Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington
When: Thursday 29th June 2023, 8pm
TV: Sky Sports Arena
Warrington’s Last Five: 23-14 Loss vs Castleford (Round 16), 30-26 Win vs Huddersfield (Round 15), 30-18 Loss vs Hull FC (MW), 30-12 Loss vs Leigh (Round 13), 21-14 Win vs Hull KR (Round 12)
Leeds’s Last Five: 54-0 Win vs Huddersfield (Round 16), 24-14 Loss vs Wakefield (Round 15), 24-26 Loss vs Castleford (MW), 12-13 Win vs St Helens (Round 13), 18-40 Win vs Wigan (Round 12)
Betfred Match Winner Odds:Warrington - 1/2, Leeds - 7/4, Tie - 18/1
First Try Scorer Odds:Matty Ashton - 7/1, Matt Dufty - 7/1, Ash Handley - 8/1, David Fusitu’a - 8/1, Josh Thewlis - 9/1
Milestones:
Stefan Ratchford needs eight points to reach 1,500 in the Betfred Super League, with 1,360 coming for the Wolves and the rest whilst he was plying his trade at then-named Salford City Reds.
Ben Currie is two tries away from reaching 100 career tries, 91 of those coming in the famous primrose yellow and blue.
Rhyse Martin is 18 points away from reaching 1,000 for his career. He scored 224 in the NRL before moving to Leeds in 2019, where he’s notched up 758 in four years.
Warrington 42-10 Leeds (Round 1, 2023)
Leeds 24-18 Warrington (Round 24, 2022)
Warrington 4-40 Leeds (Round 14, 2022)
Leeds 20-22 Warrington (Round 1, 2022)
Leeds 26-27 Warrington (Round 17, 2021)
Total Super League Meetings: 65 (26 for Warrington, 38 for Leeds, 1 draw)
This fixture promises to be a firecracker to start off the 17th round of the Betfred Super League. Leeds’ result last weekend saw them thrash Huddersfield at Headingley with the team firing on all cylinders, nullifying the Giants everytime they threatened the defensive line. Rhyse Martin and Sam Walters were superb, and Richie Myler seemed to be returning to the sort of form we’ve seen from him in the last few years. Walters’ announcement of his move to Wigan at the end of the year might’ve soured the camp a little, but Rohan Smith will be keen to replicate their end of season form from last season if they want to push for the play-offs.
Warrington’s result last week was a shock, with Castleford pulling off their third win of the season against the team that were almost champions-elect a month ago. The loss of George Williams, confirmed on Tuesday, for this week’s fixture is a tough one for Daryl Powell. The team often turn to Williams in times of need, and without his creativity and kicking, it could end up being a tough night for the Wolves.
Realistically, both of these sides are capable of excellence, with Wire showing that they are worthy candidates of a spot at Old Trafford at the end of the season. But both sides, like many in this year’s competition, are liable to poor performances. Much of this game will be decided by which team decides to turn up on the night.
Sportsman Stat: There hasn’t been a sweep in this fixture between these two teams since 2016, when Warrington defeated Leeds twice in the season. Every season since has seen the results go either way. Warrington were victorious against Leeds in Round One of the 2023 Betfred Super League season.
