Top Two Go Clear

A four day programme for round 18 saw a move away from what has recently been a trend of high scoring games with only four sides even reaching 30 points.

Giants Edge Out Robins
Thursday night saw Huddersfield edge a narrow 22-26 win away to Hull KR leaving the Robins play-off charge dented while the Giants close on the top four.

The Robins went in front inside three minutes with a try from Hodgson with Burns converting for 6-0 but Huddersfield responded with a try from Cudjoe just five minutes later with Brough converting to level the score.

Huddersfield looked to have gone ahead in the 15th minute when McGillvary crossed the Robins try line but after a review it was declined due to a knock-on and Hull KR replied by taking the lead themselves with a try from Welham which was successful after a review but a missed attempt from Burns meant a 10-6 lead.

The Giants replied with a try from Ta'ai but Brough was unable to convert and the score was level at 10 all but the end to end scoring continued as Gardner scored for the hosts but another missed attempt from Burns meant a 14-10 lead.

Crabtree extended the scoring spree with a try in the 33rd minute and Brough converted to move them ahead at 14-16 but the sides were level at the interval as Burns converted a penalty for 16 all on the hooter.

Hodgson looked to have scored his second try of the evening in the 53rd minute but had his effort denied after an obstruction in the build-up and Huddersfield went down the other end and scored themselves as Patrick crossed but Brough's missed attempt meant a 16-20 score.

Patrick crossed for a second time in the 67th minute and Brough converted to increase the gap to ten points at 16-26 and four minutes later, Hodgson's luck avoided him as he crossed for a try only to be denied via a review for a second time on the night.

He did claim his illusive second try of the game in the 79th minute and with Burns converting for 22-26, the Robins had a chance to secure a last-gasp win but were unable to meaning Huddersfield secured the win. An incorrect prediction but bang on with the Huddersfield score after predicting 31-26.

Saints Secure Derby Win 
Friday night saw Derby Day at the DW as St Helens secured a narrow win over neighbours Wigan with a 12-16 victory. After a mixed start for both sides,Wigan opened the scoring in the ninth minute as a superb kick from Sam Powell found Joe Burgess on the wing with the Winger crossing for a try but the decision was sent for a review and after a few looks, the try was given to the joy of the home crowd but sadly Matty Smith was unable to convert and the lead was 4-0.

Wigan looked to increase the lead and came close when George Williams tested the Saints defence with a dangerous grubber kick but with no end product and minutes later, Saints responded with a threat of their own as a nice set of passes found Tommy Makinson wide open on the wing who went over for the try. He failed to convert his own try meaning the sides were level at 4 all.

There could have been a quick response from Wigan as a nice passing set saw Joe Burgess get into a good position but the Saints defence were strong to tackle him into touch and looked to have scored a try of their own with five minutes left of the half as a kick from Lance Hohaia had the Wigan defence scrambling to stop two Saints attackers with Tommy Makinson looking to have touched down but on review it was deemed Joe Burgess had prevented the try.

The sides went into the interval level at 4 all but Wigan could have taken the lead just two minutes into the second half when a good passing set saw Anthony Gelling in space but a rushed offload saw him find touch rather than wing partner Josh Charnley.

The hurried set proved costly as the next set saw a clever kick from Jon Wilkin cause chaos for the Wigan defence with Paul Wellens taking advantage and going over for the try and despite a change of kicking duties to Mark Percival, no conversion followed meaning a 4-8 lead.

The lead could have increased when St Helens attacked with pace but their speed let them down as they knocked on when the chance to find the unmarked Adam Swift would have been the best option but the home crowd applauded minutes later when Jamie Doran came on for his senior debut wearing number 42 which shows the depth of the Warriors squad.

Doran had the perfect start to his debut as he took part in a nice set of play that saw an exquisite pass from Matt Bowen find Josh Charnley out wide with the Winger crossing or the try but continuing the trend, Matty Smith was unable to convert and the sides were level at 8 all.

A huge strategic mistake saw Josh Charnley tackled in goal after Matt Bowen had left the loose ball to him and a high tackle from the resulting set saw Saints awarded a penalty which they chose to kick at goal and Mark Percival converted it successfully for a 8-10 lead.

St Helens extended the lead after what looked like a controversial lift on Mose Masoe saw them awarded a penalty and a nice passing set resulted in Tommy Makinson scoring after being left wide open on the wing with Mark Percival converting for 8-16.

Wigan wasted a good chance to reply as after being given an extra set just metres from the St Helens line, they knocked on in the first tackle before regaining the ball and seeming to have scored when Joe Burgess crossed the Saints line. The decision was sent for a review and it was clear that the Winger had committed a double movement to the dismay of the home crowd.

The crowd roared behind their charges and it paid dividends as Sean O'Loughlin picked out Josh Charnley with the in-form Winger crossing for a superb try but the euphoria was dampened as Matty Smith's kicking troubles continued meaning a 12-16 score.

Just minutes remained and Wigan looked to call on the joy of the last-gasp Liam Farrell try from 2011 but despite gaining a penalty in a good position, the last action saw Anthony Gelling tackled just metres from the line ending any hopes of a comeback win and a first league double in three years. An incorrect result and failed prediction of 32-24.

Vikings Overpower Broncos
Widnes bounced back from a poor run of form to complete a league double over a London side who are still without a win in 2014 after a 24-42 defeat.

London went in front inside three minutes after Drinkwater converted a penalty for a 2-0 lead but the lead lasted only seven minutes as Widnes went ahead with a try from Ah Van which Mellor converted for 2-6.

Two tries in eight minutes before the interval saw Widnes jump into a 16 point lead at 2-18 with scores from Cahill and Galea both successfully converted by Tickle but the gap was narrowed right on half-time when Solomona crossed for the Broncos and Drinkwater converted for 8-18.

Widnes regained their 16 point led just four minutes into the second half as Hanbury crossed for a try and Tickle converted for 8-24 before two further scores in a 13 minute period from Flynn were converted by Tickle and Ah Van to increase the lead to 8-36 and leave London with a huge task to avoid yet another loss.

London responded well with two tries in a minute as Greenwood and Vea crossed with Drinkwater converting both efforts to give the Broncos hope at 20-36 but just four minutes later the hope was dented as Hanbury crossed for his second try of the afternoon and Ah Van converted for a 20-42 score.

Despite the loss being confirmed, London had the last say as Cook crossed for a try and sadly Drinkwater's perfect kicking afternoon ended with a miss meaning a final score of 24-42. A correct result but a bit off with the prediction of 18-28.

Salford Stunned By Cas
Two clubs that have recently had mixed words off the pitch are Castleford and Salford but the Red Devils will be cursing their luck after suffering a last-gasp defeat to the Tigers.

The first half saw a single score with Carney crossing for the first try of the evening just before the half hour mark with Salford loanee Sneyd converting for a 6-0 lead at the break. The subject of a war of words between the clubs, Sneyd added further damage to his parent club with a penalty in the 58th minute for 8-0.

Salford replied with two tries in four minutes from Sa'u and Hock with Chase converting the latter to give his side a 8-10 lead. 

Castleford have been good at home this season and continued that trend with a last-gasp try from Webster that stunned the travelling Red Devils and with Sneyd converting for a 14-10 final score, Salford's play off hopes are hanging by a thread while Castleford are looking good in fourth place. A correct result and winning margin of four points but points wise off on the hopes of 32-28.

Sutcliffe Seals Leeds Double
Leeds left it late to complete a league double over a Catalan side who have suffered defeat both home and away to a fellow side for the first time this season.

Catalan went in front inside three minutes with a try from Escaré with new signing Williams taking the kicking duties in place of the absent Bosc to convert for a 6-0 lead that lasted only six minutes when Hall responded with a try for the Rhinos but in the absence of star kicker Sinfield, Sutcliffe missed the attempt and the score was 4-6.

Williams converted a penalty in the 16th minute to extend the lead but Leeds replied with a try from Jones-Bishop three minutes later but again there was no conversion and the sides were level at 8 all.

The end to end scoring continued as Taia crossed for the Dragons and Williams converted for a 8-14 lead that became 8-20 when Pelissier scored just after the half hour and Williams kept up his kicking success with the conversion. Leeds closed the gap just before the interval with a try from Walters with Sutcliffe converting for the first time for 14-20.

Taia crossed for his second effort of the game just four minutes into the second half and despite Williams missing for the first time, the Dragons led 14-24 before three tries in 13 minutes saw Leeds comeback to lead 30-24 as Moon crossed twice either side of try for Ablett with Sutcliffe converting two out of three.

Catalan levelled with a try from Millard and a Williams conversion to make it 30 all with ten minutes to go and a tense finish was ensured when Escaré sent over a superb drop goal in the 77th minute to give the Dragons and 30-31 lead. However, Leeds had the last say in dramatic style as they were awarded a penalty 30 metres out with just 40 second remaining and Sutcliffe was the hero as he converted with ease and sealed a 32-31 victory. A correct result and a close prediction of 26-20.

Westerman Seals Late Draw
Wakefield looked to be on for a second win in the space of a week with just four minutes to go until a last gasp comeback from Hull.

A tight first half burst into action in the final minutes as Hull went in front with a try from Sa in the 38th minute with Abdull converting for a 0-6 lead before Wakefield were level inside two minutes as Mathers scored on the hooter and Sykes converted for 6 all.

Horne put the visitors in front with a try in the 47th minute but a missed attempt meant a slim lead at 6-10 before Riley replied for the Wildcats eight minutes later but the sides remained level at 10 all after a missed attempt. 

Yeaman struck to regain the lead for the Airlie Birds but another missed attempt with the boot meant the lead was slim at 10-14 but the end to end scoring continued as Lyne crossed for the home side and with the kicking troubles continuing for both side, they were level at 14 all.

Wakefield went ahead for the first time in the game when Scruton crossed for a try and Sykes converted for 20-14 but after waiting 76 minutes to lead, their joy lasted four minutes as Yeaman went in right at the end with a superb touchline conversion from Westerman sealing a thrilling 20 all draw.  An incorrect result and a wide prediction of 36-22.    

Warrington Overcome Bradford
Warrington avoided what would have been a shock league double to Bradford with a comfortable 50-24 win over a Bulls side with new coach James Lowes at the helm.

The Wolves raced into a 16-0 lead inside 14 minutes with a trio of tries from Harrison, Atkins and O'Brien with Ratchford converting two out of three. Bradford responded and reduced the lead to ten points just before the interval with a try from Kearney with Gale converting for 16-6.

Bradford looked to be still in the dressing room for the first ten minutes of the second half as Warrington stormed in with four tries with a double from Monaghan either side of efforts from Westwood and Ormsby with Ratchford converting all but one for a 38-6 lead.

Bradford pulled a try back through Purtell with Gale converting for 38-12 but Warrington powered on and crossed for two tries in six minutes with a second for O'Brien followed by a score from Evans with both successfully converted by Ratchford who took his personally to 14 points and put his side to the 50 point mark.

Despite the inevitability of another heavy loss, Bradford crossed for two late tries from Olbison and Pitts with Gale maintaining his perfect kicking record by converting both for a final score of 50-24. 
A correct result and not too far off with the prediction of 38-18. 

Saints Secure Derby Win

After the disappointing trip to Wakefield last weekend, Wigan hosted fierce rivals St Helens on Derby Day looking to complete a first league double over the Saints since 2011.

Matt Bowen returned at Fullback with a new name on the Warriors bench in the shape of academy Halfback Jamie Doran as the Warriors aimed to return to the Super League summit and after a mixed start for both sides,Wigan opened the scoring in the ninth minute.

A superb kick from Sam Powell found Joe Burgess on the wing with the Winger crossing for a try but the decision was sent for a review and after a few looks, the try was given to the joy of the home crowd but sadly Matty Smith was unable to convert and the lead was 4-0.

Wigan looked to increase the lead and came close when George Williams tested the Saints defence with a dangerous grubber kick but with no end product and minutes later, Saints responded with a threat of their own as a nice set of passes found Tommy Makinson wide open on the wing who went over for the try. He failed to convert his own try meaning the sides were level at 4 all.

There could have been a quick response from Wigan as a nice passing set saw Joe Burgess get into a good position but the Saints defence were strong to tackle him into touch and looked to have scored a try of their own with five minutes left of the half as a kick from Lance Hohaia had the Wigan defence scrambling to stop two Saints attackers with Tommy Makinson looking to have touched down but on review it was deemed Joe Burgess had prevented the try.

The sides went into the interval level at 4 all but Wigan could have taken the lead just two minutes into the second half when a good passing set saw Anthony Gelling in space but a rushed offload saw him find touch rather than wing partner Josh Charnley.

The hurried set proved costly as the next set saw a clever kick from Jon Wilkin cause chaos for the Wigan defence with Paul Wellens taking advantage and going over for the try and despite a change of kicking duties to Mark Percival, no conversion followed meaning a 4-8 lead.

The lead could have increased when St Helens attacked with pace but their speed let them down as they knocked on when the chance to find the unmarked Adam Swift would have been the best option but the home crowd applauded minutes later when Jamie Doran came on for his senior debut wearing number 42 which shows the depth of the Warriors squad.

Doran had the perfect start to his debut as he took part in a nice set of play that saw an exquisite pass from Matt Bowen find Josh Charnley out wide with the Winger crossing or the try but continuing the trend, Matty Smith was unable to convert and the sides were level at 8 all.

A huge strategic mistake saw Josh Charnley tackled in goal after Matt Bowen had left the loose ball to him and a high tackle from the resulting set saw Saints awarded a penalty which they chose to kick at goal and Mark Percival converted it successfully for a 8-10 lead.

St Helens extended the lead after what looked like a controversial lift on Mose Masoe saw them awarded a penalty and a nice passing set resulted in Tommy Makinson scoring after being left wide open on the wing with Mark Percival converting for 8-16.

Wigan wasted a good chance to reply as after being given an extra set just metres from the St Helens line, they knocked on in the first tackle before regaining the ball and seeming to have scored when Joe Burgess crossed the Saints line. The decision was sent for a review and it was clear that the Winger had committed a double movement to the dismay of the home crowd.

The crowd roared behind their charges and it paid dividends as Sean O'Loughlin picked out Josh Charnley with the in-form Winger crossing for a superb try but the euphoria was dampened as Matty Smith's kicking troubles continued meaning a 12-16 score.

Just minutes remained and Wigan looked to call on the joy of the last-gasp Liam Farrell try from 2011 but despite gaining a penalty in a good position, the last action saw Anthony Gelling tackled just metres from the line ending any hopes of a comeback win and a first league double in three years.

Wigan will surely avoid a trio of losses when they travel to London on Saturday but with the Broncos still without a win in 2014, a shock can not be written of due to the unpredictability of this season.

Super League Round 18 Preview

Round 18 takes place at the height of a gloriously sunny summer and with a four day programme this weekend, fans are guaranteed good weather and equally good rugby league.

Tonight's televised game sees Hull KR host Huddersfield Giants with both sides in good form and eager record a first win over one another this season.

Hull KR come into the game on the back of a comfortable win away to Bradford which ended a run of two defeats and they will be keen to boost their play-off hopes with a win over the Giants as they sit only a point behind eight placed Widnes.

Huddersfield extended their run of wins to three with a battling victory over London and with the top six separated by only six points, tonight they have the chance to go to joint third with Wigan and depending on other results could end the weekend only two points off the top.

The reverse meeting saw the Giants blow a comfortable lead which saw the Robins comeback to secure a point in a 24 all draw which could have been worse for Huddersfield had Hull converted each of their last two tries.

However, last seasons meeting up in Hull saw the Robins triumph in a 35-28 win, a repeat of which would delight the KR faithful and the omen is with the hosts who have won three of the five meetings with the Giants which inludes the last two at home.

Hull KR are able to include Neville Costigan after he avoided a suspension after entering an EGP while Huddersfield also boast an unchanged squad after the win over London.


Hull KR- Burns, Carlile, Costigan, Eden, Esslemont, Gardner, Green, Hall, D. Hodgson, J. Hodgson, Horne, Keating, Lovegrove, Netherton, Ollett, Salter, A. Walker, Welham, Weyman
Huddersfield- Grix, McGillvary, Cudjoe, Wardle, Brough, Robinson, Crabtree, Kopczak, Ferres, Chan, Bailey, Lawrence, Patrick, Faiumu, Ta'ai, Wood, Broughton, Mullally, Johnson.

This game is one I am going with past form and may be a gamble but will tip the Robins so Hull KR 31 Huddersfield 26.

Friday night sees only one game but what a huge game it is as 'Derby Day' graces the DW stadium as Wigan host fierce rivals St Helens looking to secure a league double over their neighbours.

Wigan come into the game on the back of a tiring defeat away to Wakefield which ended a run of three games in ten days which saw them rise to the league's summit after wins over Castleford and Widnes but with a wounded pack will be hoping to secure a league double over the Saints.

St Helens capitalised on Wigan's loss to replace the Warriors at the top of the ladder with a comfortable win over top four rivals Castleford and will be keen to retain top spot by defeating their neighbours for the first time since this time last year.

The Easter meeting between the sides saw Wigan triumph 33-14 and put them halfway to securing a first league double over their fierce rivals since 2011 and the Warriors also have the boost of winning last season's meeting at the DW saw them secure a 28-16 win on Good Friday.

Wigan shuffle their pack with Matty Bowen, Joe Burgess, Gil Dudson, Dom Crosby and John Bateman returning with Josh Charnley and Darrell Goulding being replaced by Dom Manfredi and the first call up of the promising Jamie Doran with Liam Farrell suspended.

St Helens welcome back Alex Walmsley from suspension with Josh Jones recalled meaning Gary Wheeler and Andre Savelio miss out.


Wigan Warriors: Bateman, Bowen, Burgess, Burke, Crosby, Doran, Dudson, Flower, Gelling, Hughes, James, Manfredi, Murphy, O'Loughlin, S. Powell, Sarginson, Smith, Taylor, Williams
St Helens: Makinson, Turner, Jones, Swift, Hohaia, Walsh, Masoe, Roby, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Soliola, Wilkin, Manu, Flanagan, Wellens, Walmsley, Percival, Dawson, Richards, Thompson.

An in-depth preview will follow in a separate post but for this post, I will include a prediction so Wigan 32 St Helens 24.

Saturday features two games with the afternoon match seeing London's quest for a first win continue as they host Widnes who are on a poor run of form. 

London go into the game still without a win in 2014 and as a result surely destined for relegation to the Championship for 2015 and with the departure of the promising Mason Caton-Brown to Salford, their task of surviving grows in difficulty.

Widnes will admit that a trip to a struggling London is just what they need after a packed week which saw heavy defeats to Hull and Wigan end with a battling loss to Leeds so a win would be a much needed boost.

The reverse meeting saw Widnes secure a huge 64-10 win, a repeat of which would end their poor run of form and would add to London's horrific losing run. The omens are against the Broncos who are without a win against the Vikings since a 28-24 win in 2012 and also suffered a 14-28 loss in last 
season's meeting in the capital.

London are without Nesi Mataitonga, Thomas Minns, Ben Farrar and of course Mason Caton-Brown with Mike McMeeken, James Duckworth andloan  James Woodburn-Hall included while Widnes include Kevin Brown, Jon Clarke, Danny Galea, Danny Tickle, Cameron Phelps, Hep Cahill and Jack Owens. The only main absentee is Stefan Marsh.

London- Cook, Cunningham, Dollapi, Drinkwater, Duckworth, Foster, Greenwood, Griffin, Keyes, Krasniqi, Lovell, Macani, McMeeken, Moore, O'Callaghan, Slyney, Solomona, Vea, Woodburn-Hall
Widnes-Ah Van, Allen, Brown, Cahill, Clarke, Dean, Flynn, Galea, Gerrard, Hanbury, Isa, Joseph, Kavanagh, Leuluai, Mellor, Owens, Phelps, Tickle, White.

Despite both sides being in wretched form, Widnes to bounce back here so London 18 Widnes 28. 

The evening game sees Castleford host Salford in a game between two sides who have created a huge rivalry off the pitch.

Many eyes will be focused on former Tigers hero Rangi Chase returning to the Jungle for the first time and current Tigers hero Marc Sneyd who is on loan from the Red Devils and whose future has caused tension between the two sides.

Castleford come into the game off the back of a poor showings at St Helens and Wigan but had wont the previous three so will be confident of bouncing back against the Red Devils while also looking to move closer to the top depending on the weekend's other results.

Salford come into the game in woeful form with only one win in their last five which came against Bradford in round 16 but was followed by a defeat to Warrington in the previous round and with a number of new signings they have the players to respond to their poor form.

The reverse meeting saw the Red Devils end the Tigers good start to the season with a 23-16 win but last season's meeting at the Jungle saw the Tigers come out on top in a 44-30 win the onus is on Castleford to avoid being doubled and to keep up what has been a good season at home.

Justin Carney and Gareth Carvell are included in place of Oliver Holmes and James Clare while Salford include new signings Mason Caton-Brown and Josh Griffin.

Castleford-Dixon, Shenton, Webster, Carney, Dorn, Sneyd, Lynch, Milner, Huby, Millington, Hauraki, Massey, Clark, Mariano, Wheeldon, Ellis, Finn, Jewitt, Carvell.
Salford-Evalds, Johnson, Sa'u, Meli, Walton, Chase, Fages, Tasi, Morley, Tomkins, Hock, J.Walne, Rapira, Puletua, Lee, J. Griffin, Ashurst, Caton-Brown, Williams.

Castleford have been good at home and need to bounce back but it will be a close one I feel so Castleford 32 Salford 28.

Sunday features three games with the pick of the trio being Catalans trip to face Leeds with the Dragons looking for revenge after the Rhinos became the only side this season to win in Perpignan.

Leeds come into the game off the back of a win over a Widnes that sees them sit second in the table and with Wigan and Saints either side of them facing off there is the chance to go top of the table with a win over the travelling Dragons.

Catalan come into the game in superb form and on a five game unbeaten streak which includes a nilling of St Helens and last week's narrow win over Hull with both in sunny Perpignan, where the Dragons have only suffered defeat once this season which came against Sunday's opponents so they will be hoping to avoid being doubled by the Rhinos.

The reverse meeting as previously mentioned saw Leeds triumph and with a comfortable 40-12 win which was their fourth successive win against the French side which includes last season's meeting at Headingley that saw them win 20-12 so the omens are against the Dragons.

Catalan haven't done well on their travels this year and I see this game ending their fine streak but not without a fight so Leeds 26 Catalan 20.

Wakefield take on Hull with both looking to improve their chances of a end of season play-off place.

Wakefield come into the game after a surprising but deserved win over champions Wigan on Sunday which was only their second win in five games and with the top eight only five points from their grasp, a few wins could see them secure what would be a good end to the season after being tipped for relegation early on.

Hull suffered a narrow loss in Perpignan but will be proud after seeing the French side dismantle sides in previous rounds including the 42-0 win over St Helens in round 16 and with the top eight in sight, the Airlie Birds will be eager to string a few wins together to seal a play-off place while looking to catch their city rivals.

The reverse meeting saw the Wildcats secure a 23-16 win and the form is with them after winning last season's meeting at the Rapid Solicitors stadium with a narrow 27-26 win sealed by a Lee Smith drop goal so the Wildcats will be keen to secure a league double over the Black and Whites.

After watching Wakefield first hand on Sunday, I think they will make it two wins in a row at home so Wakefield 36 Hull 22. 

The final game of the weekend sees Warrington host Bradford with the Bulls looking to secure a league double over the Wolves.

Warrington come into the game off the back of a win over Salford which saw them move into fifth and just four points off the top and two off third place though points difference is against them as they look for a seventh successive league win in a run that dates back to the defeat to the Bulls in the reverse meeting.

Bradford come into the game with a new man at the helm in former Bulls star James Lowes who has also ironically coached Sunday's opponents in the past and to secure a double over the Wolves would be a perfect start for the new coach who takes over a side who suffered a heavy defeat to Hull KR last weekend.

The aforementioned reverse meeting saw Bradford secure a 34-28 win though the sides have also met in the Challenge Cup which saw the Wolves triumph 46-10 and last season's meeting at the Halliwell Jones stadium saw the Wolves win 32-4 so the omens are against the Bulls who will look for a repeat of their win earlier in the season.

Warrington are in stellar form and I see them continuing that on Sunday so Warrington 38 Bradford 18.
 
A few strange predictions this week are shown in odds of 29.34/1 for the traditional round accumulator but last week shows that anything can happen and as mentioned above a full preview of Wigan v St Helens will follow.

Wildcats Overcome Warriors

In what was their fourth game in the space of 16 days, Wigan made the trip up to face a Wakefield side looking to end a five year losing streak against the Warriors.

Wakefield open the scoring the 15th minute as a run  by Danny Kirmond saw him cross for the games opening try with Sykes adding the conversion for a 6–0 lead. 

Wigan were level inside four minutes when Jack Hughes crossed for a try and Smith converted for 6 all. 

Wigan went in front with two tries in the space of five minutes from Liam Farrell and Anthony Gelling with both successfully converted by Smith for a 6–18 lead inside 30 minutes. 

Wakefield bounced back superbly with three tries in six  minutes from Smith, Owen and Moore  all successfully converted by Sykes for a 24–18 lead at the interval. 

Wigan levelled the score in the seventh minute of the second half when Liam Farrell scored his second try of  the afternoon with Smith converting for a 24 all score.

Sykes scored a penalty just before the hour to put the Wildcats back in front but Wigan bounced back with a try from Sarginson but with Smith missing the resulting conversion it meant a slim lead of 26–28. 

Wigan looked to be on the way to a fourth consecutive win in their packed schedule however Wakefield had other ideas as they crossed for two tries I n the final nine minutes from Washbrook and Lyne with Sykes adding a final conversion to complete their first win over the Warriors since the opening day in 2009 with a 36–28 score and barring a disastrous end of the season means the Wildcats should play in the Super League season. 

Saints Rise To The Top

In glorious sunshine, round 17 saw some really close and exciting games as the end of season shape begins to form.

Robins Dent Bulls Survival Hopes

Hull KR improved their mixed form with a comfortable win away to Bradford who as a result may struggle to avoid relegation.

The Robins came close to a first try when Welham went over in the seventh minute but after review was deemed to have been in touch. The first try came in the 15th minute when Burns crossed and successfully converted his own score for a 0-6 lead.

Bradford responded with a try from Kear which after review was awarded and Gale converted to level the score but two tries in three minutes put the Robins back in front ahead of the halftime break.

Hodgson and Welham crossed for tries in the 35th and 38th minute with both successfully converted by Burns for 6-18 at the interval.

Hall extended the lead for the visitors in the 42nd minute but the missed conversion attempt meant 6-22 before Eden scored nine minutes later and Burns converted for 6-28.

O'Brien responded on the hour mark for the hosts and Gale converted to reduce the deficit but three minutes later Walker increased the lead for the Robins and Burns converted for 12-34 only for Addy to reduce the deficit further in the 66th minute with Gale converting for 18-34. 

Bradford's hopes of a comeback were dashed with two late tries with Hall and Eden both claiming their second scores of the evening and a single conversion from Burns meant a final score of 18-44.

A correct result and not too far off with the prediction of 12-42.

Huddersfield Defeat Battling London

After Bradford lost the previous evening,London knew a win would boost their slim hopes of survival but came away with a defeat to Huddersfield.

The Giants raced in to an 18-0 lead inside 20 minutes with tries from Grix,Ferres and McGillvary all converted by Brough.

Wardle extended the lead with the Giants fourth try for 22-0, London reduced the deficit before the interval with a try from Cunningham with a conversion by Drinkwater at 22-6.

McGillvary crossed for his second score in the 48th minute for 26-6 before two tries in three minutes from Drinkwater and Solomona coupled with a Drinkwater conversion meant London closed the gap to 26-16.

Huddersfield responded with two tries in as many minutes from Broughton and Wardle's second both converted by Brough for 38-16.

London had the last say with a try from Caton-Brown followed by a conversion by Drinkwater but at 38- 22 it was not enough. A correct result and a very close prediction of 42-18.

Dragons Survive Hull Comeback

Catalan continue their stunning home form with a narrow win over Hull thereby completing a home double over the Humberside teams.

Tries from Escaré (Bosc conv) and Oldfield put the home side 10-0 up inside 18 minutes on a glorious sunny afternoon in Perpignan.

Hull responded with a try from Ellis six minutes before half-time but a missed conversion meant a 10-4 score made worse by Garcia scoring for the home side and Bosc converting for 16-4 at the interval.

Millard increased the lead for  the Dragons just seven minutes into the second-half but another missed conversion meant a 20-4 score. 

Hull responded with two tries in the space of three minutes just after the hour mark with Yeaman and Shaul both crossing with Rankin converting both for 20-16 sadly for the visitors they were unable to level the score and the Dragons held on for the win. A correct result but off with the prediction of 38-20.

Saints Rise To The Top

After being displaced by Wigan on Wednesday St Helens knew a win would take them back to the top of the league and they took on rivals Castleford.

Makinson opened the scoring for the hosts with a try in the sixth minute but a missed conversion meant a slim 4-0 lead. 

Dixon crossed for the visitors to reduce the deficit in the 21st minute but tries from Wellens and Turner both converted by Walsh meant a lead of 16-4 for Saints.

Wellens struck again just before the interval with Walsh's conversion making the halftime score 22-4. The lead increased six minutes into the second half as Percival crossed with Walsh converting for 28-4.

Two tries in as many minutes from Walsh and a second from Percival saw the lead extended to 36-4. Castleford responded with tries from Sneyd and Dorn both converted by Sneyd to reduce the deficit with three minutes to go but Walsh put a gloss on the win for Saints with a penalty in the final minute making the final score 38-16. An incorrect result and wide prediction of 24–25.

Wolves Overcome Red Devils

Warrington closed on the top four with a win over Salford who as a result are still not safe from relegation. 

Salford open the scoring in the second minute with a try from Sa'u which was converted by Chase for 0-6 but a try from Ormsby four minutes later added to by a Bridge conversion meant a level score. 

Tries from Atkins, Bridge and Monaghan made it 22-6 at half-time lead with Bridge converting two out of three. Salford responded well with Morley scoring against his former side just four minutes into the second half followed by a Chase conversion. 

Evalds crossed to reduce the deficit further but a missed conversion meant 22-16 which became 24–16 when Bridge  converted a penalty in the 62nd minute before Evans went over six minutes later for a try which Bridge converted for 30–16.

Evalds scored his second try of the afternoon but it was not enough to  prevent Warrington securing the win when Currie scored in the final minute and Bridge converted for a final score of 36-20.

Leeds Bounce Back At Widnes 

Leeds bounced back from the defeat against Huddersfield with a win over Widnes who after three defeats in the space of a week have dropped down the table. 

Ties from Watkins and McGuire coupled with a Sinfield conversion put the Rhinos  0-10 in front inside 14 minutes. Widnes responded well with a trio of tries before the interval through Dean, Handbury and Ah Van with the latter converting twice for a 16-10 half-time lead. 

However, Leeds rallied back with a treble of their own with Sinfield, Sutcliffe and Briscoe crossing with Sinfield converting all three to complete the comeback and put his side in front at 16–28.

McGuire  crossed for his second of the afternoon to increase the lead for the Rhinos on but a missed conversion attempt left the score at 16–32.

Widnes responded with two scores in the last 10 minutes either side of Walters drive for Leeds (Sinfield conv ) with Ah Van converting both the Vikings tries but it was not enough to prevent Leeds securing a 28–38 win. A correct result but off with a prediction if 12-30.

Wakefield Overcome Wigan

Wakefield ended a five year losing streak against Wigan to surely confirm their place in Super League for 2015. 

The hosts opened the scoring in the 15th minute with a try from Kirmond which was successfully converted by Sykes for a 6-0 lead. 

Wigan responded will try from Hughes which was converted by Smith  to level the score at six all before two tries in space of five minutes from Liam Farrell and Gelling both converted by Smith gave Wigan a 6–18 lead.

Wakefield responded superbly with three tries before the break from Smith,Owen and Moore all successfully converted by Sykes for a 24–18 lead at the interval.

Seven minutes into the second half, Liam Farrell scored his second try of the afternoon and Smith converted to level the score. However, Sykes converted a  penalty in the 57th minute to put the Wildcats 26–24 in front.

Wigan regained the lead with a try from Sarginson but as Smith missed the conversion attempt it meant a slim lead at 26–28.

Wakefield responded and secured the win with two late tries from Washbrook and Lyne with the single conversion from Sykes making a final score 36-28. An incorrect result and of course the wrong prediction of 18–32. 

Super League Round 17 Preview

After the rearranged round two game saw Wigan rise to the Super League summit, round 17 begins tonight due to no Thursday night Sky game and will have huge focus on Sunday afternoon with all of the top four in action.

Tonight's TV game sees Bradford host Hull KR with the hosts needing a win to keep up their slim hopes of surviving relegation while the Robins hope to close on the top eight.

Bradford come into the game in poor form after a heavy loss away to Salford which saw the dismissal of coach Francis Cummins and with a gap of eight points from safety, they need a big run of wins which they hope will start with avoiding a league double to the Robins.

Hull KR come into the game just outside the top eight and after a disappointing loss at home to Warrington, they will be confident of getting back to winning ways with a win against a struggling Bulls side while hoping to complete a league double after a 16-0 win in the reverse meeting.

Last season's meeting between the sides saw Bradford triumph 34-12, a result the Bulls would love to see a repeat of and the unpredictability of this season means a repeat could well be on the cards tonight. 


Bradford include Jay Pitts, Brett Kearney and Alex Mellor with Adam Henry, Joe Arundel and Jamie Foster also returning to the 19 man squad while Hull KR include Kris Welham, Rhys Lovegrove and potential debutant Sonny Esslemont in their 19.

Bradford : Addy, Baldwinson, Blythe, Diskin, Donaldson, Fakir, Gale, Gaskell, George, Kear, Kearney, O'Brien, Olbison, Manuokafoa, Mellor, Pitts, Purtell, Sidlow, Walker.
Hull KR: Burrns, Carlile, Costigan, Eden, Esslemont, Gardner, Green, Hall, D Hodgson, J Hodgson, Horne, Keating, Lovegrove, Netherton, Ollett, Salter, Walker, Welham, Weyman.

This could be hard to call but I see the visitors coming out on top so Bradford 12 Hull KR 42.

Saturday sees two games with Huddersfield hosting London and the traditional Saturday afternoon game for Catalan as they host Hull.

Catalan host Hull looking to continue a superb winning streak at home while the Airlie Birds will look to close up on the top eight.

Catalan come into the game in stunning form at their Perpignan home which includes last weekend's 42-0 win over the then table toppers St Helens and sitting in seventh, the Dragons have the chance to close up on the top six and extend the gap to those sitting just outside the play-off places.

Hull will be wary of Catalans strength at home with the sunny weather also a potential factor but after a strong win away to Widnes they will be confident of ending the fine run that their hosts are currently enjoying.

The reverse meeting between the sides saw Catalan blow a half-time lead at the KC stadium before going on to lose 36-34 so will be hoping to avoid suffering a league double but will be confident after winning away to the Dragons in last season's Challenge Cup but lost 30-4 away in the league.

Catalan include new signing Sam Williams in place of the suspended Eloi Pelissier while Hull make three changes with Tom Lineham returning for the first time since March with Richard Whiting and Dean Hadley replacing the trio of Callum Lancaster, Jacob Miller and Liam Watts.


Catalan: Escare, Pryce, Pomeroy, Oldfield, Bosc, Elima, Henderson, Lima, Taia, Anderson, Mounis, Whitehead, Millard, Paea, Baitieri, Duport, Cardace, Garcia, Williams.
Hull FC: Bowden, Crooks, Ellis, Heremaia, Hadley, Horne, Houghton, Lineham, Paea, Paleaaesina, Rankin, Sa, Shaul, Talanoa, Thompson, Tuson, Westerman, Whiting, Yeaman.

There could be a surprise but with such good weather I see Catalan extending their run so Catalan 38 Hull 20.

London make the trip up to Huddersfield still looking for their first win of the season after a narrow loss to Wakefield while Huddersfield will look to close on the top four.

Huddersfield come into the game on the back of a superb win away to Leeds and coupled with a break after a win over Wigan, they are in good form and look pretty solid for a top eight place this year though will look to avoid the record of the worse second season after being League Leaders.

London must wonder how they are still winless after leading for a long time away to Wakefield before losing late on, they have led several times this season but have been unable to make it last and will hop for a better performance than in the previous meeting with the Giants that saw them lose 16-30.

Last season's meeting saw Huddersfield triumph 34-6, a result they would like to repeat and one that if repeated could see London surely confirmed for a place in the Championship next year.


Huddersfield make one change from the win over Leeds with Aaron Murphy making way for Anthony Mullally while London include Erjon Dollapi, Joe Keyes and Denny Solomona in place of Ben Farrar, Maxime Herold and Jon Wallace.

Huddersfield : Grix, McGillvary, Cudjoe, Wardle, Brough, Robinson, Crabtree, Kopczak, Ferres, Chan, Bailey, Lawrence, Patrick, Faiumu, Ta'ai, Wood, Broughton, Mullally, Johnson.
London: Caton-Brown, Cook, Cunningham, Dollapi, Drinkwater, Foster, Greenwood, Griffin, Keyes, Krasniqi, Lovell, Macani, Mataitonga, Minns, Moore, O'Callaghan, Slyney, Solomona, Vea.



It is hard to see anything but a Huddersfield win based on form so Huddersdfield 42 London 18.

Sunday features four games with the standout tie being Castleford's trip to face St Helens in the battle of second and fourth.

St Helens will be glad to be at home after suffering a humiliating nilling away to Catalan and after Wigan's midweek win find themselves sitting in second place ahead of a potential league double over the Tigers.

Castleford alike their hosts suffered a huge defeat away but they were humbled by a resilient Wigan side who gained revenge for the defeat in the Cup but Castleford will be keen to get back to winning ways and gaining some revenge themselves after letting a lead against the Saints slip in the previous meeting before going on to lose.

Last season's meeting saw St Helens triumph 48-18, a result the Saints would love to see repeated as depending on other results they could reclaim top spot but if not would still move away from their visitors.


Castleford recall Michael Shenton, Marc Sneyd, Andy Lynch and Daryl  Clark return with James Clare, Ben Renyolds and Ashley Gibson missing out while St Helens include Jon Wilkin, Adam Swift and Lance Hohaia.

St Helens: Makinson, Turner, Swift, Hohaia, Walsh, Masoe, Roby, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Soliola, Wilkin, Manu, Flanagan, Wellens, Percival, Wheeler, Dawson, Richards, Thompson, Savelio.
Castleford : Dixon, Shenton, Webster, Carney, Dorn, Sneyd, Lynch, Milner, Huby, Millington, Hauraki, Massey, Clark, Holmes, Mariano, Wheeldon, Ellis, Finn, Jewitt.

This one is truly hard to call after predicting a draw in the previous meeting but this time I will say St Helens 24 Castleford 25 


In what will be a fourth game in sixteen days, Wigan travel to face Wakefield looking to maintain top spot while the Wildcats hope pull away from the bottom two.

Wigan after a duo of defeats in league and cup have bounced back well with huge wins over Castleford and Widnes despite a packed schedule and sit top of the pile for the first time in 11 months ahead of the trip to Yorkshire.

Wakefield come into the game after games against the bottom two that saw a win and a loss so the visit of Wigan will make for a tough game with hopes of a similar performance to the reverse meeting that saw them lose at the DW but come so close to staging a shock.

Last season's game was a really stunning game as Wakefield lead 23-16 against the Warriors before collapsing in the second half and losing 23-36, a repeat of which would see them suffer a league double to the Warriors.


Wakefield include Wigan bound Taulima Tautai for the second time since injury with Reece Lyne, Andy Raleigh and Rrichard Moore returning in place of Matty Wildie and Jarrod Sammut while Wigan make sweeping changes after Wednesday's win with Sam Hopkins and Jack Murphy included while Ryan Sutton, George Williams and Jack Hughes are recalled. Connor Farrell and Callum Wright retain their place after good performances against Widnes.

Wakefield Wildcats: Anderson, Gilmour, Godinet, Kirmond, Lyne, Mathers, McShane, Moore, Owen, Raleigh, Riley, Ryan, Scruton, D Smith, T Smith, Sykes, Tautai, Walshaw, Washbrook.
Wigan Warriors:  Burke, Charnley, C Farrell, L Farrell, Flower, Gelling, Goulding, Hopkins, Hughes, James, Murphy, O'Loughlin, Powell, Sarginson, Smith, Sutton, Taylor, Williams, Wright.

When these two meet it is always an exciting game and I see no different this weekend but I see Wigan coming out on top due to the fresh faces so Wakefield 18 Wigan 32.

Warrington host Salford with both sides looking to add to comfortable wins in the previous round with the Red Devils keen to keep up their slim play-off hopes.

Warrington will admit they haven't been at their best this season but know a win on Sunday could see them as high as fourth making for a close fight at the top and will be keen put a dent in the Red Devils play off hopes.

Salford ended a horrific winless run with a comfortable victory over Bradford but the poor streak has seen them slump to 11th and with a similar gap to the play-offs and the relegation places so a win is sorely needed.

The reverse meeting saw Warrington win 28-12 at the AJ Bell stadium and with a league and cup double at home to Salford in 2013, they will be confident of completing another double against the re branded Red Devils.


Salford prop Adrian Morley will return to his former club for the first time while Martin Gleeson replaces Michael Platt with the Wolves looking to be unchanged.

Warrington : Asotasi, Atkins, C. Bridge, Currie, Dwyer, B. Evans, R. Evans, Grix, Harrison, Higham, Hill, J. Monaghan, Ormsby, Philbin, Ratchford, Riley, Russell, Walker, Westwood.
Salford : Fages, Rapira, Evalds, Sa'u, Johnson, Gleeson, Chase, J. Walne, Walton, Hock, Lee, Dixon, Ashurst, Puletua, Tasi, Morley, Meli, Tomkins, Griffin.

Warrington's superb form suggests an easy win but I think it could be a narrow victory so Warrington 24 Salford 22.

The final game of the weekend sees the Widnes host Leeds with the Vikings hoping to end the week on a high after two heavy defeats against Hull and Wigan.

Widnes come into the game after what must be their worst week of the season after conceding 104 points in two games while scoring only 10 and with Leeds boasting the league's best defence, the chance of ending their poor run will be a tough one.

Leeds will be confident of bouncing back from the defeat to Huddersfield as they will be far fresher than their opponents having not played since last Thursday and will hope to go top of the league should Saints and Wigan both suffer defeats.

The reverse meeting saw Leeds triumph 38-4, a repeat of which would be disaster for Widnes as near 40+ points for a third successive game would take away any morale they have left from Wednesday's trip to Wigan.

Last season's meeting saw Widnes suffer a 36-52 loss that would severely dent their top eight hopes but would do Leeds the world of good.


Vikings include Joe Mellor while Kevin Brown and Jon Clarke miss out while Leeds' Paul Aiton returns with Danny McGuire and JJB with Carl Ablett returning from suspension.

Widnes: Ah Van, Allen, Carberry, Craven, Dean, Gerrard, Gilmore, Gore, Flynn, Hanbury, Isa, Johnson, Joseph, Kavanagh, Lawton, Leuluai, Marsh, Mellor, White.
Leeds: Ablett, Aiton, Bailey, Briscoe, Delaney, Hall, Jones-Bishop, Jones-Buchanan, Kirke, Leuluai, McGuire, Moon, Peacock, Sinfield, Singleton, Sutcliffe, Walters, Ward, Watkins.

Leeds to come out on top here due to the longer resting period so Widnes 12 Leeds 30.




 



 

Five Star Charnley Sends Warriors Top

After a short turnaround from the previous weekend, Wigan played host to Widnes in the rearranged game from round two.

Both sides made changes with Wigan bringing in the younger brother of Liam Farrell, Connor alongside fellow academy product Callum Wright and the return of Josh Charnley after two months out.

Wigan had a perfect start with the opening try after only 39 seconds when dashing run by Joe Burgess allowed him to pick out Liam Farrell for the try which was converted successfully by Smith for 6-0 lead. 

Widnes responded with a try from Paddy Flynn in the corner but a failed convention from Tickle meant a 6-4 score. 

A superb run and kick by Dan Sarginson saw him find Josh Charnley in space out wide who went in for a try on his first game since early April with Smith converting again for 12-4.

Just after the half-hour mark the crowd  greeted the arrival of Connor Farrell who was making his debut in place of John Bateman who seemed to go off with a minor injury. Wigan extended their lead after a superb kick found Joe Burgess out wide who passed to Sean O'Loughlin for a well-worked try with Smith converting for 18-4. 

Josh Charnley went in again for a nice try after dash down the wing and despite a missed kick from Smith, Wigan now led 22-4. A stunning kick from Smith found Josh Charnley, with the winger racing over to complete his hat-trick followed by a conversion miss from Smith though the lead was 26-4.

Wigan added another try before the interval as as pass from Dan Sarginson found Josh Charnley who crossed for his fourth try of the evening with Smith converting for a half-time lead of 32-4.

Fans remained in their seats after the tannoy suggested a major announcement and with the rolling out of a red carpet the Wigan faithful greeted the re-signing Joel Tomkins who returned to the Warriors after a the three-year stay at Saracens Rugby union.

Wigan came out for the second half in a buoyant mood which improved when Callum Wright came on to make his debut in place of Michael McIlorum minutes later the lead extended as Dan Sarginson picked out Josh Charnley who crossed for his fifth effort of the evening and despite the miss from Smith the score was 36-4. 

Widnes looked to be in danger of a repeat of last weekend's huge defeat to Hull and the potential of such a repeat became more likely after a superb run from Anthony Gelling found Liam Farrell who went over for his second try of the evening with Smith converting for 42-4.

The win was sealed after a dash from Connor Farrell saw him breakthrough the Widnes defence and with the entire home crowd begging him not to pass, he crossed for a debut try which completed a hat-trick of tries for the Farrell's. Matty Smith added the final conversion to make it 48-4.

A night at the DW that will be remembered for a long time after a five try haul for Charnley, a new set of try scoring brothers in Liam and Connor Farrell and the long awaited return if Wigan's new number 11, Joel Tomkins.

A correct result but slightly off in the 36-18 prediction. 

Warriors Host Vikings

In a change from the usual weekly rounds, Wigan play host to Widnes tonight in their game in hand that has been rearranged from round two due to Wigan's participation in the World Club Challenge.

Widnes have had a mixed season so far with the Vikings in the last four of the Challenge cup against Wigan's conquerors Castleford but sitting only eighth in the league know they need to hit good form in order to keep up their play off hopes.

Wigan despite being out of the Cup sit third in the table and with the potential to go top of the ladder with a win tonight something that would silence the doubters who said Wigan would struggle this season and to be in such a good position after a tiring and poor start would be amazing.

As this is a rearranged game, it is the first time the sides have met this season in terms of previous meetings with the last league meeting at the DW seeing Wigan crush the Vikings in a 62-4 win but the last meeting took place in last year's Challenge Cup quarter-finals but sadly for Widnes another heavy defeat of 48-4.

Both sides come into the game on the back of very different results in round 16 with Wigan gaining revenge against Castleford in a 46-6 win while Widnes were demolished 6-56 by a superb performance by Hull.

Due to short turnarounds, both sides have made changes with Wigan including academy products Callum Wright and Connor Farrell with Connor set to make his debut alongside brother Liam continuing on from the famous Tomkins trio and Iro brothers

Josh Charnley returns after two months out allowing Joe Burgess to join up with the England training squad with Dan Sarginson moving to full back in the absence of Matt Bowen and Ryan Hampshire.


Widnes move Jack Owens to full-back in the absence of Rhys Hanbury, with former Bradford winger Patrick Ah Van recalled for only his third appearance of an injury-hit season while Cameron Phelps has been fast-tracked into the side following the loss of both Chris Dean and Stefan Marsh.

Wigan: Bateman, Burke, Charnley, Crosby, Dudson, C. Farrell, L. Farrell, Flower, Gelling, Goulding, James, Manfredi, McIlorum, O'Loughlin, S. Powell, Sarginson, Smith, Taylor, Wright.
Widnes: Ah Van, Allen, Brown, Cahill, Clarke, Clough, Craven, Galea, Gerrard, Gore, Flynn, Isa, Kavanagh, Lawton, Leuluai, Owens, Phelps, Tickle, White.

I anticipate a closer score then the previous meeting but for Wigan to carry their form on to a win so Wigan 36 Widnes 18.

Young Warriors Defeat Giants

Against a backdrop of glorious sunshine, Wigan U19s took on Huddersfield U19s in a game rearranged from the start of the season and for Huddersfield the wait failed to have a good outcome as they tumbled to defeat.

Wigan went in front in the 16th minute with a try from Liam Forsyth with Nick Gregson converting for a 6-0 lead that was son extended to 12-0 when Liam Marshall crossed after a stunning dashing run with Gregson adding a second conversion.

Huddersfield reduced the deficit with a try from Liam Johnson just before the half-hour mark with a conversion from Jack Miller for 12-6 but Wigan battled back and regained their 12 point lead with a try from Jamie Doran added to by a Gregson conversion.

The second half saw Wigan begin with promise as they extended their lead with a try from David Thompson with a first miss from Gregson making it 22-6 before Rob Lever crossed for the hosts and Gregson made amends with the conversion for 28-6.

Huddersfield responded with a try for Canann Smithies with Miller converting successfully for 28-12 but three tries in 11 minutes from Wigan sealed the win as Ben Calland and Nick Gregson before Jamie Doran's second effort with all three converted by Gregson for 46-12.

The gloss was put on a superb performance by two further tries by McCauley Davies and Gabriel Fell with Gregson failing to add to his conversion tally meaning a 56-12 victory.

Mead Stars In Fan Day Win

Saturday saw the Wigan Warriors Community Foundation host an amazing fan day for the fans to meet the entire first team squad and have a picture with the two trophies before the Challenge Cup returns to the RFL later this month.

The day's main event saw a huge crowd turnout to watch the clash of the Wigan and Castleford U16's with fans getting the chance to see some of the young stars that in years to will get a huge step up to the first team.

A mixed start saw Wigan go in front with a nice try from Cameron Connolly which was converted by Craig Mullen for a 6-0 lead, a lead that soon became 12-0 when Callum Field crossed for the hosts and Mullen was on hand to convert for a second time.

Castleford battled back and levelled the tie with two quick tries from Jack Ray and Max Field with both converted well by Harley Axe but Wigan were unfazed and went into the interval ahead after a double from Brad Moffatt with Mullen converting one from two attempts for a half-time lead of 22-12.

Wigan began the second period in the same vain as they ended the first with a nice try as Lewis Heckford crossed with Mullen converting for 28-12 before Jack Mead scored in the 43rd minute with Mullen missing the conversion but seeing his side now lead 32-12.

Mead claimed his second score just five minutes later but Mullen's problems continued at a score of 36-12 but the game seemed over as contest when James Barran scored for the hosts and despite another miss from Mullen the sides were separated by 28 points at 40-12.

Mullen's confidence returned as he scored a try of his own in the 56th minute with Ben Fisher taking over the kicking duties to good effect at 46-12 before Mead added two more in the space of six minutes with Fisher converting one from two for a huge 56-12 lead.

The game ended with a second try from Callum Field with Fisher rounding off the scoring with his third conversion for a stunning 62-12 win.

Warriors Capitalise After Rivals Dismay

In what is becoming an exciting season, round 16 continued the unpredictable trend of Super League with three of the top four losing and three teams securing 40+ winning margins.

Giants Outpace Rhinos

After a week off due to the Challenge Cup, Huddersfield had the advantage of being fresh for the trip to a Leeds side who battled past Leigh in the cup and it was Huddersfield's freshness that paid off as they extended their three year winning streak over the Rhinos.

However, it was the hosts that opened the scoring as Watkins crossed for the first try after only six minutes with Sinfield converting for a 6-0 lead that lasted barely a couple of minutes as Wood crossed for the Giants and Brough levelled the score with a successful conversion. 

Jones-Bishop scored to regain the Rhinos' lead with Sinfield's conversion making it 12-6, a lead that lasted into the interval but Huddersfield responded well in the second half and levelled when McGillvary crossed and Brough converted for 12 all in the 48th minute.

Huddersfield went in front for the first time in the tie in style with two tries in as many minutes with Crabtree crossing for the first and Brough converting for 12-18 before Wardle extended the lead with a fine try that Brough converted for a 12-24 lead.

The fatigue of the previous week seemed to be creeping up on Leeds but they powered on and reduced the deficit with a try from Bailey in the 63rd minute but Sinfield missing with the boot meant the Rhinos needed at least two more efforts at 16-24.

Their luck was in three minutes later as Sutcliffe crossed for a try and Sinfield converted to make it 22-24 ensuring a tense last 14 minutes and right at the death, Headingley went silent after a superb 5th tackle saw Leeds travel from their own half and kick superbly for what looked like a try for Briscoe but it was the travelling fans who were soon joyous after the effort was chalked off due to a push on Brough. 

An incorrect result but a close on with a prediction of 25-22 in favour of Leeds.

Wing Duo Send Warriors Third

After the Challenge Cup exit to Castleford last weekend, Wigan welcomed the Tigers for the second time in under a week as they looked to overtake the visitors in the Super League table.

A mixed start for both sides saw Wigan take the lead in the 12th minute as Manfredi  raced in for the first try of the evening with Smith converting well for a 6-0 lead.Castleford came close to pulling level but suffered a huge blow when a long pass across the middle found the welcoming grasp of Bowen who dashed the length of the field to score a superb try to continue his spree of long range scores in 2014 with Smith adding the conversion for a 12-0 lead inside 25 minutes.

Bowen's run looked to have cost him as he was replaced minutes later by Hampshire but Wigan powered on as a superb pass from McIlorum allowed James to slip through the defence and score a nice try but Smith's miss with the boot meant a 16-0 lead.

Wigan extended their lead with five minutes left of the first half as a nice move by O'Loughlin saw him pick out Burgess on the wing who crossed for the try and a superb conversion from Smith made it 22-0 at the break.

A strong attacking move that saw Manfredi collect a kick only to be tackled in midair gave Wigan a penalty in a great position resulting a nice passing set that saw Farrell break through the Tigers defence and extend the lead with Smith adding a conversion for 28-0.

A fine dummy from McIlorum saw him cross for a well-worked try that was added to by a Smith conversion for 34-0 and Castleford surely needed to score next and looked to have done just as a clever kick found Dixon who crossed for a try but after a review was denied the score due to a knock on in the build-up.

Wigan confirmed the win with ten minutes remaining with a stunning kick from Smith guiding into the grasp of Burgess who dived over the line for his second try of the evening. Smith converted and Wigan now led 40-0.The Tigers avoided a potential nilling when a pass out wide saw Gibson cross to end Wigan's clean sheet with Ellis converting to reduce the gap to 40-6.

However, with three minutes to go, Gelling combined with Manfredi to send the young winger over for his second effort of the game and the gloss on the win was sealed by Smith with a seventh conversion for a 46-6 win. A correct result but off with the prediction of 24-22.

London Slip At Wakefield

London's quest for a first win of the season continues after they let another half-time lead slip to go down to a narrow defeat to Wakefield who as a result look to surely be safe from relegation.

Wakefield opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a try from Kirmond but Sykes missed conversion attempt meant a slim 4-0 lead that was cancelled out nine minutes later by a leveller from Cook with Drinkwater converting for a 4-6 lead which was extended just minutes later when Minns crossed for the Broncos with Drinkwater converting successfully for 4-10, a lead that lasted into the interval.

London have led numerous times this season but have failed to convert it into a win so it was no surprise when Wakefield levelled in the 65th minute with a try from Smith and conversion from Sykes before going ahead five minutes later through a Sykes penalty for 12-10. 

The win was sealed right at the end when Wakefield scored through Ryan and Sykes converted for 18-10 to end London's hopes of ending their season-long losing streak. A correct result but a wide prediction of 36-18.

Widnes Stunned By Hull
 
Alike Thursday night's game this tie saw a fresh Hull side travel to face a Widnes side who had eased past Keighley in the Cup but it was the freshness that shone through as Hull demolished the Vikings.

Widnes went in front in the fifth minute with a try from Flynn followed by a conversion from Tickle for a 6-0 lead but that was to be the last time that the Vikings scored a point as Hull came from behind to level three minutes later through Lancaster with a Rankin conversion for 6 all before leading after a Paea effort and Rankin conversion at 6-12.

Rankin added a penalty four minutes before the interval for a 6-14 lead at half-time that was extended by Lancaster's second effort just five minutes into the second half with Rankin converting for 20-6. Hull extended their lead with two scores in as many minutes from Shaul and Horne with Rankin converting both for a 6-32 lead.

Hull ran riot with four tries in the last 13 minutes to stun Widnes with Rankin crossing for a try ahead of Lancaster's third and a second and third for Shaul with Rankin converting all four for a personal points tally of 22 points and a 6-56 win for Hull. An incorrect result and a wide prediction of 32-22.

Monaghan Double Sinks Robins

Warrington avoided suffering a league double to Hull KR to close up on the top four with a comfortable win away to the Robins.

Both sides held firm in defence making for a tight first half but Warrington went into the break ahead after three late scores from Ormsby, Ratchford and Monaghan with Bridge converting all three for an 0-18.

The Robins reduced the deficit just before the hour mark with a try from Horne but a failed conversion attempt meant a 14 point gap at 4-18 which was extended in style by three late tries from the Wolves with Evans and Atkins crossing before Monaghan sealed the win with his second try with Bridge adding two conversions from three attempts for a 4-34 win. A correct result but slightly off on the prediction of 18-28.

Dragons Rout Sunburnt Saints

Catalan continued their scorching home form with a complete demolition of a travelling St Helens side that looked like their minds were still on the flight over from the UK.

Duport put the Dragons ahead in the eighth minute with a fine try but Bosc's miss with the boot meant a slim 4-0 lead that lasted until just before the interval when Oldfield crossed on the wing but with Bosc missing again the lead was still slim at 8-0. 

The Dragons took control either side of the hour with a second try from Duport followed by an effort from Henderson with Bosc converting one from two for a 18-0 lead and Saints needed a miracle to comeback.

However, it was Catalan that struck next and in devastating style with four scores in the final 12 minutes beginning with a try from Bosc who converted successfully and followed minutes later by a second and third of the afternoon for Oldfield either side of an effort from Millard with Bosc converting all three for a stunning 42-0 victory that made me proud to have a correct result despite a wide prediction of 26-20.

Salford Add To Bulls Woes

Salford ended a two month wait for a win with a comfortable victory over a Bradford side that need a miracle to survive and even more after dispensing with coach Francis Cummins earlier today.

In what will sadly be remembered as Cummins last game at the Bulls helm, Salford raced into a 24-0 lead inside 15 minutes with tries from Tomkins, Sa'u, Dixon and Chase all converted by the latter before a reply from Bradford came from Kear with Gale converting for 24-6 in the 23rd minute.

Chase scored a second just before the half-hour but missed the conversion as the hosts led 28-6 before Sa'u scored his second of the afternoon with Chase converting for a 34-6 lead that was reduced just before the interval by a try from Olbison with Gale converting for 34-12.

Bradford reduced the gap further on the hour with an effort from O'Brien with Gale converting for 34-18 but two tries in four minutes from Meli and Evalds sealed the win for Salford with Chase converting both for 46-18. An incorrect result and wide prediction of 18-23.