After an exciting and unpredictable season which has made for the closest fight for the play-offs and the League Leaders Shield since the League's inception back in 1996. Round 27 brings down the curtain on the regular rounds as the post season play-offs await on the horizon and just two points currently separate second and fifth place.
Tonight sees the first of the battles to finish in the top four as Warrington make the short trip to face rivals Wigan with the sides sitting third and fourth in the table on 35 points. The match will of course be a great spectacle given that the sides faced-off in last season's Grand Final and many have tipped to them to stage a repeat on October 11th.
Wigan go into the game in mixed form with just two wins and a draw from their last five games but they will be brimming with confidence after a stunning 21-6 win over Leeds which sees them with the chance to finish as high as second but also as low as fifth so a win is a must to get a good boost into the play-offs.
Warrington go into the game with three wins and a draw from their last five games including a comfortable 39-12 victory over table toppers St Helens just a week ago so confidence will be high as they look to secure second place and a home berth in the play-offs but alike Wigan they could also finish fifth.
Last season's meeting at the DW Stadium saw a cracking encounter end 17-17 as Lee Briers kicked a post-assisted drop goal to prevent a Wigan win but the Warriors bounced back by coming from 16-2 behind in the Grand Final to claim a 30-16 win and deny the Wolves a maiden SL title.
This season's reverse meeting saw Wigan end a run of seven games without a win over Warrington in the league as they triumphed 12-4 at the Halliwell Jones stadium which puts them on course for a first league double over the Wolves since 2003.
Wigan include Joe Burgess who came in late last week after an injury to Dom Manfredi with Anthony Gelling retained in the 19 after recovering from illness while Warrington recall Chris Bridge, Anthony England and Ben Evans with Simon Grix likely to have played his last game this season after suffering a broken ankle at St Helens.
Tonight sees the first of the battles to finish in the top four as Warrington make the short trip to face rivals Wigan with the sides sitting third and fourth in the table on 35 points. The match will of course be a great spectacle given that the sides faced-off in last season's Grand Final and many have tipped to them to stage a repeat on October 11th.
Wigan go into the game in mixed form with just two wins and a draw from their last five games but they will be brimming with confidence after a stunning 21-6 win over Leeds which sees them with the chance to finish as high as second but also as low as fifth so a win is a must to get a good boost into the play-offs.
Warrington go into the game with three wins and a draw from their last five games including a comfortable 39-12 victory over table toppers St Helens just a week ago so confidence will be high as they look to secure second place and a home berth in the play-offs but alike Wigan they could also finish fifth.
Last season's meeting at the DW Stadium saw a cracking encounter end 17-17 as Lee Briers kicked a post-assisted drop goal to prevent a Wigan win but the Warriors bounced back by coming from 16-2 behind in the Grand Final to claim a 30-16 win and deny the Wolves a maiden SL title.
This season's reverse meeting saw Wigan end a run of seven games without a win over Warrington in the league as they triumphed 12-4 at the Halliwell Jones stadium which puts them on course for a first league double over the Wolves since 2003.
Wigan include Joe Burgess who came in late last week after an injury to Dom Manfredi with Anthony Gelling retained in the 19 after recovering from illness while Warrington recall Chris Bridge, Anthony England and Ben Evans with Simon Grix likely to have played his last game this season after suffering a broken ankle at St Helens.
Wigan Warriors:
Bateman, Bowen, Burgess, Charnley, Clubb, Crosby, Dudson, Farrell,
Flower, Gelling, Green, Hughes, McIlorum, O'Loughlin, Pettybourne,
Powell, Sarginson, Smith, Tomkins
Warrington Wolves: Asotasi, Atkins, Bridge, Currie, England, B Evans, R Evans, Harrison, Higham, Hill, Laithwaite, J Monaghan, M Monaghan, Myler, O'Brien, Ratchford, Russell, Waterhouse, Wood.
All bias aside, this will be a cracker of a game and I see it being very close with a narrow Wigan win so Wigan 24 Warrington 22.
Friday night features three games with the standout tie being table toppers St Helens travelling to face Huddersfield with the visitors knowing any positive result would see them claim the League Leaders Shield for the first time since 2008.
Warrington Wolves: Asotasi, Atkins, Bridge, Currie, England, B Evans, R Evans, Harrison, Higham, Hill, Laithwaite, J Monaghan, M Monaghan, Myler, O'Brien, Ratchford, Russell, Waterhouse, Wood.
All bias aside, this will be a cracker of a game and I see it being very close with a narrow Wigan win so Wigan 24 Warrington 22.
Friday night features three games with the standout tie being table toppers St Helens travelling to face Huddersfield with the visitors knowing any positive result would see them claim the League Leaders Shield for the first time since 2008.
Huddersfield go into the game in great form with four wins from their last five games which has seen them move from a seemingly cemented sixth place to the potential to claim a top four place depending on the result of tonight's game. The Giants have been a victim of their own success this year after claiming the League Leaders Shield in 2013, they have stuttered this season and a top four finish would equal success.
St Helens go into the game with three wins in their last five games but off the back of a damaging defeat to Warrington which saw them miss the first chance to claim the League Leaders Shield but with Castleford not playing until Saturday, a positive result will see the Saints claim the trophy.
Last season's meeting at the John Smith's Stadium saw the Giants secure a 25-16 victory as part of a league double which included a 40-4 win that spoiled Nathan Brown's first meeting against his former club last February. This season's reverse meeting saw St Helens secure a 41-22 win that puts them on course for a league double but their other meeting this season in the Challenge Cup saw a controversial 17-16 win for St Helens which also saw a suspension for Giants forward Brett Ferres.
Huddersfield have omitted Danny Brough and Eorl Crabtree with Josh Johnson and Leroy Cudjoe returning while St Helens recall Mark Percival after concussion in place of Shannon McDonnell who will miss the rest of the season due to a broken jaw.
Huddersfield Giants: Murphy,
McGillvary, Cudjoe, Wardle, Broughton, Connor, Robinson, Kaufusi, Lunt,
Johnson, Ferres, Patrick, Lawrence, Kopczak, Ta’ai, Bailey, Faiumu,
Mullally, Fairbank
St Helens: Makinson, Turner, Jones, Swift, Hohaia, Masoe, Roby, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Soliola, Manu, Laffranchi, Flanagan, Amor, Wellens, Walmsley, Percival, Wheeler, Dawson, Thompson.
As the Giants will be without two of their stars, the game may swing to Saints so Huddersfield 18 St Helens 26.
The second game on Friday sees Leeds travel across Yorkshire to face Hull FC with the Rhinos knowing a top four finish is out of their reach after last weeks defeat at Wigan.
Hull FC go into the game with just two wins from their last five games which have seen them drop to 12th place but should other results go their way they could finish ninth and above city rivals Hull KR which would be some little success to an overall poor season for the Black and Whites.
Leeds go into the game in horrific form despite winning the Challenge Cup with just one win in their last five games with defeats to Wigan and St Helens ending their hopes of finishing in the top four or even the hallowed fifth place led to a famous Grand Final win but they could be the first to win the title from sixth.
Last season's meeting at the KC Stadium saw Hull secure a 18-6 win, something they would be happy to repeat given that they suffered a 20-6 defeat in this season's reverse meeting at Headingley and for Leeds they have won four of the last five meetings between the sides and have limited the Airlie Birds to less than ten points in all five encounters.
Hull are likely to hand a farewell to Richard Horne with academy product Jack Logan retained in the 19 while Leeds have named a strong 19 with Danny McGuire and Rob Burrow recalled after sitting out the last two games.
Hull FC: Bowden, Colbon, Cunningham, Ellis, Green, Hadley, Heremaia, Horne, Houghton, Lineham, Logan, Paea, Rankin, Talanoa, Thompson, Watts, Westerman, Yeaman, Abdull
Leeds Rhinos: Hardaker, Watkins, Hall, McGuire, Burrow, Leuluai, Aiton, Peacock, Jones-Buchanan, Ablett, Sinfield, Ward, Delaney, Bailey, Achurch, Briscoe, Sutcliffe, Keinhorst, Singleton
Leeds will be desperate to go into the play-offs' on a high and I see them on top here so Hull FC 12 Leeds 22.
The third game on Friday sees local rivals Salford and Widnes face off in a fourth encounter between the sides this season.
Salford go into the game with two wins in their last five games and despite missing out on the play-offs they can finish as high as ninth or as low as 12th which would be some success after a pre-season hope of a top four finish fell away but to end on a high would be great for the Red Devils.
Widnes go into game with four wins in their last five games which has seen them reach the play-offs for the first time and their is the potential to finish as high as seventh which would setup a tough trip to Leeds next week but after a mixed season, the Vikings will be glad to have extended their season.
Last season's meeting at the AJ Bell Stadium saw Widnes win 24-4 as well as securing a 28-22 victory at the Magic Weekend and in this season's reverse meeting, Widnes claimed a 30-24 win putting them on course for a league double as well as securing wins in the Challenge Cup and Magic Weekend over the Red Devils.
Salford name an unchanged squad from last week's win over London while Widnes include Tom Gilmore, Grant Gore and Jack Owens as the Vikings utilise the depth of their squad in preparation for the play-offs. I
Salford Red Devils: Ashurst, Caton-Brown, Chase, Dixon, Evalds, Fages, D Griffin, J Griffin, Hansen, Johnson, Lee, Locke, Morley, Puletua, Sa’u, Tasi, Tomkins, Walne, Walton
Widnes Vikings: Ah Van, Cahill, Carberry, Dean, Flynn, Galea, Gilmore, Gore, Hanbury, Isa, Johnson, Joseph, Kavanagh, Leuluai, Marsh, Mellor, Owens, Phelps, White.
This could be a good game between to very strong attacks and I see a close score so Salford 22 Widnes 23.
Saturday sees two games with the key game likely to be Castleford's long trip to Perpignan to face Catalan as the Tigers could claim the League Leaders Shield should St Helens slip up on Friday night.
Catalan go into the game with just two wins from their last five games which saw them slip away from challenging the top six and come close to slipping out of the play-off picture as a whole but they know that no matter what they will face a long away trip in play-offs most likely to Huddersfield or Leeds.
Castleford go into the game with three wins in their last five games and surely in dreamland with the prospect of topping the table in their sights, a vision that would have been insane this time last year when they were battling at the wrong end of the table in 12th place. The Tigers will be more than happy with reaching the Challenge Cup final and a place in the top five but they will dare to dream of a trip to Old Trafford next month.
Last season's meeting in Perpignan saw the Dragons secure a 39-30 victory while in this season's reverse meeting, Castleford eased to a 32-6 win which gives them the chance to complete a league double over the Dragons who have won three of the last five meetings between the sides.
This will be a real cracker of a game given the potential prize for Tigers and that Catalan are strong at home so Catalan 24 Castleford 30.
The second game of the afternoon is sure to be a memorable one as the relegated duo of London and Bradford meet in what will be the final Super League appearance for both sides until at least 2016 should either be promoted from the Championship at the first attempt.
London go into the game with one win in their last five games ironically the same form as Leeds who were the Broncos only victims this season when they secured a superb win last month to eradicate a losing streak and with fellow strugglers Bradford in good form, London would love to end the season on a high.
Bradford go into the game with three wins in their last five which is amazing given that both Wigan and Leeds have won less in the same period and the boost in form seems to have come since their relegation was confirmed which is strange given that had this form appeared earlier in the season, they may have survived the drop to the Championship.
Last season's meeting in the capital saw Bradford claim a 46-20 win but London were victorious in the Challenge Cup meeting which formed part of their charge to the last-four of the competition while in this season's reverse meeting, the Bulls were successful with a 25-12 victory which puts them on course for a double over the Broncos.
This will be a good game between two sides building for next season and I will gamble with a win for the hosts so London 24 Bradford 20.
Last but by no means least is the Sunday afternoon game between Wakefield and Hull KR, two sides who narrowly missed out on the top eight but who will be eager to finish as high in the table as possible.
Wakefield go into the game with two wins in their last five games and alike their opponents they have the potential to finish as high as ninth or as low as 12th and given a superb run in the second third of the season, the Wildcats would surely rate a ninth placed finish as success.
Hull KR go into the game with just one win and a draw from their last five games which has seen them them miss out on the play-offs for the second time in their six Super League campaigns and after some superb results this season, ninth would be fine but not really success for a side with high ambitions.
Last season's meeting at the Rapid Solicitors Stadium saw Wakefield secure a 36-20 victory but in this season's reverse meeting, Hull KR stormed to a 44-6 win that puts them on course for a league double over the Wildcats.
This meeting has the prospect to be a close one with both vying for a top ten finish so Wakefield 20 Hull KR 30.
St Helens: Makinson, Turner, Jones, Swift, Hohaia, Masoe, Roby, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Soliola, Manu, Laffranchi, Flanagan, Amor, Wellens, Walmsley, Percival, Wheeler, Dawson, Thompson.
As the Giants will be without two of their stars, the game may swing to Saints so Huddersfield 18 St Helens 26.
The second game on Friday sees Leeds travel across Yorkshire to face Hull FC with the Rhinos knowing a top four finish is out of their reach after last weeks defeat at Wigan.
Hull FC go into the game with just two wins from their last five games which have seen them drop to 12th place but should other results go their way they could finish ninth and above city rivals Hull KR which would be some little success to an overall poor season for the Black and Whites.
Leeds go into the game in horrific form despite winning the Challenge Cup with just one win in their last five games with defeats to Wigan and St Helens ending their hopes of finishing in the top four or even the hallowed fifth place led to a famous Grand Final win but they could be the first to win the title from sixth.
Last season's meeting at the KC Stadium saw Hull secure a 18-6 win, something they would be happy to repeat given that they suffered a 20-6 defeat in this season's reverse meeting at Headingley and for Leeds they have won four of the last five meetings between the sides and have limited the Airlie Birds to less than ten points in all five encounters.
Hull are likely to hand a farewell to Richard Horne with academy product Jack Logan retained in the 19 while Leeds have named a strong 19 with Danny McGuire and Rob Burrow recalled after sitting out the last two games.
Hull FC: Bowden, Colbon, Cunningham, Ellis, Green, Hadley, Heremaia, Horne, Houghton, Lineham, Logan, Paea, Rankin, Talanoa, Thompson, Watts, Westerman, Yeaman, Abdull
Leeds Rhinos: Hardaker, Watkins, Hall, McGuire, Burrow, Leuluai, Aiton, Peacock, Jones-Buchanan, Ablett, Sinfield, Ward, Delaney, Bailey, Achurch, Briscoe, Sutcliffe, Keinhorst, Singleton
Leeds will be desperate to go into the play-offs' on a high and I see them on top here so Hull FC 12 Leeds 22.
The third game on Friday sees local rivals Salford and Widnes face off in a fourth encounter between the sides this season.
Salford go into the game with two wins in their last five games and despite missing out on the play-offs they can finish as high as ninth or as low as 12th which would be some success after a pre-season hope of a top four finish fell away but to end on a high would be great for the Red Devils.
Widnes go into game with four wins in their last five games which has seen them reach the play-offs for the first time and their is the potential to finish as high as seventh which would setup a tough trip to Leeds next week but after a mixed season, the Vikings will be glad to have extended their season.
Last season's meeting at the AJ Bell Stadium saw Widnes win 24-4 as well as securing a 28-22 victory at the Magic Weekend and in this season's reverse meeting, Widnes claimed a 30-24 win putting them on course for a league double as well as securing wins in the Challenge Cup and Magic Weekend over the Red Devils.
Salford name an unchanged squad from last week's win over London while Widnes include Tom Gilmore, Grant Gore and Jack Owens as the Vikings utilise the depth of their squad in preparation for the play-offs. I
Salford Red Devils: Ashurst, Caton-Brown, Chase, Dixon, Evalds, Fages, D Griffin, J Griffin, Hansen, Johnson, Lee, Locke, Morley, Puletua, Sa’u, Tasi, Tomkins, Walne, Walton
Widnes Vikings: Ah Van, Cahill, Carberry, Dean, Flynn, Galea, Gilmore, Gore, Hanbury, Isa, Johnson, Joseph, Kavanagh, Leuluai, Marsh, Mellor, Owens, Phelps, White.
This could be a good game between to very strong attacks and I see a close score so Salford 22 Widnes 23.
Saturday sees two games with the key game likely to be Castleford's long trip to Perpignan to face Catalan as the Tigers could claim the League Leaders Shield should St Helens slip up on Friday night.
Catalan go into the game with just two wins from their last five games which saw them slip away from challenging the top six and come close to slipping out of the play-off picture as a whole but they know that no matter what they will face a long away trip in play-offs most likely to Huddersfield or Leeds.
Castleford go into the game with three wins in their last five games and surely in dreamland with the prospect of topping the table in their sights, a vision that would have been insane this time last year when they were battling at the wrong end of the table in 12th place. The Tigers will be more than happy with reaching the Challenge Cup final and a place in the top five but they will dare to dream of a trip to Old Trafford next month.
Last season's meeting in Perpignan saw the Dragons secure a 39-30 victory while in this season's reverse meeting, Castleford eased to a 32-6 win which gives them the chance to complete a league double over the Dragons who have won three of the last five meetings between the sides.
This will be a real cracker of a game given the potential prize for Tigers and that Catalan are strong at home so Catalan 24 Castleford 30.
The second game of the afternoon is sure to be a memorable one as the relegated duo of London and Bradford meet in what will be the final Super League appearance for both sides until at least 2016 should either be promoted from the Championship at the first attempt.
London go into the game with one win in their last five games ironically the same form as Leeds who were the Broncos only victims this season when they secured a superb win last month to eradicate a losing streak and with fellow strugglers Bradford in good form, London would love to end the season on a high.
Bradford go into the game with three wins in their last five which is amazing given that both Wigan and Leeds have won less in the same period and the boost in form seems to have come since their relegation was confirmed which is strange given that had this form appeared earlier in the season, they may have survived the drop to the Championship.
Last season's meeting in the capital saw Bradford claim a 46-20 win but London were victorious in the Challenge Cup meeting which formed part of their charge to the last-four of the competition while in this season's reverse meeting, the Bulls were successful with a 25-12 victory which puts them on course for a double over the Broncos.
This will be a good game between two sides building for next season and I will gamble with a win for the hosts so London 24 Bradford 20.
Last but by no means least is the Sunday afternoon game between Wakefield and Hull KR, two sides who narrowly missed out on the top eight but who will be eager to finish as high in the table as possible.
Wakefield go into the game with two wins in their last five games and alike their opponents they have the potential to finish as high as ninth or as low as 12th and given a superb run in the second third of the season, the Wildcats would surely rate a ninth placed finish as success.
Hull KR go into the game with just one win and a draw from their last five games which has seen them them miss out on the play-offs for the second time in their six Super League campaigns and after some superb results this season, ninth would be fine but not really success for a side with high ambitions.
Last season's meeting at the Rapid Solicitors Stadium saw Wakefield secure a 36-20 victory but in this season's reverse meeting, Hull KR stormed to a 44-6 win that puts them on course for a league double over the Wildcats.
This meeting has the prospect to be a close one with both vying for a top ten finish so Wakefield 20 Hull KR 30.
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