Kick Off: 2000, 17/03/2017
Stadium: Headingley
TV: Sky Sports 2
Leeds have put last year’s problems behind them to make a solid start to Super League XXII but Wakefield also look an improved team this season and a close encounter could be on the cards on Friday night.
Trinity claimed their first victory at Headingley since 2007 when 20-16 victors just under 12 months ago and will be seeking to upset the odds again as they chase a hat-trick of wins this term.
A Look At Leeds’ Betting Odds
Leeds bounced back from a record loss at Castleford in emphatic fashion when hammering the previously unbeaten Catalans Dragons 46-10 on home turf, with the Rhinos responding well to the boardroom announcement that Brian McDermott’s job was on the line.
“Sometimes you’ve got to be kicked in your nuts to find out the best of you,” reflected McDermott on recent results. “After last week, we’ve still got a certain amount of bruising but you need a bit of that. This doesn’t write off last week – it still hurts and we’re still embarrassed by it. But I’ve got the best job in the game and part of that is dealing with the losses.”
Leeds certainly silenced their critics for one week at least but it also has to be said that the Dragons put in a pretty abject display and were simply never at the races, so we may take a little more convincing before giving the Rhinos our support.
The Rhinos had only scraped past Leigh and Salford in their two previous wins, so 91/100 for Trinity with 10 points start is still the way to go for us on the Leeds v Wakefield betting handicap market.
A Look At Wakefield’s Betting Odds
Chris Chester has instilled plenty of spirit into his Wakefield side and there was a lot to like about the way they struck late on to prevail at St Helens and then scored two tries in the last 11 minutes to edge out Salford 24-22.
“It shows the character and belief that we can come back and get a result when we looked like we weren’t going to get anything from the game,” beamed Chester after an incident-packed clash with the Red Devils.
Maintaining their winning run at Headingley will be a tough ask but if Wakefield can hold their nerve when the pressure is on, they have the impact players to put points on the board themselves and at least keep this competitive.