Leeds Rhinos vs Wakefield Trinity: Team news, match preview and score prediction

For the second time this season, Leeds and Wakefield meet in a must win West Yorkshire derby.

The loser will find themselves in 11th place whilst the winner could open up a bigger gap between themselves and Toulouse in 12th spot.

For the Rhinos it could be a special night as they welcome Rohan Smith to the club for his first home guy as well as Zak Hardaker who will play his first game at Headingley in a Leeds shirt since 2016.

Team News:

The Rhinos have Liam Sutcliffe back in their squad after he missed the last two through a knee injury. They also have Morgan Gannon back after his suspension. There’s still no Matt Prior through a ban however but his absence may be lessened if Tom Holroyd makes his first appearance of the season.

The big news for Wakefield is the loss of Tom Johnstone who could be set to join Catalans ahead of next season. Fortunately, Tom Lineham is back in the mix as is Jacob Miller. Thomas Minns is also included after a positive performance for the reserves last week.

Match Preview – Key Battles:

Zak Hardaker vs Corey Hall: Ironically, had Corey Hall stayed at Leeds the Rhinos may not have brought in ex-player Zak Hardaker. Come Friday, the two will battle it out on the edge and with attacking opportunities no doubt set to be key to deciding this game, this could be a vital tussle.

Morgan Gannon vs Jay Pitts: Morgan Gannon has been scoring plenty this season including a try against Wakefield earlier this season. He missed last week’s defeat so will be raring to go in this affair but will be up against a former Rhino in the hard working and great leader in Jay Pitts. Pitts has the edge in experience and will look to outwork Gannon.

Where the game will be won and lost:

The Rhinos have struggled to score all season which puts extra pressure on their defence. They’re going to have to shut out Trinity and take the chances that come their way and there will be chances for the Rhinos given their ability to dominate down the middle of the field.

Score Prediction: Leeds Rhinos 12-10 Wakefield Trinity