Another round of Super League is in the books and we’ve now reached the halfway point of the season.
Hull KR and Wigan Warriors are the two sides leading the way and they both picked up big wins on Friday night with St Helens and Salford Red Devils being put to the sword respectively. Leeds Rhinos are third having beaten Wakefield Trinity, while Leigh Leopards are just behind them after narrowly edging out Huddersfield Giants at the John Smith’s Stadium.
Elsewhere wins came for Warrington Wolves and Hull FC, with the battle for the play-offs already gathering pace.
Here’s a look at just a few of the talking points to emerge from the weekend’s fixtures.
Full steam ahead to Wembley
Hull KR and Warrington Wolves could have been forgiven for taking their eye off the ball this week with the arch of Wembley Stadium and the Challenge Cup final looming on the horizon. Both sides managed to clear that final hurdle without too much trouble on Friday night, though, and they’ll both head to the capital on the back of wins.
Rovers were the most impressive of the two finalists, sweeping the floor with a subpar St Helens side to cruise into the final. Willie Peters’ side always start fast and that intensity and aggressiveness bore fruit as the Saints waned towards the end of the season half.
St Helens huffed and puffed but in truth they couldn’t really pose much of a threat for KR, who extended their lead in the second half.
Warrington were pushed a little closer by Castleford Tigers but still managed to score six tries and claim a win that was much-needed after a tough run of form. Warrington know they’ll be the underdogs on Saturday, but they’ll also take belief from that win over a very game Castleford and with George Williams back in the mix, their talisman will provide another big confidence boost.
On current form, few will be backing against KR getting it done at the national stadium, but Warrington are in the final on merit and if they can put it together on the day, they could cause any team in Super League a lot of problems.
Huge St Helens questions
As good as Hull KR were on Friday night, it must be said that St Helens were truly miserable as they turned in a performance that represented a huge step backwards for Paul Wellens and his players. They were flying high prior to travelling to east Hull, beating Catalans Dragons and Huddersfield Giants without breaking a sweat.
There’s a huge gulf in class between those at the top and the bottom, though, and Saints found out all about it at Craven Park. Rovers are sitting at the summit for a reason, but St Helens didn’t give themselves a chance of upsetting the odds.
Stupid errors, defensive lapses and an inability to get themselves out of their own half at times contributed, but the mental weakness they showed when the going got tough was alarming, particularly at the end of the first half when Jack Welsby went off.
Paul Wellens was under huge amounts of pressure prior to that win over Catalans and if things don’t improve over the coming weeks, eyes could be on him once more. Fortunately St Helens have two games versus Salford coming up, which they’ll win comfortably, but clashes against Leeds and Hull FC promise to be a real tests of character.
Leeds’ big Super League test
Leeds Rhinos are on a roll and after winning six of their last seven games they are now firmly the best of the rest behind the top two, who are on a level of their own at present. The Rhinos didn’t have it all their own way against Wakefield on Saturday and they were tested in the second half as Wakefield threatened a comeback, but they ground out the win and that’s a valuable trait.
How Leeds deal with the next month or so will tell us an awful lot about Brad Arthur’s side, though, with some winnable but tough games on the immediate horizon. Leeds’ next five fixtures include home clashes with Warrington Wolves, Leigh Leopards and St Helens and trips to Saints and league leaders Hull KR.
Warrington and Saints have struggled for consistency, but Rovers and Leigh are where they are in the league table for good reason and they’ll provide huge tests of Leeds’ mettle.
Hull’s opportunity
If Leeds are at the start of a tough run, Hull FC are entering a little spell in which they will feel they really have an opportunity to build up a head of steam in Super League. The Black and Whites have won their last two games in the league, with Saturday’s 34-0 demolition of Catalans Dragons being comfortable to say the very least.
What comes next is a home game against Castleford, who have struggled to find traction this year despite improving performances, before a trip to Salford, which Hull should win at a canter.
Warrington and St Helens lie in wait after but they’ll have every right to feel as though they can beat both given their respective positions and the form the Black and Whites have found.
