For the first time this season, there’s a real sustained optimism at Headingley.
Unlike after their 40-4 win over Warrington, last week they backed up their 62-16 win over Hull FC with an impressive win over Castleford at the Magic Weekend. Now a third consecutive win beckons Leeds for the first time this season as their play-off hopes become more of a reality.
Remarkably, Toulouse are chasing a similar achievement as their dreams of Super League survival also become much more real.
Kick-off time and TV channel
The game kicks off at 19:00 UK time and 20:00 in France.
There is sadly no live coverage but BBC will show highlights on the Super League Show.
Predicted Line-ups
Despite the return of Mathieu Jussaume and James Cunningham, I don’t foresee Toulouse making any changes to their 17 after their best win of the season overturning a 20-4 deficit to defeat Wakefield and blow the race for survival wide open. Interestingly, a possible future Leeds player Justin Sangare will no doubt figure.
27 Olly Ashall-Bott
25 Matthew Russell
21 Chris Hankinson
24 Guy Armitage
2 Latrell Schaumkel
6 Corey Norman
31 Tony Gigot
8 Romain Navarrete
28 Nathan Peats
35 Daniel Alvaro
12 Dominique Peyroux
16 Joe Bretherton
17 Joseph Paulo
Substitutes
7 Lucas Albert
29 Lambert Belmas
10 Harrison Hansen
23 Justin Sangare
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds have definitely lost Matt Prior and Aidan Sezer from the 17 who defeated Castleford last week and they’ll likely be joined on the sidelines by Zak Hardaker owing to a thigh injury. It’s been rumoured that he wasn’t on the plane to France. These worsen the injury blows to Kruise Leeming and Blake Austin as well as the many suspensions in the squad which will see Yusuf Aydin make a debut on the bench as a loanee from Wakefield. As for replacing Sezer, Jack Sinfield may be called up to partner Corey Johnson in the halves in one of the most inexperienced halfback pairings in Super League. As for possibly replacing Zak Hardaker, Rhyse Martin will likely come into the centres, Morgan Gannon will move to the backrow with Bodene Thompson coming onto the bench. Sam Walters will start at prop.
16 Richie Myler
2 David Fusitu’a
12 Rhyse Martin
4 Liam Sutcliffe
5 Ash Handley
26 Corey Johnson
32 Jack Sinfield
8 Mikolaj Oledzki
24 Jarrod O’Connor
22 Sam Walters
11 James Bentley
21 Morgan Gannon
17 Cameron Smith
Substitutes
14 Brad Dwyer
19 Bodene Thompson
25 James Donaldson
34 Yusuf Aydin
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