Tipping Competition2024

The Super Preview - Australian Rugby league News
Back
globalrugbyleague - Sat, 16 Feb 2008 08:56:00 GMT
Round two of Super League XIII promises to be as action packed and unpredictable as ever with lots of youth on show as well as experienced class.

A fitting tribute has been added to Super League XIII this week with the Man of the Match award in the two live games of each round being dedicated in the honour of the late great Mike Gregory.

The player to receive the award chooses a charity of their choice, to which £100 will be donated by Super League XIII sponsors engage Mutual insurance and live event broadcasters Sky Sports.

Another £100 will be donated to the Rugby League Benevolent Fund each time the award is presented.

The action this weekend kicks off with Warrington travelling to Knowsley Road to battle it out with the wounded St. Helens following their shock round one defeat to Hull Kingston Rovers.

The Wolves haven’t won at Knowsley Road for 14 years, but after some impressive performances last week from Monaghan the magician and the creative Matt King, many believe the Wolves can go home with the spoils.

Saints wont want to start the year at 0 (wins) and 2 (losses) and their task of overturning Warrington is greater still with Paul Sculthorpe, Jon Wilkin, Maurie Fa’asavalu, Willie Talau and Jason Cayless all sidelined through injury.

Daniel Anderson has been forced to turn to youth, including teenagers Gareth Frodsham and Chris Dean in his 18.

St. Helens 18 man squad: Wellens, Gardner, Gidley, Meli, Pryce, Long, Fozzard, Cunningham, Gilmour, Roby, Bennett, Flannery, Graham, Hargreaves, Clough, Tyrer, Frodsham, Dean Coach: Daniel Anderson

Warrington Wolves 18 man squad: Hicks, M. Gleeson, King, Penny, Briers, Monaghan, Morley, Clarke, Rauhihi, Westwood, V. Anderson, L. Anderson, M. Gleeson, Parker, Johnson, Grix, Bracek, Bridge Coach: Paul Cullen

Wakefield’s reward for defeating the Bulls is a home clash against Super League champions Leeds.

The Rhinos have looked good in their opening two games and are now just two weeks away from their World Club Challenge match against the Melbourne Melbourne Storm">Melbourne Storm who are certainly firing on all cylinders, recently crushing 2007 NRL runners-up Manly 56-10.

Wildcats five eighth Jamie Rooney is touch and go for whether or not he will feature as he is still recovering from a shoulder injury that put him out of last weekend’s victory over Bradford.

The Rhinos are blooding their English youngsters through and this time Ryan Hall makes way for Lee Smith in a similar fashion that Smith was left out for Hall last weekend.

The pair of wingers has each grabbed a brace of tries in their one Super League game this year.

Wakefield coach John Kear had a simple message for Brian McClennan’s men midweek: the Wildcats can keep getting better and better.

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats 18 man squad: Blaymire, Martin, Atkins, Reilly, Rooney, Brough, Watene, Drew, Sculthorpe, Ferres, Demetriou, Obst , Bibey, Henderson, Wilkes, Leo-Latu, Ferguson, Moore Coach: John Kear

Leeds Rhinos 18 man squad: Webb, Donald, Toopi, Senior, Smith, McGuire, Burrow, Leuluai, Diskin, Peacock, Jones-Buchanan, Ellis, Sinfield, Lauitiiti, Bailey, Scruton, Kirke, Ablett Coach: Brian McClennan

The final Friday night fixture is between the New Zealand Warriors">New Zealand Warriors and Tigers. Wigan have announced that they have broke the 10,000 season ticket sale barrier before the season’s home opener.

This is a new Super League record for the club.

Off the pitch Wigan are making money, and returning onto the pitch tonight will be forwards Gareth Hock and Stuart Fielden.

The pair missed the New Zealand Warriors">New Zealand Warriors’ win in London due to suspension for Hock and injury for Fielden.

Brian Noble though will be unable to select Karl Pryce and Mark Calderwood who are both doing stints on the sideline through injury.

Castleford will be the underdogs going into the game after Scott Moore’s two match suspension for separate incidents during the Catalans game, leaving the Tigers with 18 fully fit guys to pick from.

Wigan New Zealand Warriors">New Zealand Warriors 18 man squad: Mathers, Goulding, Carmont, Richards, Barrett, Leuluai, Fielden, Higham, Paleaaesina, Hock, Bailey, O'Loughlin, Colbon, Coley, Hansen, McIlorum, Prescott, O'Carroll Coach: Brian Noble

Two sides who will want to put some points on the board are Bradford and Huddersfield and they meet in round two.

Bradford are struggling with injuries at the moment. The likes of David Solomona, Chris Feather and Semi Tadulala are out with injuries.

The Giants are boosted by the return of second row forward Stuart Jones, and Jon Sharp’s men will certainly hope to perform better than they did last week against Leeds.

Bradford Bulls 18 man squad: Morrison, Burgess, Sykes, Newton, Hape, Deacon, Evans, Halley, Nero, Vagana, James, Platt, Harris, Godwin, Jeffries, Finnigan, Lynch, Langley. Coach: Steve McNamara

Huddersfield Giants 18 man squad: Thorman, Elford, Whaturia, Brown, Robinson, Crabtree, Gatis, Skandalis, Lolesi, Raleigh, Wild, Jones, Jackson, Mason, Snitch, Griffin, Hudson, Jensen. Coach: Jon Sharp

Les Catalans face a tricky home opener against St. Helens’ nemesis last weekend; Hull KR.

After the St. George Illawarra Dragons">St. George Illawarra Dragons scrapped in a hard fought victory at Castleford in round one, Mick Potter will be glad to have centre/creative utility half back Adam Mogg back in the team for attacking flare.

Hull KR will travel to France without summer recruit Chev Walker who has a shin injury.

Les Catalans St. George Illawarra Dragons">St. George Illawarra Dragons 18 man squad: Greenshields, Wilson, Mogg, Pelo, Bosc, McGuire, Ferriol, Gorrell, Guisset, Raguin, Mounis, Carlaw, Griffi, Gossard, Chan, Stacul, Casty, Baile. Coach: Mick Potter

Hull KR 18 man squad: Briscoe, Fox, J. Webster, Fitzhenry, J. Webster, Crossman, Mills, Newton, Galea, Murrell, Gene, Cockayne, J. Netherton, Aizue, Vella, K. Netherton, Welham, Chester. Coach: Justin Morgan

The final fixture of round two is between Hull FC and Harlequins RL.

Both sides lost their round one fixture against Warrington and Wigan respectively, and they will want to get points on the board as quickly as possible.

Hull have been hit with a big injury blow this week to prop Gareth Carvell who has ruptured knee ligaments and could be out of action for up to four months.

Gareth Raynor returns for the Airlie Birds, although Lee Radford is still recovering from his broken arm.

Hull’s list of absentees goes on, they are without Matt Sing, Richard Horne, Kirk Yeaman, Adam Dykes, and Richard Whiting. London have Daniel Heckenberg, Joe Walsh, and Dwayne Barker returing to action.

Hull FC 20 man squad: Berrigan, Byrne, Briscoe, Burnett, Cusack, Dale, Dowes, Hall, G. Horne, Houghton, King, Lee, Manu, Raynor, Thackeray, Tickle, Tony, Washbrook, Wheeldon, Williams. Coach: Peter Sharp

Harlequins RL 20 man squad: Barker, Gafa, Grayshon, Haggerty, Heckenberg, Hill, Howell, Mbu, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, McLinden, Orr, Paul, Purdham, Randall, Rinaldi, Sheriffe, Temata, Walsh, Ward, Wells. Coach: Brian McDermott

Rik’s Round Two Tips: Wolves to beat Saints by 12, Rhinos to beat Wildcats by 18, New Zealand Warriors">New Zealand Warriors to beat Tigers by 24, Bulls to beat Giants by 12, Hull KR to beat St. George Illawarra Dragons">St. George Illawarra Dragons by 18, Hull FC to beat Harlequins by 8. - Read More, Here