Rugby fans have a very busy schedule with a host of matches in play for the next few days. The Castleford Tigers scheduled to challenge Hull FC at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle on Friday 30th June and July kicks-off on the first of the month with Catalans Dragons opposing Leigh Centurions at Stade Gilbert Brutus, and Wakefield Trinity coming head-to-head with the Warrington Wolves, at home, at The Beaumont Legal Stadium.
For neutrals looking for a fairly even match up, where both teams have a realistic chance of winning the game and thus making the encounter a more interesting and entertaining; then the Wakefield Trinity vs Warrington Wolves looks like the perfect battle. This match is really hard to call, with even the most established sports betting operators like Sportingbet having a hard time predicting the outcome. Currently Wakefield is 5/6 to win, the Wolves are evens and the draw is priced at 20/1.
It’s no secret that Wakefield have had their problems over the years but after former Super League player, Chris Chester, was appointed as head coach last year he has managed turned the squad around; which has resulted in the club soaring up the League to 5th in the league table. Wakefield were on a winning streak in May, with victories over Leigh, Widness, Huddersfield and Wigan; however June has painted a different picture and their success has waned slightly, leaving an opportunity for them to pick-things-up in Saturday’s clash with The Wolves.
Chester believes his team have a good chance, “You can see these guys enjoy each other’s company and they want to work hard for each other” he said. The players are certainly coming together, for example Kyle Wood made 50 odd tackles in the game against Widnes Vikings in May, and the determined play of full-back Scott Grix, winger Ben Jones-Bishop, centre Reece Lyne and second-rower Matty Ashurst resulted in a massive 34-12 win on May 20th at the Super League Magic Weekend.
On the other hand, the Warrington Wolves have been enjoying some pretty consistent form, winning and losing games in equal measure, which lands them in 9th place in the table. The win on June 24th (24-16) to Catalans Dragons gave them the vital extra 2 points they needed to keep them in the running for Super League’s top eight. The team’s Stefan Ratchford was missing due to a one-match ban, but Captain, Chris Hill, was back and contributing to the cause. Head Coach, Tony Smith appraised his team stating, “I thought the effort was enormous. I don’t think it was a spectacular game of Rugby League; I thought it had some tension in it. There was a lot of spirit and fight”.
Looking toward the upcoming games Smith said, “There are a lot of twists and turns to happen yet. There will be a couple of shocks here and there, and an upset here and there, all we can do is focus on who we are playing”.
On Sunday, we can definitely expect to see a fiercely contested match, with both squads having something to prove and play for. My gut feeling is making me lean towards Wakefield Trinity cementing their position in the table and giving their fans a win on the day; but only time will tell!
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