Brian McDermott must have been thinking that it couldn't get any worse than losing four on the bounce at Hull FC last week, but then he witnessed injuries which will
lead to the long lay-offs of Kallum Watkins and Danny McGuire. McDermott has no option but to restructure his team and it will be interesting to see how the enforced
changes effect the team against what is sure to be an aggressive Tigers side, eager for an historic double.
McDermott has been forced to recall Jimmy Keinhorst from Hunslet (not before time for many) and drafts young centre Thomas Minns into the side. Sutcliffe and Singleton
retain their places in what is looking an increasingly young side. I'm sure that it all bodes well for the future, but at the moment it is real 'seat of your pants'
stuff at a time when we need to start getting wins and points under our belt.
The full nineteen is; Hardaker, Moon, Hall, Burrow, Leuluai, McShane, Jones-Buchanan, Sinfield, Delaney, Bailey, Kirke, Clarkson, Achurch, Moore, Keinhorst, Singleton,
Vickery, Sutcliffe, and Minns.
Daryl Powell knows Headingley and many of the Rhinos players exteremely well. If any coaches in Superleague know how to silence the likes of Sinfield, Burrow and
Bailey, then Powell will count himself amongst their number.
Justin Carney is out after picking up a suspension and will be replaced by either James Clare or Richard Owen. It is unlikely that the new boss at Wheldon Road will
make any other changes from the seventeen which snatched a draw with the Broncos last weekend.
The Tigers nineteen is named as; Owen, Shenton, Dixon, Chase, Ellis, Walker, Clark, Huby, Hauraki, Millington, Milner, Massey, Holmes, Thompson, Tansey, Fleming,
Clare, Martin, and Boyle.
The Rhinos won both Castleford derbies last season. An early March visit to the now 'Wish Communications Stadium' ended in a 36-14 Rhinos victory thanks to a Ryan Hall hat-trick. The Tigers got a bit closer in June when Leeds
won 40-22 with Hall, Jones-Bishop and Burrow all bagging braces.
Since the start of the Superleague Era the Rhinos have won on twenty-five occasions, the Tigers have picked up ten wins and two games (Superleagues II and IV) have
been drawn.
This season the teams have met just the once, back in Round 2, when the Tigers picked up a 14-12
win.
Southstander.com Prediction
The Rhinos have a fourteen point deficit on the coupon but I would hope that the winning margin will be larger than that. We have to bounce back at some point, and why not on Friday night in a game which would crush the Castleford supporters as they hope for the double.
It is looking like a nice sunny day and evening tomorrow so hopefully the crowds will flock to Headingley for the big game and cheer the lads on to victory.
Enjoy the game.
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