The Rhinos welcome back Brett Delaney and Kylie Leuluai after a months lay-off and they will certainly add some steel to the Rhinos defence. Hopefully they are 100% fit and raring to go after a nice break.
Kevin Sinfield is reported to be on the cusp of a return and may be back in contention of the return match at Belle Vue in a weeks time.
With the youngsters standing in all over the park it has recently been a case of 'close, but no cigar' and the slow return of first teamers should hopefully start to tip things in our favour.
Brian McDermott names his nineteen as; Hardaker, Jones-Bishop, Watkins, Moon, Hall, Burrow, Leuluai, McShane, Peacock, Ablett, Delaney, Kirke, Clarkson, Moore, Keinhorst, Singleton, Sutcliffe, Minns and Foster.
The Wildcats are packed full of ex-Rhinos with Mathers, Fox, Smith, Lauitiiti and Amor all with a chance to take on their previous employers and team-mates this evening.
Richard Agars side are unbeaten in almost two months and have won their last four, but Agar has some of his own injury worries. Lee Smith is likely to step up to stand-off as Paul Sykes is out with a broken leg. Dean Collis is also injured causing Reece Lyne to be called into the ninteen alongside Kyle Trout and Bobbie Goulding.
The nineteen from Wakefield is; Mathers, Fox, L Smith, Cockayne, T Smith, Poore, Aiton, Raleigh, Lauitiiti, Kirmond, Washbrook, Amor, Wilkes, Mariano, Trout, Lyne, Wildie, Goulding and Annakin.
The Rhinos have won twenty-nine out of thirty-four regular Superleague Rounds against the Wildcats since the start of the competition and also picked up a win in the bad tempered Festive Challenge at Headingley, by 40-26.
Southstander.com Prediction
The bookies have given the Wildcats a fourteen point start on the coupon and the Rhinos are 1/6 to win the match, with the Wildcats being 4/1. I've also taken Leeds by a fourteen but fear that it could be closer.
It's going to be another belter of a day with temperatures possibly hitting 30 degrees. It is still going to be the mid-20's by kcik-off and only drop below 20 as darkness falls.
We should be able to get the result, I am cautiously optimistic.
Enjoy the game.
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