This week’s Salford Red Devils were likely to be a very different proposition to the side which were heavily beaten by St Helens in the opening round as the salary cap restrictions were lifted allowing Paul Rowley to select a full-strength side to take on the Leeds Rhinos, both sides seeking their first win in the competition.

The home side were the favourites with the bookies to start to repair the terrible points difference which they suffered in the 82-0 drubbing last week, the Rhinos were keen to get back on the bike after their unexpected loss at home to newly promoted Wakefield Trinity last weekend.

It is very early in the season, but both coaches knew that the outcome of the game was crucial for both sides.

After a season in the Championship the much-heralded return of Daryl Powell’s Wakefield Trinity saw them travel to AMT Headingley for a round one opener against Brad Arthurs much fancied and revitalised Leeds Rhinos.

The visitors were given a respectful twelve-point start, but after an opening weekend of shocks and close games, who would bet against another close encounter and an extension of the eighty minutes with more golden point drama.

Both sides came into the game of the back of massive Challenge Cup third round victories, the Rhinos putting ninety-two unanswered points past Wests Warriors, while Trinity scored eighty-two against York Acorn with a big zero in the against column.

It was a bumper payday for Acton based amateur side Wests Warriors as they switched their Challenge Cup game against the Rhinos to Headingley, with the Leeds faithful happy to get to see their side start their cup campaign on home soil, with the hope of a massive points win to give a confidence boost going into the start if Super League.

The bookies had given the Warriors a ninety-two point start on the coupon but with Brad Arthur fielding a very strong side, there was every chance that the statisticians would be reaching for the record books before the final hooter.

It was a Southern Conference League side making a two-hundred-mile trip north to face the Super League side, four tiers difference between the two, and there could only possibly be one winner.

Both coaches elected to field very strong starting line-ups for the Ash Handley Testimonial game at Headingley between the Leeds Rhinos and defending Champions, Wigan Warriors, in a pre-season friendly.

With the third round of the Challenge Cup just a fortnight away, the Rhinos preparing for a trip to London to face Wests Warriors and Wigan Warriors planning their game against the Sheffield Eagles, there were plenty of eager substitutes looking to secure their spot as the competitive season loomed.

Handley made his Leeds debut in 2014 away at London Broncos and his home debut in 2015 against the Wigan Warriors, and has 212 competitive appearances under his belt for his hometown side being a single club career man, having played eight games on loan at Featherstone Rovers in three spells.

The aims for both Hull KR and the Leeds Rhinos were clear as they went into their round twenty-seven encounter at opposite ends of the play-off zone.

Hull KR knew that a win would be enough to guarantee them second spot and a weekend off before a home game in the play-off eliminator while nothing less than a victory would suffice for the Leeds Rhinos who needed the two points to lift them above the Leigh Leopards and into sixth spot should the Leopards not be able to secure a victory over St Helens in a game kicking off at the same time.

Hull KR were the massive favourites with the bookies, the Rhinos not given a hope of taking the points and extending their season.

The Wigan Warriors knew that a win would strengthen their claim to the 2024 minor premiership and win in their final game of the season would then guarantee that they would finish in top spot but they were up against a Leeds Rhinos side who beat them comprehensively just a few weeks ago and who themselves needed the win to keep their outside hopes of a play-off place alive.

Wigan were strong favourites with the bookies for the win, despite the Leeds 30-4 victory just five games ago, the smart money on the Rhinos challenge for the six going by the wayside at The Brick.

But these two old adversaries often throw up an intriguing fixture, but it would be a bad Friday the thirteenth for someone.

The Brad Arthur revolution at Leeds Rhinos is in full swing with the announcement of a number of end of season departures during the week and in round twenty-five they looked to keep alive their slender hopes of a top six finish with a home game against 2024 strugglers, Hull FC who themselves were looking for the win to avoid the ignominy of wooden spoon.

The bookies could only see one winner with the Rhinos named as massive favourites and a decent Headingley crowd were in attendance with the belief that this would be a chance to improve the all-important points difference column and jump inside the top six for the first time in 2024 with two games of the regular season remaining.

The Rhinos travelled to a much-improved London Broncos in the hope of registering a cricket score to improve their chances of making the play-offs should the final reckoning come down to points difference with a win by twelve enough to take them above the Catalans Dragons and into seventh spot.

But London were likely to prove stern opposition as they came into the game knowing that a win would lift them off the bottom for the first time in 2024 and above Hull FC who lost their round twenty-four game to Castleford yesterday.

London were given a twenty-eight point start on the coupon, the bookies in no doubt that this would be a big win for the visitors as they maintained the feintest of hopes of a play-off place.

Leeds Rhinos have been on the verge of dropping out of the top six play-off race for the last few weeks but an encounter at Headingley in round twenty-three really was the Rhinos last opportunity to make the six as they came up against one of the sides in danger of dropping out of the play off places, an out of form Catalans Dragons.

A win would lift the Rhinos back within two points of the Dragons with four regular rounds remaining, a win for the Dragons would come close to guaranteeing them a spot in the end of season knock-out competition.

The Dragons were without the recently un-retired Sam Tomkins who had picked up an injury and with the securing of Brad Arthur as coach until the end of the 2025 season the bookies had made the home side favourites with an eight-point handicap on the coupon.

The side which no coach wanted to face in round twenty-two, a buoyant Leeds Rhinos under the coaching of Brad Arthur who took the scalp of the Champions last weekend, became the task of Sam Burgess and his high-flying Warrington Wolves as they continue their quest for a top two finish and a home tie in the playoffs.

The two points could lift the Wolves into second, should the winning margin be large enough, but if the Leeds Rhinos were to make it back-to-back victories, then they would get themselves within two points of a play-off place and a shot at Old Trafford in five rounds time.

Warrington were slight favourites with the bookies, the Rhinos given a six-point start by the handicappers, but Burgess was sending his troops into battle with no illusions that this would be a simple victory.

After their comprehensive win over the Leigh Leopards on Tuesday night in the delayed round two fixture, a buoyant and table topping Wigan Warriors travelled to Leeds for their first encounter of 2024 with a Rhinos side who all but saw their chances of making the play-offs disappear last night when the Catalans Dragons scraped a narrow win against the Giants.

The Rhinos are now six points adrift of the play-off places with just seven games of the regular season remaining while Wigan trail Hull KR on points difference after the Robins big win over the Castleford Tigers last night.

The bookies predicted one-way traffic with the Rhinos given a very stingy six points start on the handicap coupon as they looked to salvage some pride from a dreadful season, and to make things even worse for the Rhinos, Jai Field was back in the Warriors starting thirteen.

A critical round twenty game for both sides saw sixth placed Salford Red Devils hosted a Leeds Rhinos side who sit in seventh place and who know that their task of achieving a top six position, and a play-off place would look almost impossible should they lose this encounter, a result which would see Salford into fourth.

Salford were the slight favourites for the win with the bookies but with the Rhinos only being given a two-point start on the handicap coupon there was clearly very little to choose between the two sides with the ‘Brad Arthur factor’ still to be determined.

It was ‘make or break’ time for both sides, the scene was set for a corker of a game.