Super League 
/ Stuart Jones / 08 March 2012 / Leave a Comment 
Will Kevin Sinfield be saluting the faithful after full time at Headingley
"Leeds are going well, but they will need to be at their best to overcome a quality Warrington side. The Rhinos bombed several chances out wide at Cas, with Hardaker and Webb butchering several overlaps on the left channel. The margin for error won’t be so great this week."
The Super League gets ever more super with a top of the table clash between Leeds and Warrington to whet the whistle on Friday evening. Stuart Jones previews that big clash as well as Hull KR's home fixture with Bradford in his weekly betting preview
Defending champions Leeds Rhinos entertain league leaders Warrington at Headingley on Friday evening and the layers are understandably finding it very difficult to split the two sides.
Leeds have gone unbeaten since losing to Wigan in the week before the World Club Challenge and, though Castleford briefly looked like making a game of it last week, the Rhinos never truly looked like losing their lead.
Not for the first time, Brian McDermott's men were guilty of overplaying having gone 18 points up early on. Had Chris Clarkson and Carl Ablett not combined to bomb a certain try after Kallum Watkin's breakaway effort, it would have been 24-0 and the game would have been over much earlier.
Leeds are going well, but they will need to be at their best to overcome a quality Warrington side. The Rhinos bombed several chances out wide at Cas, with Hardaker and Webb butchering several overlaps on the left channel. The margin for error won't be so great this week.
Chris Bridge misses the game through suspension, but it's again testament to the strength in depth that Tony Smith has developed in his squad that he can choose between two exciting prospects in Stefan Ratchford and Rhys Evans to cover in the centres.
Warrington may have failed to impress against Bradford last week but it was more a case of Wire just going through the motions as opposed to an alarming dip in form. An improved effort from Bradford combined with an early injury to Lee Briers ensuring that Warrington never pulled away.
In the absence of Michael Monaghan, it seems hard to justify Warrington being a shade of odds on away from home, and in front of a packed Headingley Stadium Leeds look the call in receipt of a two-and-a-half point start.
Hull KR have started the season well and they look to continue their good form against Bradford at Craven Park on Saturday evening.
Kr held St Helens to a 36-36 draw at home earlier in the season and kept a clean sheet against bottom of the table Widnes last weekend. Constantine Mika has been one of the key players for Hull this season and he is amongst this week's 19-man squad having missed the latest round through suspension. In the absence of Blake Green, the form of Craig Hall at stand off has been key and he has chipped in with three tries this season.
Bradford produced one of their best performances of the season last week, but have subsequently been hit by a number of injuries, with Elliott Kear, Craig Kopczack and Ian Sibbit joining Luke Gale, Chev Walker, James Donaldson, Adrian Purtell and Olivier Elima on the sidelines. The loss of Kopczack is a big blow to forwards, whilst Kear has impressed defensively I an area where Bradford were particularly weak last term.
I expect that injury list and a big effort against Warrington to take its toll on the Bulls and am happy to side with Hull KR giving up a ten point start.
Recommended Bets
Back Leeds +2.5 points @ [1.91]
Back Hull KR -10.5 points @ [1.91]
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