Showing posts with label Leeds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leeds. Show all posts
December 24, 2013
March 15, 2013
Super League betting: Leeds seeking to gain revenge
"Leeds suffered an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Wigan in this fixture last season and I can see them getting their revenge"
Stuart Jones gives us his bet bets for the weekend
Leeds Rhinos vs Wigan Warriors
An in-and-out start to the season is just about par for the course where the Rhinos are concerned and predicting which Leeds side will turn up during the regular season doesn't look like getting any easier. Brian McDermott has named an unchanged nineteen from last week, meaning Ben Jones-Bishop and Zak Hardaker are still absent.
Wigan have had to rely heavily on their youth system so far this season and there academy products have certainly acquitted themselves well up to now. The losses of Lee Mossop and Harrison Hansen were a bitter blow to a side already lacking in experience, but Shaun Wane has at least been able to call upon Darrell Goulding in the centres after a short spell out.
Leeds suffered an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Wigan in this fixture last season and I can see them getting their revenge, especially if rumours about Sam Tomkins missing the game are proved to be true.
Salford City Reds vs Warrington Wolves
A draw away to Wakefield was a sign that things may well be picking up for the Reds, that game the first in charge for caretaker boss Alan Hunte, but they may well have been fortunate to bump into a Wakefield side that were feeling the effects of pushing Huddersfield and Catalans close in the previous two rounds.
This is exactly the type of game in which Warrington bully their opposition, and even without Lee Briers, I see no reason as to why the Wolves can't rack up a big score against a side that still has a great deal to prove defensively.
Warrington should be keen to bounce back from their defeat to Saints last week and I can't see -17.5 being enough.
Huddersfield Giants vs Hull FC
Both of these sides were able to return to winning ways with their stand-off's back to fitness last Friday, with Huddersfield's Danny Brough playing a pivotal role in their win over the Leeds Rhinos at Headingley.
Huddersfield's large forward pack is what most people talk about when coming up against the Giants, but it's certainly no coincidence that their only defeat this season came when Brough was in the stands.
Daniel Holdsworth played his part in Hull's win over Castleford, though the result in that game was clear from a very early stage. Castleford's left-hand side proving to be extremely vulnerable with no less than seven of Hull's try's coming down that channel. The downside for Hull was that a brawl late on has resulted in them missing Danny Tickle through suspension.
The Giants may well have the chance to go top with a win here and I can't see them being turned over on home turf this time around.
1 pt Leeds to win outright @1.8810/11
2 pts on Warrington to win by -17.5 pts at 1.9110/11
back Huddersfield Giants to win by - 8.5 pts at 1.9110/11
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April 28, 2011
Super League Betting: Leeds want three out of three
Super League 
/ Stuart Jones / 28 April 2011 / Leave a Comment 
JP is back for Leeds
"A lot hinges on how quickly Castleford are able to get over Monday’s gut wrenching last minute defeat at St Helens."
The Rhinos are bidding to pick up their third win in a row but Cas will offer stiff opposition. Meanwhile, there's plenty at stake at the Stoop as Stuart Jones selects the best Bank Holiday weekend bets...
Back-to-back wins over the Easter period will have relieved some of the pressure on Leeds boss Brian McDermott and, with Jamie Peacock set to make his return from injury, confidence will be high in the Leeds camp as they take on a high-flying Castleford side at the Probiz Coliseum on Friday night.
Leeds were made to fight hard for the win at Bradford last week, not securing victory until very late on in the game, but they had no such problems overcoming the Crusaders at Headingley on Monday. The Rhinos went ahead early in the game and only a couple of soft intercept tries gave the scoreline some respectability from a Welsh point of view.
A lot hinges on how quickly Castleford are able to get over Monday's gut wrenching last minute defeat at St Helens. Terry Matterson's side led until the last play of the game at the Stobart Stadium and it is asking a lot for them to bounce from such a hard game just four days on, mentally as well as physically. To make matters worse for the Tigers, they will have to take on Leeds without Nick Fozzard and in-form prop Craig Huby.
Danny Maguire, Jamie Peacock and Ben Cross are all named in McDermott's nineteen-man squad for the first time this season and I think Leeds will have too much for a jaded Tigers. I expect Leeds to be asked to concede 6.5 pts on the handicap and would be happy to back them to do so at around [1.9].
Harlequins and Salford couldn't manage a win between them over Easter, so there is plenty at stake for both sides when they meet at the Stoop on Saturday evening.
Scoring points hasn't been the problem for Quins this season, it's been how many they concede that will have been giving Rob Powell nightmares. Only Salford have leaked more points so far this term.
With Luke Dorn and the underrated Luke Gale pulling the strings in the halves, it's not hard to see why Quins have no problem getting over the whitewash, and they should have plenty of space to work in this week if Salford's recent performances are anything to go by.
Salford appear to have taken a couple of step backwards in the last few rounds, and have faced two of the biggest packs in Super League just four days apart. They have also had a day less to recover than their rivals. I reckon that could be the telling factor and am happy to take Quins -6.5 pts.
Although it's not in front of the Sky cameras, it could be worth keeping an eye on the handicap for Bradford v Warrington. We all know that the Wolves can't always be trusted, but this seems an ideal time to take on the Bulls. They had a hard game against Leeds last Thursday and haven't had long to overcome a gruelling trip to France. Tony Smith will have read the riot act to his men after their latest defeat and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Bradford end up on the wrong end of a hammering.
Recommended Bets
Back Leeds -6.5 pts @ [1.91]
Back Quins -6.5 pts @ [1.91]
Back over 48.5 pts in the Quins vs Salford game @ [1.83]
It might be a tough time to pick a winner but there's some exciting Super League action to sink your wagers into this weekend and Stuart Jones is just the man to kick-off the Bank Holiday cheer......
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February 18, 2011
Super League Betting Preview: Hull lack stamina to hold off Leeds
Super League / Stuart Jones / 17 February 2011 / Leave a Comment 
Can Hull stop Rob Burrow?
"I fancy Leeds to come back from a half-time deficit and clinch the points."
Stuart Jones selects the best bets as the Super League gets down to business in week two. Look out for a Rhino's comeback on Friday and watch the Giants chase victory on Saturday...
It's the calm after the storm as far as Super League XVI is concerned this weekend. After a marathon of live Millennium Magic action last week, the Sky cameras will be at just two games for round two.
Hull play host to Leeds at the KC Stadium on the first of those on Friday evening and the performances of the two sides last weekend could barely have been more contrasting. Richard Agar's side raced into a 14-0 lead inside as many minutes against their fierce rivals KR, only to leak 28 unanswered points as they eventually slumped to a 34-22 defeat.
The Airlie birds have consistently been amongst the biggest spenders in Super League, but whilst last year's sixth place finish was a creditable effort, they are yet to hint at the progression required to challenge the big four.
It was noticeable how quickly Hull began to tire last week and, like last year, it seems too much is being asked of Danny Houghton and Craig Fitzgibbon. The signing of Sam Obst during the week may take some pressure off Houghton, but they still go into the game with too many players out of position. Richard Whiting will never have the pace to be a full back, Jordan Turner isn't up to scratch as a stand-off in Super League and Lee Radford is a hard-working back-row forward, not a prop.
Last week's unlikely victory over Bradford showed just how dangerous the Rhinos are when the game begins to break up. They looked dead and buried when 28-10 down in the second half, but as the Bulls began to falter, Leeds came into their own, the pace of Burrow and Jones-Bishop proving all too much for a tiring Bradford side.
With that in mind, I expect Hull to again start strongly, but the lack of balance in the side will surely play to Leeds' strengths over the 80 minutes, and just like the last meeting between the clubs at the KC Stadium in September, I fancy Leeds to come back from a half-time deficit and clinch the points.
Saturday night's game between Castleford and Huddersfield looks a little easier to call. Both teams impressed when getting off to winning starts in Cardiff, but Huddersfield faced the far sterner test as they beat Warrington 28-18.
Quite possibly the most underrated player in Super League, Castleford's Rangi Chase was a joy to watch as he steered his side to a comfortable victory over Wakefield on Saturday, scoring one try and having a hand in three others.
However, Chase won't be expecting such an armchair ride this weekend and I can't see how the Castleford pack can stop Huddersfield getting on top and limiting the quality of ball he has to work with.
Huddersfield's pack was on the front foot from the word go last weekend and I don't rate the Tigers forwards even close to that of Warrington's. That will make all the difference here and the away side have to be backed conceding -7.5pts.
Recommended bets:
Back Hull/Leeds @ [7.0] in the half-time/full-time market
Back Huddersfield Giants -7.5 pts at [1.91]
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