How the dramatic Super League final could unfold while top spot is still up for grabs
With so much at stake on Friday night, we take a look at the remaining six matches, who can win the battle for the League Leaders’ Shield, who can claim the final play-off spot and which team may have to fight to win a tough Old Trafford Three clubs – Wigan, Catalans and St Helens – could still win the League Leaders’ Shield that night, recalling the epic event of 2015 when Wigan, Leeds and Huddersfield are all competing for the cup.
But there is also one final play-off spot up for grabs.
Warrington, sixth, and Salford, just behind on points difference, face anxious times ahead to see who will prevail in their chances of keeping Their team survives.
on October 14.
Elsewhere, Leigh are fourth and Hull KR are fifth knowing they are safe.
And they are also known to face each other in the play-off play-off match.
But they can still swap positions, which will crucially determine who has home-field advantage in this playoff game.
Here we take a look at the latest series of matches and what’s at stake in each match:
Huddersfield (9) v Warrington (6)
This is pressure time for Warrington, who are on the same 26 points as seventh-placed Salford.
They have a much better points margin than Salford (73 to minus seven) and on paper have an easier final than their opponents.
But that doesn’t mean much.
Wolves were leading after winning the first 8 rounds but they fell spectacularly.
Huddersfield have nothing to play for but pride (and leapfrogged Leeds from eighth place), but they will want to field players like the in-form Jermaine McGilvary and after beating Hull this weekend – admittedly Admittedly, this is not the most difficult battle of the mission – they will confidently defeat the fragile wolves on my land.
Warrington is certain to knock out England captain George Williams, even if his thigh strain isn’t 100% correct; They need all the big weapons to fire.
But I still think they will fail – and make them sweat what happened in Salford with the Catalans.
Leeds (8) v Castleford (11)
The only dead wicket of the round but still an important meeting for both clubs.
Leeds are in utter chaos after being beaten 50-0 at home to Wigan and 61-0 to the Catalans on Saturday.
Rohan Smith is desperately hoping his humiliated side can achieve a positive result.
But Castleford, whose manager Danny Ward has claimed two wins in five matches so far to save the Tigers from relegation, will want a win against the club where they won the Super League title last year.
2004 to prove to Castleford’s hierarchy that he was top.
man to take.
Bring them next year.
They always raise their game against their derby opponents and I would side with him to inflict more misery on the Rhinos.
Leigh (4) v Wigan (1)
Sky Sports are expected to focus on this match in their live broadcast with in-form favorites Wigan securing a win that would see them become League Leaders’ winners.
Shield.
It’s hard to argue otherwise.
Leigh performed poorly on Friday night as they needed extra time from Golden Point to beat bottom-placed Wakefield.
They will need influential captain John Asiata to return from injury if they are to have a good chance of beating rivals Wigan in the derby.
But would boss Adrian Lam fancy wrapping him in cotton wool for the play-off against Hull KR, the team they beat at Wembley in the Challenge Cup final on Friday September 29?
Leigh also know they could concede fourth place – and home advantage in this knockout tie – if they lose to Wigan and fifth-placed Rovers (two points behind) beat relegated Trinity.
It depends on the point difference; Leigh are currently 34 points ahead of KR, but that could easily change given Wigan’s hot form and the fact that the Robins are at deflated Wakefield, still facing demotion.
Whatever the case, expect Wigan to claim their ninth consecutive Super League win and take top spot.
Salford (7) v Catalan (2)
This is perhaps the most engaging game of all.
Salford must win to have any chance of reaching the play-offs after wasting a chance against Hull KR on Friday.
With being sick in camp all last week, there was always a chance they would miss out, but could they dig deeper into the final effort?
It will be very difficult against the Catalan team who are still chasing the top team that completely destroyed Leeds this weekend.
But I want them to surprise – and take the final play-off place ahead of Warrington.
It also means the Catalans, perennial leaders in 2024, will drop to third place and miss out on the automatic play-off semi-finals, ironically hosting Salford in the playoff on Saturday September 30.
St Helens (3) v Hull (9)
I see nothing but a convincing Saints win here.
Unlucky Hull were devastated and sleepwalked towards the end of the season for a while.
By contrast, Paul Wellens’s side have quietly turned a corner, looking worryingly like a team that will return to Old Trafford to win a fifth Super League title in a row.
Expect them to match Wigan at the top of the table, but – given they have a gap of 129 points to make up after a slow start to the year – that will not be enough to retain the Shield at the top of the League.
They won’t mind:
Glory at Old Trafford is the champions’ only aim and finishing second means they get a week off.
It would be great if Wakefield ended 24 years in Super League with a win over Belle Vue, but I don’t see that happening.
Rovers will desperately need a win – and a big one – to have any chance of reaching the play-offs at Craven Park.
I think with a little help from Wigan they will pick up enough points here to overturn Leigh’s performance and take fourth place.
It will be very difficult for Leopards, who have been in the top 4 for most of the season.
But with the Challenge Cup in hand and still a good chance of progressing to the play-offs, it won’t be a fluke.
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