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 In a round which started with a game between the bottom two
sides, the climax was a Sunday afternoon encounter between the top two, as Hull
Kingston Rovers hosted the Leigh Leopards with the prize of leading the teams
into round six at the top of the pile being the prize on offer.
The bookies were backing the home side having given them an eight-point
handicap on the coupon, but with neither side having been beaten so far in 2025,
most neutrals were all set for a close affair and were struggling to pick a
winner.
The last time that Leigh beat their hosts was in the 2023
Challenge Cup final, Hull KR having won the five meetings since and keeping
Leigh pointless in the two Super League meetings in 2024, and you have to go
back as far as round three in 2023 to find the last Leigh victory at Craven
Park.
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Posted by RLFANS News Hound on Sun 23rd Mar 2025 4:55 PM | Views : 3535 | Replies : 0 | READ MORE |
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 It is not often that a game between arch-rivals Leeds Rhinos
and Wigan Warriors is a mid-table battle but when the two sides came together
in round five of Super League XXX it was a Warriors side in fifth spot in the
table travelling to seventh placed Rhino with both sides looking for the two
points to either keep up with the league leaders, or avoid dropping into the
mire.
The Rhinos had been given an eight-point start on the
coupon, the Warriors fancied for the win by the bookmakers, a win which would
take them to the top of the table, both sides looking to banish memories of
last weekend’s Challenge Cup exits.
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Posted by RLFANS News Hound on Sat 22nd Mar 2025 7:28 PM | Views : 3606 | Replies : 0 | READ MORE |
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 Two sides with a single win tucked under their 2025 belts
met in a basement four pointer at The Jungle as Castleford Tigers, under the
control of Danny McGuire, came up against Steve McNamara’s Catalans Dragons with
a crucial early season two points up for grabs.
The visitors started the game as slight favourites with the
Tigers given a four-point start on the coupon by the bookies, but 2025 form had
been awful for both sides, despite a win in for both in their last Super League
outing a fortnight ago.
McGuire had spoken in the week about having a full strength
squad to choose from for this afternoon’s fixture but McNamara was without the
services of the likes of Mourgue (transferred to Hull KR), Makinson (knee
injury) and Fages as he named his seventeen under pressure to deliver the win.
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Posted by RLFANS News Hound on Sat 22nd Mar 2025 4:47 PM | Views : 3482 | Replies : 0 | READ MORE |
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 One side would break their duck for the season as
Huddersfield Giants travelled as the favourites to take on a crisis hit Salford
Red Devils at the Salford Community Stadium, the away side with a chance of
jumping two league places, while the home side could haul themselves off the
bottom with a win.
The Giants have led all of their matches in 2025 at the
break, but have been unable to close, and have tumbled to league and cup
defeats, while Salford, who were given a six-point start on the coupon, were
again placed under salary cap restrictions as their financial crisis continued.
The bookies were struggling to choose a winner but gave the
home side a six-point start on the coupon.
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Posted by RLFANS News Hound on Thu 20th Mar 2025 9:52 PM | Views : 5066 | Replies : 0 | READ MORE |
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The Betfred Challenge Cup returns to BBC Sport on the weekend of 5/6 April, with two heavyweight ties between Hull FC and Hull KR and Warrington Wolves and St Helens selected for broadcast on BBC One, BBC Two and iPlayer that weekend.
On Saturday 5th, Hull FC and Hull KR will meet in the competition for the first time since 1986 after being paired together in a mouthwatering draw which will be aired live on BBC One (KO 2.30pm). The Black and Whites pulled off a sensational comeback against holders Wigan Warriors in the last 16, while Rovers were comfortable winners against Championship side Oldham.
Beaten 2024 Finalists Warrington Wolves will host local rivals St Helens on Sunday 6th live on BBC Two (KO 2.30pm). The two sides also met in last year's quarter-finals, with Sam Burgess' side celebrating a 31-8 victory against the 13-time Challenge Cup winners but eventually lost out to Wigan at Wembley. |
Posted by RLFANS News Hound on Wed 19th Mar 2025 7:00 AM | Views : 20815 | Replies : 0 | READ MORE |
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 Eight Super League clubs remained in the Challenge Cup after
a weekend which saw the cup holders, Wigan Warriors, eliminated from the
competition after a spirited fightback from Hull FC.
Into the hat went both Hull sides, Warrington, Catalans
Dragons, Salford Red Devils, Wakefield Trinity, St Helens and the Leigh
Leopards for a quarter final draw which would deliver some mouthwatering ties
for games to be played on the weekend of the 3rd to 6th
of April.
The draw was made by former Challenge Cup winners Adrian
Morley and John Wilkin and while the fans of several sides were left bemoaning
their luck of the draw, the neutral will be looking forward to the prospect of
some great matches in a fortnight’s time.
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Posted by RLFANS News Hound on Tue 18th Mar 2025 6:59 AM | Views : 16428 | Replies : 0 | READ MORE |
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 Only two berths in the quarter finals of the Challenge Cup
remained as the Huddersfield Giants and nearest neighbours Wakefield Trinity
met in a West Yorkshire derby for the chance to join with; St Helens,
Warrington Wolves, Salford Red Devils, Hull KR, Hull FC, Catalans Dragons and either
Leigh Leopards or Batley Bulldogs in the last eight.
The Giants were given a small two-point start on the
handicap coupon, the bookmakers expecting that it would be a close affair
between two fierce rivals for cup progress.
The Giants hadn't lost at home to Wakefield since 2019
having won the last three encounters between the two sides on home turf with
the Giants also being victorious in the last Challenge Cup meeting back in 2018
with a ten-point victory.
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Posted by RLFANS News Hound on Sun 16th Mar 2025 4:41 PM | Views : 8741 | Replies : 0 | READ MORE |
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 The cup holders would have been delighted with their draw
against Hull FC when it was made a couple of weeks ago, but after Hull FC’s stunning draw last
weekend against the Leigh Leopards, there will have been more
focus this week to ensure that they didn’t fall at this early stage in the
competition.
There is only one league place between the two sides, Wigan
in fourth and Hull in fifth, but the bookies had given the Black & Whites a
massive twenty-two-point start on the handicap coupon as they were in no doubt
that it would be the home side who were making progress.
Wigan have won their last seven home games against Hull FC
requiring a look back to 2019 for the last time that the visitors took the win,
but in the Challenge Cup it was Hull who won the last meeting between the two
sides at the quarter final stage in 2021 when they won by 20-10.
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Posted by RLFANS News Hound on Sat 15th Mar 2025 7:39 PM | Views : 1476 | Replies : 0 | READ MORE |
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 Leeds hadn’t beaten St Helens for over two years in all
competitions, and it is ten seasons since the Rhinos last victory over tonight’s
hosts in the Challenge Cup, Leeds exiting the competition in round four last
season when they lost at Headingley by 20-6.
Despite form and history being heavily in the home sides
favour, they were only handicapped by twelve points on the coupon, the bookies firmly
favouring a home win but not by the margin that many of those travelling over
the Pennines feared.
Both coaches named strong sides for the clash which was
broadcast live on The Sportsman with a place in Monday evenings quarter final
draw the prize on offer for the eventual victors.
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Posted by RLFANS News Hound on Fri 14th Mar 2025 9:47 PM | Views : 6637 | Replies : 0 | READ MORE |
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The draw for the quarter-finals of the Betfred Challenge Cup will be held on Monday night (March 17) at 9.15pm, as part of a Rugby League Hour from 9-10pm on BBC Radio 5Live, presented by Mark Chapman who will be joined in studio by two former Challenge Cup winners who will conduct the draw - Adrian Morley and Jon Wilkin. Morley lifted the Challenge Cup four times as a player, captaining Warrington Wolves to the trophy three times in four seasons during a memorable run for the club at Wembley Stadium when he twice knocked off former club Leeds Rhinos whilst also overcoming Huddersfield Giants in the showcase event. The prop-forward's first Challenge Cup triumph did come with the Rhinos however as Leeds saw off London Broncos back in 1999 - the last Final to be played at the old Wembley Stadium.
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Posted by RLFANS News Hound on Fri 14th Mar 2025 10:28 AM | Views : 20102 | Replies : 0 | READ MORE |
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There was a bike to be remounted for the Warrington Wolves
after they limped home to the UK after an embarrassing showing in Las Vegas
where they were put to the sword by a rampant Wigan Warriors, in their way a
resurgent Wakefield Trinity who themselves lost out to St Helens last time out.
The sides came into the game in seventh and eighth in the table,
Warrington had a chance to climb to fourth with any kind of victory but a win
by six or more from the visitors would lift them above their hosts.
Warrington were the bookies favourites with home advantage
and two wins from their three matches so far, the visitors being given a ten-point
start on the handicap coupon.
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Posted by RLFANS News Hound on Sun 9th Mar 2025 2:55 PM | Views : 9559 | Replies : 0 | READ MORE |
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Two sides widely tipped to finish the season mid-table, and
likely be battling it out for the last play-off place, met in Perpignan as the
Leeds Rhinos were in town to take on the Catalans Dragons.
The Dragons were slight favourites with the bookies despite
starting the game five league places below Leeds, but a two-point handicap was
neither here nor there, as the Dragons looked to move up to ninth, the Rhinos with
their eye on fourth.
Leeds gave a debut to early season signing Australian centre
Ethan Clark-Wood in place of the injured Ryan Hall, and welcomed back Matt
Frawley and Brodie Croft, but they were still without the injured skipper Cameron
Smith who will be missing for the best part of two months.
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Posted by RLFANS News Hound on Sat 8th Mar 2025 7:28 PM | Views : 5972 | Replies : 0 | READ MORE |
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Starting the round as the top two, the only two
remaining one-hundred-percent sides, St Helens and Hull KR had a round four
date at the Totally Wicked Stadium with the honour of ending the weekend at the
top of the pile, the prize on offer.
St Helens were slight favourites for the win with the
bookies, handicapped six points on the coupon, but the Robins were happy to be
given the underdogs tags in a game that they will have prioritised since the
announcement of the fixture lists.
A big blow for the visitors was the loss of their kicker
Rhyse Martin who could be out for up to four months after sustaining a thigh
injury requiring surgery, but they were boosted by the return of talisman Mikey
Lewis.
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Posted by RLFANS News Hound on Fri 7th Mar 2025 9:51 PM | Views : 6713 | Replies : 0 | READ MORE |
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 After a close but morale boosting second win of the season, over
the Huddersfield Giants, in round three, Hull FC returned home looking for a third,
but this time against daunting opposition in the form of the Leigh Leopards,
currently sat joint top of the competition with maximum points.
A points win of thirty-three or more for the home side would
see them up above their opponents and into third spot, whereas a win of any description
would put the Leopards on top of the pile ahead of tomorrows meeting between St
Helens and Hull Kingston Rovers.
Hull FC were given a four point start on the coupon by the
bookmakers who were expecting a tight game, a continued rebirth for the Airlie
Birds, or more of the same for the Leopards.
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Posted by RLFANS News Hound on Thu 6th Mar 2025 10:29 PM | Views : 7376 | Replies : 0 | READ MORE |
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 A party had broken out in Las Vegas as all eyes of the rugby league world focussed on a jamboree of rugby with four games back-to-back including the first ever game of Super League to be played in the USA in its thirty year history.
Wigan had been handicapped by eight points on the coupon, the bookies making the Champions the favourites for victory, but the main hope amongst those with rugby league in their hearts was that it would be a close game, packed with thrills and excitement, to tempt in the American audience.
Three more games would follow throughout the night, but it was down to two of our own sides to get the event off to the best of starts.
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Posted by RLFANS News Hound on Sat 1st Mar 2025 11:33 PM | Views : 7300 | Replies : 0 | READ MORE |
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The opening chapter of an historic day for rugby league, which would later see Wigan and Warrington meet in Las Vegas, got underway in Wakefield as Trinity took on a St Helens side who were looking to return to the top of the table.
The odds were firmly on the visitors side for the win, with Wakefield being given a twelve point start on the handicap coupon, but most commentators thought that this was on the conservative side given the free-scoring nature of the 2025 version of St Helens.
A home win would lift Wakefield into the top four, a loss would see them end the round in eighth.
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Posted by RLFANS News Hound on Sat 1st Mar 2025 4:25 PM | Views : 11288 | Replies : 0 | READ MORE |
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Hull KR’s unbeaten start to the season was under threat as a
winless Salford Red Devils rolled into town looking to give their season a kick-start
after a tumultuous opening couple of rounds which had seen them concede one
hundred and fourteen points while registering just a single converted try.
Hull KR would spend the night at the top of the table if
they could delight their passionate supporters with another victory, and with
expectations high of another Grand Final in 2025 they would settle for nothing
less.
Both sides made a couple of lineup changes ahead of the
fixture, the most notable being the Robins loss of talisman Mikey Lewis, with
Salford hoping that they could reproduce the outcome of the round three game in
2024 when they won by 17-10.
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Posted by RLFANS News Hound on Thu 27th Feb 2025 9:55 PM | Views : 8079 | Replies : 0 | READ MORE |
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A fourteen-point win would have been enough to take Adrian Lam’s Leigh Leopards into second spot at the conclusion of round two of Super League 2025, all that stood in their way was a Huddersfield Giants side looking for their first two points of the season after their opening weekend loss to the Warrington Wolves.
The Leopards were without captain Josh Charnley who is expected to be out for up to four weeks after suffering a neck injury but were, nevertheless, favourites with the bookies for back-to-back wins as they were handicapped by twelve points on the coupon against a side who showed strongly in defeat last time out.
As ever, there was a great atmosphere at the Leigh Sports Village, boosted by the news that the signature of Edwin Ipape had been secured until the end of 2031.
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Posted by RLFANS News Hound on Sun 23rd Feb 2025 4:19 PM | Views : 5213 | Replies : 0 | READ MORE |
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A win of any description would be enough to ensure that St Helens ended round two at the top of Super League, but stood in their way was Danny McGuire’s Castleford Tigers who were themselves looking to get the first points of their 2025 campaign.
The Tigers were given a twenty point start on the handicap coupon by the bookies who couldn’t see anything other than a Saints win based on their commanding demolition of Salford last weekend coupled with a low expectation of the Tigers despite their golden point loss to the much-fancied Robins last time out.
Castleford needed to stop Saints getting on a roll, because if the did then the likelihood was that they would be on the end of a hiding.
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Posted by RLFANS News Hound on Sat 22nd Feb 2025 9:51 PM | Views : 4088 | Replies : 0 | READ MORE |
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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.
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Posted by RLFANS News Hound on Sat 22nd Feb 2025 5:04 PM | Views : 4439 | Replies : 0 | READ MORE |
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