Squad watch: Super League Round 6 squad news, TV coverage & predictions
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com
Here is everything you need to know ahead of Super League Round Six, including squad news, television coverage and our predictions.
Super League Round Six kicks-off at the John Smith’s Stadium this Thursday with the televised match between Huddersfield and St Helens.
Wakefield’s home fixture against Hull KR this Friday will go ahead as planned after the controversial hybrid pitch at Belle Vue passed another inspection.
However, Sky Sports will now broadcast Wigan’s home tie with Salford at the DW Stadium on Friday.
Channel 4‘s coverage continues this Saturday with the match between Leeds and Catalans at Headingley Stadium, with a 1pm kick-off.
Super League Round 6 squads:
Huddersfield v St Helens (Thursday, 8pm, live on Sky Sports)
Ian Watson has shuffled his pack for the visit of the world champions. The Giants coach confirmed in his weekly press conference that new recruits Jake Connor and Harvey Livett will feature.
Sam Halsall and Innes Senior are also included in Watson’s 21-man squad for the first time in 2023.
Huddersfield will be missing former Saints forward Josh Jones after he failed a head injury assessment. England Knights international Matty English is still not ready for his return.
St Helens will be without key forward Morgan Knowles for their trip to Huddersfield. The England international was unsuccessful in his appeal against his one-match penalty notice.
Paul Wellens has made four changes to his side that beat Hull last week. Will Hopoate, Sione Mata’utia, Konrad Hurrell and Wesley Bruines replace Jake Wingfield, Dan Norman, Ben Davies and Knowles.
Huddersfield: Connor, Marsters, Naiqama, Bibby, Lolohea, Hill, Peats, McQueen, Yates, Golding, Rushton, Trout, Ikahihifo, Wilson, Cudjoe, Livett, Russell, Halsall, Senior, Ashworth, Pryce.
St Helens: Welsby, Makinson, Hopoate, Percival, Bennison, Lomax, Dodd, Walmsley, Roby, Lees, Mata’utia, Lussick, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Sironen, Paasi, Bell, Royle, Hurrell, Ritson, Delaney, Bruines.
Predictions: This one is incredibly hard to predict. St Helens have got some bodies back this week, so I’ll tip Saints by four.
Wigan v Salford (Friday, 8pm, live on Sky Sports)
Matt Peet has named an unchanged squad this week. Brad Singleton, Brad O’Neill, Abbas Miski and Junior Nsemba could come in for the Warriors after missing out on the matchday 17 in their win at Huddersfield last Friday.
Salford could welcome Joe Burgess and Ellis Longstaff for their trip to the DW Stadium. Samoa centre Tim Lafai has been named in the 21-man squad despite missing Sunday’s win over Wakefield with a hamstring injury.
Hooker Amir Bourouh and forward Ben Hellewell could come in for the Red Devils after not playing last week. Andy Ackers misses out due to a knee injury.
Wigan: Field, French, King, Wardle, Marshall, Cust, Smith, Singleton, Powell, Byrne, Isa, Farrell, Smithies, Cooper, Ellis, Havard, Pearce-Paul, Mago, O’Neill, Miski, Nsemba.
Salford: Brierley, Sio, Watkins, Lafai, Burgess, Croft, Sneyd, Ormondroyd, Vuniyayawa, Stone, Atkin, Addy, Dupree, Wright, Sidlow, Longstaff, Bourouh, Williams, Costello, Hellewell, Cross.
Prediction: This has all the ingredients to be a cracker but we’ll give a nod to home advantage. Wigan by 10.
Castleford v Warrington (Friday, 8pm)
Tigers interim boss Andy Last has made three changes to his squad that beat Leeds last time out. George Griffin, Alex Sutcliffe and Jacob Hookem replace Mahe Fonua, Sam Hall and George Lawler.
Greg Minikin and Matty Russell will battle it out for a place on the wing after Josh Thewlis failed his head injury assessment against Leigh.
Gil Dudson has been named again and could make his official Wire debut at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle. Youngster Jamie Reddecliff has also been named in Daryl Powell’s squad.
Castleford: Eden, Turner, Faraimo, Widdop, Miller, McShane, Griffin, Edwards, Mellor, Westerman, Massey, Sutcliffe, Milner, Broadbent, Vete, Mustapha, Smith, Matagi, Hookem, Qareqare, Watts.
Warrington: Ashton, Clark, Currie, Drinkwater, Dudson, Dufty, Hayes, Kasiano, Mata’utia, Mikaele, Minikin, Nicholson, Philbin, Ratchford, Reffecliff, Russell, Thomas, Vaughan, Walker, Whitehead, Williams.
Prediction: Powell returns to his old stomping ground and we’re backing him to come away with the win. Warrington by 18.
Wakefield v Hull KR (Friday, 8pm)
Tom Forber has been named in Wakefield’s 21-man squad after joining from Wigan on an initial two-week loan deal. The side are without Liam Hood due to concussion protocols.
Tom Lineheam misses out again, while centre Samisoni Langi returns for the Super League clash.
Ethan Ryan, Matt Parcell, Kane Linnett and Matty Storton all return to Willie Peters’ 21-man squad. Jordan Abdull, Frankie Halton and Dean Hadley miss out after failing HIAs against Catalans last Saturday.
Jimmy Keinhorst and Will Dagger also drop out of the squad, while Yusuf Aydin has been named and could make his debut for the club.
Wakefield: Taufua, Hall, Lyne, Lino, Battye, Whitbread, Ashurst, Pitts, Crowther, Kay, Atoni, Kershaw, Smith, Langi, Butler, Bowes, Eseh, Butterworth, Pratt, Hewitt, Forber.
Hull KR: Coote, Ryan, Opacic, Hall, Sue, Parcell, King, Linnett, Kennedy, Batchelor, Storton, Lewis, Milnes, Senior, Wood, Johnson, Luckley, Aydin, Laulu-Togaga’e.
Prediction: Wakefield are down on numbers, so we’ll go with Hull KR by 10 in this one.
Leeds v Catalans (Saturday, 1pm, live on Channel 4)
Luke Hooley has been named in Leeds’ squad for the first time after joining the Super League club during the off-season from Batley. Jack Sinfield is also included, while Corey Johnson returns to the squad. He featured for Bradford in the Championship on dual-registration last week.
Leeds are without Ash Handley, Mikolaj Oledzki and Morgan Gannon through injury whilst James Bentley will miss Saturday’s game as he serves a one game suspension.
Mitchell Pearce, Matthieu Laguerre and Matt Whitley all return to Catalans’ squad. The trio replace Siua Taukeiaho, Ugo Tison and Tanguy Zenon.
Leeds: Myler, Fusitu’a, Newman, Macdonald, Austin, Sezer, Tetevano, Martin, Smith, O’Connor, Lisone, Olpherts, Sangare, Holroyd, McDonnell, Hooley, Walters, Tindall, Donaldson, Johnson, Sinfield.
Catalans: Mourgue, Davies, Keighran, Laguerre, May, Pearce, McMeeken, McIlorum, Bousquet, Whitley, Seguier, Garcia, Da Costa, Goudemand, Rouge, Chan, Romano, Dezaria, Johnstone, Scimone, Ma’u.
Prediction: This should be a good game live on Channel 4 with a strong crowd expected at Headingley Stadium. But we’ll tip the visitors by 12.
Hull v Leigh (Saturday, 3pm)
Hull are boosted by the return of centre duo Carlos Tuimavave and Liam Sutcliffe. They are the only two changes to Tony Smith’s squad, replacing Jordan Lane (concussion) and Harvey Barron.
Ben Reynolds returns to Leigh’s squad after serving his suspension. Oliver Holmes has also been named. Nathan Wilde and Aaron Smith drop out.
Hull: Hoy, Swift, Tuimavave, Sutcliffe, McIntosh, Clifford, Sao, Houghton, Satae, Savelio, Fash, Lovodua, Cator, Evans, Scott, Brown, Griffin, Litten, Gardiner, Taylor, Dwyer.
Leigh: Hardaker, Briscoe, Chamberlain, Leutele, Charnley, Mellor, Lam, Amone, Ipape, Mulhern, Hughes, Asiata, Nakubuwai, Reynolds, Holmes, O’Brien, Davis, Nisbit, O’Donnell, Semanufagai, Shorrocks.
Prediction: This might be the trickiest one to call. Hull had their best defensive game last week despite their defeat to St Helens, while Leigh are enjoying their return to the top flight. I’ll go the Leopards by 12.
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