Betfred Super League: Warrington v Leeds betting preview, tip & TV details

Sky Sports Arena & Mix, 5.15pm Saturday

After Betfred Super League favourites St Helens opened their campaign with a 22-12 win over champions Wigan on Thursday night, heavily-backed Warrington get their chance to lay down an early-season marker against Leeds.

The Wolves are a best-priced 7-2 to win their first Grand Final and should start with a victory over the Rhinos at the Halliwell Jones Stadium. They’re 4-7 to do so.

This ought to be a good time to catch Leeds, whose squad have undergone a major off-season overhaul under new coach Dave Furner following a ninth-place finish in 2018.

Stalwarts Ryan Hall and Joel Moon have departed and Antipo­dean imports Konrad Hurrell, Tui Lolohea and Trent Merrin are all set to make their debuts.

Although the Rhinos should be thereabouts by the playoffs, it may take some time before the new-look side gels.

That certainly looked likely in a pre-season friendly loss to Castleford, and Warrington are more than capable of exploiting any weaknesses.

Only table-topping St Helens posted more points than Steve Price’s side in 2018 and the Wolves will have even more bite this season following the acqui­sition of top-class Australian playmaker Blake Austin.

The former Canberra Raider is 4-1 favourite to be named man of the match in his first Super League outing.

Austin is likely to be partnered by Dec Patton at half-back after Kevin Brown suffered a serious achilles injury in training.

The Wolves have some of Super League’s most talented outside backs and the likes of Josh Charnley, Bryson Goodwin and Jake Mamo will be licking their lips at the thought of the tryscoring opportunities that should come their way this term.

This time last season Leeds sprung an opening-round surprise by winning 16-12 at the Halliwell Jones.

The Wolves can reverse that result and cover a four-point handicap in the process.

Recommendation
Warrington -4
3pts 10-11 Betway

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