Warrington v St Helens: Betfred Super League rugby tips & predictions

Betfred Super League
Sky Sports Arena, 7.45pm Thursday

It's incredible to think that when Warrington arrived at St Helens for their Betfred Super League round-ten game in April, the teams were locked together at the top of the table.

As the sides prepare for their third and final regular-season meeting of the year, it's now Saints first and daylight second.

Victory for Justin Holbrook's runaway table-toppers would put them 14 points clear of the Wolves, who would then be as near to rock-bottom London Broncos as the top of the league.

Since mid-April, Saints have won 13 league games and lost two, both when fielding understrength sides at London.

By contrast, the Wolves have performed like a mid-table side, winning seven and losing eight of their league outings. That's only one win better over that period than bottom pair Hull KR and London.

One of those Wolves losses was at home to St Helens at the end of June when a 6-0 lead was squan­­dered in the final 20 minutes as the league leaders won going away by 21-10.

Saints were 1-2 shots that night but they go off even shorter this time following the fallout from Warring­ton's abject loss in France last weekend.

The Catalans clash ended in a series of penalties and brawls and the Wolves have Tom Lineham suspended and a raft of top players injured.

Dec Patton, Daryl Clark, Jack Hughes and Mike Cooper are all missing but the key absentee is star man Blake Austin, who has an ankle problem which could keep him out of this month's Coral Challenge Cup final, also against Saints.

St Helens are already 4-9 to lift that prize and could shorten further and it's difficult to envisage anything but an away win at the Halliwell Jones Stadium on this occasion with the hosts forced into the emergency move of bringing in veteran scrum-half Matty Smith on loan from Catalans.

The visitors are without star trio James Roby, Lachlan Coote and Alex Walmsley but such is their strength in depth and the weakness of Warrington's team, Holbrook's men should still win with something to spare.

The handicap has been hiked from six points to ten and it may be worth backing Saints to scoot home by more than two converted tries at 11-10.

They have achieved such a feat 17 times in all competitions in 2019. Six of those successes have come on the road.

Recommendation
St Helens to win by 13 or more points
2pts 11-10 bet365, BoyleSports

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