Currie can inspire Wolves to derby victory

Betfred Super League
Sky Sports Arena, 8pm Thursday

As far as its significance to the league table goes, it's doubtful whether Warrington and Widnes have squared up in a more meaningless derby.

Both sides are guaranteed to finish in the bottom four of the Betfred Super League table, which means they face a battle to retain their top-flight status against the cream of the Championship starting next month.

That comes as no surprise as far as the Vikings are concerned but it has been a shocking season for the Wolves, who reached the Grand Final and the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup final in 2016.

However, Tony Smith's troops have won their last two games against Leigh and Wigan and are 1-6 to make it a hat-trick against their out-of-sorts and injury-hit neighbours.

Denis Betts's boys have lost their last three starts by a combined margin of 84 points and hooker Aaron Heremaia is the latest key man to join the casualty list.

Warrington have lost Kurt Gidley and Ben Pomeroy to injuries sustained in the win at Wigan but they are boosted by the return of Matty Russell and Kevin Brown, who will face his former club.

It's a staggering stat that Warrington haven't won any of the 11 Super League games Brown has started this season.

However, the former Vikings playmaker bagged a hat-trick in a man-of-the-match performance in May's 34-20 cup success over his former employers at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.

Brown is 9-2 to take the individual honours again and 13-8 to touch down at any time, but backing Ben Currie to get on the scoresheet at 11-8 looks a better bet.

The England second-rower made a tryscoring return from a lengthy absence at the DW Stadium seven days ago and was on the mark in the corresponding fixture last season.

The Wolves won that match 28-10 and triumphed 30-12 at home in the Super 8s last September.

Those 18-point victories are in line with the handicap set by bookmakers but that market may be worth swerving in favour of a winning-margin wager.

The Wolves have won the last three home derbies against the Vikings by between 11 and 20 points and a repeat is attractively priced at 12-5.

Widnes boss Betts has admitted his team are short on confidence but the visitors always get up for the trip to their wealthy neighbours and a heavy defeat should be avoided.

Recommendations
B Currie to score a try
2pts 11-8 Betfred
Warrington to win by 11 to 20 points
1pt 12-5 Coral, Ladbrokes