Hull KR vs Wigan Warriors Predictions: 13/2 tip for statement victory

Hull Kingston Rovers and Wigan Warriors are fast becoming each other’s arch-nemeses, or ‘contextual rivals’ as Nottingham Forest Football Club might put it. It was the Robins who knocked the then-holders out of last season’s Betfred Challenge Cup at the semi-final stage, then the Warriors ended Rovers’ Betfred Super League play-off hopes at the same hurdle two months later.

On Friday at Sewell Group Craven Park (kick-off 20:00 BST, live on Sky Sports Action), the two teams come together once more in league play just three weeks before a repeat semi-final meeting in the Challenge Cup. Here are my Hull KR vs Wigan Warriors predictions for this week’s fascinating match-up.

Team News

Hull KR coach Willie Peters will make at least three changes to his matchday 18 which lost 36-6 to Catalans Dragons last Saturday.

Oliver Gildart replaces Tom Opacic after missing four matches with a head injury sustained in the 40-0 Challenge Cup win over Salford Red Devils, while star half-back Mikey Lewis is back in the 21-man squad after being omitted from the trip to Perpignan last week due to a slight hamstring strain. Ben Reynolds misses out.

Sauaso Sue is also back in the 21 after suspension, while George King will be given a longer leash one week on from his return from a hamstring injury. The prop was used for only one spell at Catalans but will play longer minutes on Friday.

Yusuf Aydin was Rovers’ 18^th man last week but has since moved to crisis club Hull FC on a two-week loan, so Leo Tennison and Reiss Butterworth could both be considered after they starred for dual-reg partners Featherstone Rovers against Widnes Vikings last weekend.

Meanwhile, there could be a debut for Castleford Tigers loanee Jack Broadbent, who has arrived in east Hull in a season-long swap deal which saw Louis Senior and Corey Hall sent to the Mend-A-Hose Jungle for the remainder of 2024.

The news for the Warriors is far more straightforward, with Ethan Havard coming in for Jacob Douglas in the only change from the 21 named for last week’s 36-14 win over Castleford at the DW Stadium.

Wigan Warriors to win by 11-15 points @ 13/2

I normally try to avoid the 11-to-15-point bracket when it comes to winning margins, since it gives two even-numbered alternatives as opposed to the three available on brackets either side. But I’m willing to make an exception here since Wigan have won seven Super League encounters against Rovers by either 12 or 14 points.

Historically Matt Peet’s club have a fairly dominant record over the Robins, winning 27 and drawing one of the previous 39 meetings. Indeed, Wigan have won as many at Craven Park (11 of 18, with one draw) as Rovers have home and away combined since their first Super League season back in 2007.

And while Rovers have won five of the last 10 meetings between these two, the Warriors are world champions and heavy 6/5 Betfred Super League title favourites for a reason. The visitors won the second of two Craven Park clashes last season in golden-point extra-time, then hammered a weakened Rovers at the DW Stadium before ending the Robins’ play-off hopes with a commanding 42-12 success in early October.

With that in mind, and with Willie Peters having yet to get a truly flattering full 80-minute performance out of his team so far, I fancy Wigan to prevail with a little to spare, perhaps sealing an otherwise-tight affair with scores late on. 

Liam Marshall anytime tryscorer @ 7/1

Rugby league doesn’t really have nationwide household names of the ilk of Martin Offiah, Ellery Hanley and Andy Farrell anymore, but it has a slew of wingers deserving of every inch of that status.

And if Matty Ashton’s viral masterpiece of a finish for Warrington Wolves against St Helens in the Challenge Cup recently was a picture-book moment, Liam Marshall has a whole collage of them.

The ace Wigan winger has racked up 135 tries in 159 appearances for the Cherry and Whites, making him a regular consideration on anyone’s coupon, and it just so happens that a fair proportion of them are spectacular finishes.

In a match in which little room may be afforded to either team in the opening stages, Marshall might not need much to get on the scoresheet first. He already has 15 tries to his name this term, crossing in seven of his nine appearances with his only failures coming against Penrith Panthers and St Helens. The 7/1 odds imply a 12.5% probability of him scoring first, but I have him as a more likely bet than that.

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