Warrington Wolves vs London Broncos Predictions: Big home win expected

For the second week in a row London Broncos face Warrington – this time in the Betfred Challenge Cup – and after a thumping 58-4 Wolves win in the capital last week, this one is likely to be another painful afternoon for Mike Eccles’ side. (Kick-off 17:30)

Warrington have improved with each week under their new head coach – the legendary Sam Burgess – and after running in ten tries last week, you tend to fear for London again if Burgess puts a strong team out. 

While Warrington sit top of the early Super League table having won four on the spin since their first week defeat at Catalans, London prop up the rest with five defeats on the spin as they endure just the kind of tough welcome back to the big time that most expected.

Team news

Warrington have Rodrick Tai back in their squad, with the Papua New Guinea international the only change to the group that hammered London last week.

Tai has recovered from a knee injury picked up in pre-season and comes in to replace Ben Currie. Matty Nicholson is likely to see his first minutes of the season after a groin injury, having been named as 18^th man last week.

Hooker Danny Walker is expected to be back in the matchday 17 having missed Sunday’s game for the birth of his second child.

London coach Eccles has asked his side to relax and express themselves away from the pressures of the league this weekend, hinting that he may do things a bit differently with a number of injuries in the squad.

Eccles has promised a couple of new faces in his line-up therefore, so expect a slightly altered, arguably weaker London line-up.

Handicap 30-way Warrington Wolves -40 @ EVS

London haven’t beaten Warrington for 12 years and got nowhere near last week in a bruising defeat. Warrington stars Matt Dufty and Josh Thewlis helped themselves to a hat-trick each while Adam Holroyd also scored his first two Super League tries in a 58-4 walloping.

Eccles may well have urged his side to relax, throw the ball about and have some fun at Warrington but it is no fun when you don’t have the ball and are conceding tries at every possession, and I see more of the same here with Burgess keen to establish the Halliwell Jones Stadium as a fortress this year.

The Wolves’ only defeat has come away from home in the south of France and I can’t see anything other than a comfortable passage through to the quarter finals here.

Matt Dufty first tryscorer @ 11/2

Last week we went for Dufty, Thewlis and winger Matty Ashton all to score in an entertaining anytime try scorer three-way.

Inexplicably only England flier Ashton let us down as the other two bagged trebles, but this weekend is likely to be a similar opportunity to select a good value scorer from the home side, so let's have a punt on the in-form Dufty to grab the game’s first try.

Check out our other Super League Tips here.