Warrington Wolves vs Leeds Rhinos Predictions: 6/4 Handley the Rhinos’ big hope

Warrington Wolves thumped Huddersfield Giants 48-0 last week as Leeds Rhinos limped past London Broncos in golden-point extra-time, meaning pretty much everyone is expecting a comfortable home win this Thursday night at the Halliwell Jones Stadium (kick-off 20:00 BST, live on Sky Sports Action).

Leeds were absolutely awful against the Betfred Super League’s bottom side, while Sam Burgess had Warrington hitting top gear again in a win that propelled the Wolves back up to joint-second in the table. That definitely factors in to my Warrington Wolves vs Leeds Rhinos predictions.

Warrington Wolves vs Leeds Rhinos Odds

Warrington are massive favourites for this one at 2/11, with Leeds just a 4/1 shot after their narrow win over London last Saturday. You can get 22/1 on the 80-minute draw, which came in twice on the same day last weekend as Hull KR and Catalans Dragons followed the Rhinos and Broncos by going as far as extra-time to find a winner.

Team News

Leeds welcomed back some big names last week but are without two key players on Thursday.

England centre Harry Newman was one of those to return last weekend but he is immediately out again despite being cleared of serious injury to the foot he hurt against London.

France prop Justin Sangare is the other man to drop out – he has a knee injury. Outside back Luis Roberts is recalled for Newman having missed the last four games with a groin injury. Youngster Tom Nicholson-Watton is the man to replace Sangare.

Rugby League Odds

Warrington received a major boost when a tribunal overturned a one-match ban for forward James Harrison. He is therefore cleared and is free to play against Leeds.

There will be enforced changes elsewhere in the Wolves side though, with outside backs Toby King and Josh Thewlis both ruled out and Connor Wrench now sidelined for the rest of the season.

Lachlan Fitzgibbon is also missing in the pack meaning four changes to the squad with winger Matty Ashton expected back from injury and Jordy Crowther also fit again. Joe Bullock, Max Wood and youngster Cai Taylor-Wray are also brought into the squad.

Handicap 2-way: Warrington Wolves -14.5 @ 20/21

Leeds lost 34-8 at home to Warrington in April and it would be hard to argue that they have improved at all since. The Rhinos still have no coach, with the suggestion being that Australian Brad Arthur is set to take charge for the remainder of the season. My current understanding is that the next permanent Leeds head coach is likely to be Salford’s Paul Rowley, but that is not going to happen until 2025.

So interim coach Chev Walker is in charge again, and to be fair to Chev he has won two games from two so far. But it is hard to overstate just how bad Leeds were against London on Saturday. The Broncos deserved to win at Headingley but somehow allowed the Rhinos to steal it in golden point. And in fairness we predicted something like that, having backed the Broncos on the handicap at 2/1.

This has all the makings of another tough night for Leeds but the injury issues Warrington have in the outside backs does give me reason for some kind of optimism for the visitors to make a game of it.

I’m not convinced the Rhinos can make enough of a game of it to win, but I don’t fancy too big a start for the Wolves either, so am looking at the 14.5-point start for Burgess and Co. to maintain their upward momentum, with the 20/21 odds implying a 51.2% probability.

Ash Handley anytime tryscorer @  6/4

We backed Brodie Croft to be Leeds’ match-winner last week, and he was. Unfortunately for us, the stand-off obliged with the decisive drop goal rather than a try, but he was again the difference between win and lose for Leeds.

This week I think Leeds will lose. But you don’t often get their top tryscorer Ash Handley available at 6/4 to score a try in 80 minutes, indicative of how heavily Leeds are underdogs in this fixture.

I struggle to envisage a game in which Handley doesn’t get an opportunity to score, and I will back him to do so in a Rhinos defeat.

You can read all our latest Rugby League Betting Tips at our dedicated Betfred Insights Rugby League content hub.