Leeds Rhinos vs Castleford Tigers Predictions: Roberts to cross for the Rhinos

Two sides in big need of a win meet in a fierce West Yorkshire derby at AMT Headingley as Rohan Smith’s struggling Leeds Rhinos host a Castleford side who arrested their own slump with a win over lowy Hull FC last week. (Kick-off 17:30)

That was the Tigers’ only win in May but they will feel confident of springing a shock when visiting a Leeds team who have suffered two big defeats in a row.

Team News

Leeds centre Paul Momirovski is named in the initial squad having missed the last three games with an ankle injury. On-loan winger Matty Russell drops out having failed his head injury assessment and picked up a knee injury in the defeat at St Helens in which Leeds took the lead before fading badly.

That will likely mean a reshuffle with Momirovski returning at centre and youngster Luis Roberts moved back out to the wing. If Momirovski is not deemed fit enough this week then forward Rhyse Martin is likely to play centre.

Rohan Smith has decisions to make in the halves where Jack Sinfield is pressuring Matt Frawley for the scrum-half spot alongside Brodie Croft – it was Australian Frawley who got the nod last week.

Young full-back Alfie Edgell is also available again after an ankle injury and replaces Leon Ruan in the squad.

Castelford could have their influential half-back Jacob Miller back after he missed the Hull win with a foot injury, while forward Samy Kibula is left out. That is the only change to the squad made by Cas boss Craig Lingard.

Handicap 3-way Leeds Rhinos -12 @ 17/10

Cas inflicted more misery on Hull FC last week in a victory tipped in this column, while Leeds have conceded 66 points on the road in back-to-back defeats at St Helens and Catalans, scoring just ten points over those two matches.

You would expect a Leeds response of some sort here, although part of me feels this is a really nice fixture for a Cas side who will be brimming with confidence from both the Hull win and the ability to name a relatively stable side again.

Leeds looked sharp and dangerous in the opening exchanges away at Saints, but Smith’s side have developed an alarming knack of shooting themselves in the foot at key moments, wasting glorious chances and then conceding down the other end straight away. That tends to happen a little less in front of the unforgiving South Stand at Headingley, and it is that home advantage, with the buzz of being live on the BBC, that I feel gives the Rhinos the edge here.

I’m not expecting there to be much in this, and it might not be pretty, but I think Leeds’ flair players will come to play for the cameras, and I am looking therefore at victory by a couple of scores in the handicap market.

Luis Roberts Anytime Tryscorer @ 6/5

Ash Handley is Leeds’ go-to man on the left wing but over on the other side, the young flame-haired Roberts is quietly going about his business. He scored one of the two Rhinos tries in a losing cause last week, and if he is moved back on to the wing then his scoring chances should be increased. 6/5 for a Leeds winger to score a try at home in a game that they should win, seems like a good bet to take on this week.

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