Toulouse vs Leeds Rhinos Prediction: McDonnell to star for the visitors

Betfred Super League leader Leeds are in the south of France this Friday evening, looking to maintain their momentum at the top of the table against a Toulouse side who won at Huddersfield last week. (Kick off 6pm, Sky Sports+)

Olympique have been fun to watch this year but so have Leeds, and few would anticipate a Rhinos slip up against the Super League new boys. 

Toulouse vs Leeds Rhinos Odds

Toulouse are a 5/1 bet to emerge victorious. The draw can be covered at 22/1, while Leeds Rhinos are the overwhelming favourites to win at 1/8.

Team News

Leeds were handed a huge boost last week as head coach Brad Arthur finally ended speculation over his future by extending his contract at AMT Headingley.

And the no-nonsense Australian names an unchanged 21 this week, and has also indicated that it will be an unchanged team - with fit-again centre Jack Bird as 18th man.

That means Harry Newman is set to keep his place ahead of Bird, having returned from his surprise loan at Hull FC in fine form.

Prop Tom Holroyd has been out with a back injury and is included but most likely to return next week in the huge away game at fellow pacesetters Warrington.

Lachie Miller will be back available for that crunch trip to the Halliwell Jones, as he sits out again this week to complete his three-match ban - youngster Fergus McCormack is therefore set to continue at full-back.

The versatile Chris Hankinson continues in the side after marking his 100th Super League appearance with a try last week - Hankinson was in the Toulouse team the only time these two sides have met, when the French side won 20-6 at the Stade Ernest Wallon four summers ago.

Olympique named a 21-man squad without star full-back Olly Ashall-Bott whose absence represents a sizable setback.

John Toleafoa is included again after a successful debut in the away win at the Giants and scrum-half Thomas Lacans returns. Young winger Mathieu Pons comes in for Baptiste Rodriguez.

Handicap 3-Way - Leeds Rhinos -18 @ 21/20

Well we said last week that Toulouse would travel to West Yorkshire "with the view that it is a very winnable fixture" and so it proved as Sylvain Houles' men ran out deserved winners to maroon the Giants to the foot of the table.

But they are going to have to super-charge that performance this week to get anything from a Rhinos side that is running hot.

Leeds and Warrington go into the weekend level on points at the top ahead of their meeting next week, so both sides will be desperate to prepare for that with another win.

I expect Leeds to travel well and not toil too much in the red-hot Toulouse heat of a 6pm start on Friday. Last week's win over St Helens will have been a huge confidence-booster, especially having trailed 16-8 at half-time and scored 16 unanswered points thereafter.

So while this is a fixture that may trip up a few teams this year, especially in the summer, I don't expect Leeds to let their levels slip.

The handicap is a hefty 18 points as a start for the home side which is always food for thought. So is that worth taking on?

Toulouse played Warrington at home a few weeks ago and if we are using the Wolves as a marker for where Leeds are right now, then that Wire win was only by eight at 24-16. Admittedly Warrington were well off it that day, allowing Olympique back into the game when they really could have run up a cricket score.

The French side's biggest home defeat however was a walloping 46-0 to champions Hull KR in April, indicative that things can unravel quite quickly when a heavyweight opponent is in the mood.

My instinct is that the handicap is fair - especially as there is no OAB for the hosts, and this should be another good outing for Arthur's men ahead of that mammoth trip to Warrington next Thursday night.

Rugby League Odds

James McDonnell Anytime Tryscorer @ 11/4