Warrington Wolves vs Leeds Rhinos Prediction: Smith to score again for the hosts

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Warrington Wolves vs Leeds Rhinos Odds

Warrington are 20/21 to come out on top on Thursday, while Leeds Rhinos are EVENS to come away with the victory. The draw can be covered at 12/1.

Team News

Warrington head coach Sam Burgess makes two changes as he looks to avenge a thrilling 26-22 defeat at AMT Headingley in March.

After a year on the sidelines recovering from an ACL injury suffered against Leeds, young outside back Arron Lindop is named in a Warrington squad again.

Lindop is included in a 21-man squad that also sees veteran half-back Marc Sneyd return after a foot injury kept him out of last week's win over St Helens.

The men to drop out are the unfortunate Zack Gardner and fellow youngster Tommy Rhodes. Gardner played his first game of the season against Saints last week but it will also be his last after he suffered a brutal shoulder dislocation that will rule him out for the rest of 2026.

Cai Taylor-Wray is named again as he returns from his latest injury. The full-back did not play last week but I'd expect to see him this week given the Gardner news. Josh Thewlis has looked great at full-back but can easily be shuffled into the outside backs. Lindop of course is the other option but I would be surprised if he is thrown straight back in.

Leeds are boosted by the return from suspension of their star full-back Lachie Miller, although youngster Fergus McCormack has not looked out of place in his absence.

That is the only change to the Rhinos squad named by head coach Brad Arthur, who leaves out youngster Riley Lumb in the only change.

Harry Newman has been the preferred choice at right centre after returning from his loan at Hull FC, but fit-again Jack Bird is now breathing down his neck for that starting spot.

Prop Tom Holroyd has been out with a back injury and did not feature in the win at Toulouse last week despite being named in the squad. He may well be back in the 17 this week.

Veteran Ryan Hall will continue on the wing having lost his place at the top of the all-time Super League try scorer's list to Leigh's Josh Charnley at the weekend, while in-form stand-off Brodie Croft comes up against the team who he has signed for from next season.

Handicap 3-way Alternative 1: Leeds Rhinos -4  @ 8/5

This is going to be an absolute cracker and I can't wait to be at the Halliwell Jones Stadium on Thursday night. In the interests of transparency, I have already changed my mind twice on this prediction. I woke up this morning thinking Warrington would win but I'm now less certain.

Leeds are flying and Warrington have built a home fortress that underlines their renewed resilience under Burgess in 2026. So we could be in for a real treat.

Both sides come into the game off the back of victories. Warrington were superb winners at Saints while the Rhinos justified our -18 handicap backing with a 48-24 win away to Toulouse.

That was a third-straight win for Leeds after their meek surrender at Wigan last month, while the Wire have won their last six Super League games dating back to mid-April, albeit punctuated by defeat to Hull KR in last month's Challenge Cup semi-final.

So it is pretty easy to make strong cases for a home and an away win this week. It is tough to back against Warrington at the Halliwell Jones, and as we saw against Wigan last month this Leeds team does still have the capacity to throw in an awful away performance when you least expect it.

So will this be another Wigan debacle from Leeds or will they have learned enough from it to beat another of the best teams in the league?

I am just about backing the Rhinos here. At their very best I feel they can deal with any team at the moment and if they bring their A game I feel they can get at the Wolves. The return of Miller gives them that bit of X factor too, with the Aussie a leading contender for this season's Steve Prescott Man of Steel award.

The handicap here is just four points and it could end up being a very tight game.

That four-point Leeds win earlier in the year was a game that Warrington will feel they should have won having been ahead at the break, but for the brilliant finishing of Maika Sivo who helped himself to a quick-fire hat-trick.

A Warrington win here would be the biggest signal of their title intent this season, and they are more than capable of beating Leeds. I just have a sneaking feeling that the Rhinos might fancy ending this impressive Wolves home run.