York Knights vs Toulouse Prediction: Jussaume just won’t be enough for Toulouse

The Betfred Super League's bottom two sides lock horns in York on Thursday night as the Knights host Toulouse Olympique with neither team having won in the league since February (20:00 BST, Sky Sports +).

The French haven't won since opening the campaign with back-to-back victories and this feels like a huge spring showdown at the wrong end of the table in a repeat of last year's Betfred Championship Grand Final. Here are my York Knights vs Toulouse predictions, all the latest team news and Betfred's match odds.

York Knights vs Toulouse Odds

Team News

York boss Mark Applegarth names just a 20-man initial squad for this one as his side look to avenge that heart-breaking Grand Final loss six months ago.

The good news at least is that York have no fresh injury concerns, so it is an unchanged squad from the home defeat by Leigh. Loan stars set to feature again include Cody Hunter, who I thought looked very accomplished on debut last week, Sam Cook and Myles Harrison, plus Ben Littlewood from Leeds Rhinos.

Veteran hooker Paul McShane is in line to make his 400th career appearance.

Toulouse boss Sylvain Houles is boosted by the return of Benjamin Laguerre, who replaces Victor Collins in the French side's only change from their 46-0 home humbling by champions Hull KR last week.

That means on-loan prop forward Tyler Dupree remains unavailable and forward Joe Cator is also out. Frankie Halton is back after observing concussion protocols.

York by 1-12 @ 2/1

This feels like a must-win game for both sides, which feels a very knee-jerk thing to say so early in the season. But in terms of setting the tone for the summer months, it is significant.

Toulouse started the season with a bang but have since come unstuck. And the longer their losing run continues, the tougher it will feel to arrest. Conceding eight tries to Rovers without reply at home last weekend will have done some psychological damage, with losing having a real ability to become a habit.

So this might actually be a decent fixture for Olympique given their excellent recent record in it. That Grand Final win at York at the end of last season was just the latest in a string of fine results at York, where Toulouse have emerged victorious on each of their last six trips. Indeed, the Knights have not beaten Toulouse at home for 13 years.

These games tend to be tight so that is worth bearing in mind in the markets too. That Grand Final finished 10-8 to Toulouse, and their win in York in the regular season last term was even closer - going down to a single point.

This is a really tricky game to call as my instincts still favour York despite their own poor run of form. Like Toulouse, York started the season well with two wins in the first three but haven't won since, despite a couple of near misses.

The handicap is interesting, with Toulouse given a six-point start despite their long winning run in North Yorkshire. How they respond to last week's thumping defeat will be key therefore, and I do feel it may go down to a single score either way,

On a flip of the coin, I'm backing the Knights to finally earn a home win over Toulouse by 1-12 points.

Mathieu Jussaume Anytime Tryscorer @ 9/4

Hedging my bets with our second selection this week, I am looking at the visitors in the anytime market. Bold, perhaps, given the big fat zero they managed last week, but with all due respect to York, this should not be as relentlessly one-way traffic as the KR game last week.

Toulouse do have strike in the likes of Laguerre (6/4) and full-back Olly Ashall-Bott (6/5), while for York David Nofoaluma at 1/1 would be my pick.

But for a bit more value I'm going for one of the Toulouse stalwarts who is an unsung hero in whatever position he is asked to play. Mathieu Jussaume can play in the pack or at centre and grabbed a hat-trick in the derby at Catalans earlier this month. At 9/4, he is my value punt for a try in this one.

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