Super League Video View - Leeds Rhinos and Hull KR previews - video Dailymotion

Yorkshire Post

The Yorkshire Post’s rugby league writer, James O’Brien, looks ahead to Saturday’s games between Leeds Rhinos v London Broncos as well as Hull KR v Catalans Dragons

Transcript

00:00James, we're going to just take a look at a couple of games involving Yorkshire's clubs.

00:16We're going to start off with Leeds' game at home to London Broncos. It's a should-win

00:22game but also, in many ways, a must-win game as well, yeah?

00:26Yeah, I'd say it's as close at the top level of any sport to a gimme against London.

00:34With the greatest respect, they came into the season not knowing that they won't be

00:38in the Super League next season through the grading system.

00:42So they came in with a hybrid squad, it's got some part-time players in it, which is

00:47quite unbelievable at the top level, but that's the approach they took and no-one can blame

00:51them for that.

00:52But yeah, they've only won one game all season, that was at Hull FC very early on.

00:56They are the whipping boys, it's horrible to say.

00:59So Leeds, without a coach, and I think the fact they're playing London this week maybe

01:03is factored into the fact that they are taking the time over the next appointment, Rowan

01:08Smith's successor.

01:09They've obviously had the two-week break for the internationals and now this London game

01:15and we're not expecting an appointment before this weekend.

01:19So it will be interesting to see who comes in but I wouldn't expect anything before Saturday

01:23and I would expect a routine Leeds victory on Saturday.

01:27Just one more game we're going to take a quick look at ahead of the weekend, Hull KR, Catalan's

01:33Hull KR very much in the race for top spot, particularly after the weekend before the

01:37England game with Saints losing to Salford, the level on points with Saints, 2 behind

01:44Wigan.

01:45How high, James, can this Hull KR team go?

01:51Very good question.

01:53I think it's within sight, obviously, as you've just explained, but they're up against two

01:57very, very strong clubs and sides that have been there and done it before, Wigan and Saints.

02:02I think Hull KR's objective does have to be the top two spot.

02:07With that comes a week off, which isn't all important, but that home semi-final, given

02:12their record at Craven Park, given how they look at Craven Park, it's night and day the

02:18way they approach games at Craven Park, with the energy and intent and the crowd behind

02:23them.

02:24So, if they can get into that top two and get that home semi-final, I would back Hull

02:28KR to get to a first-round final, but on the flip side, if they were to play at Wigan or

02:33St Helens, it's hard to make a case for them going there and winning, based on the evidence

02:37we've seen, their away record, they've only won one game outside York since last February

02:43and that was at London.

02:44So, that says it all, really, and if they could finish in that top two, the League Leader

02:49Shield would be a very welcome bonus on top of that, but I think the main objective has

02:54to be to get that home semi-final, which would take them part of the way there to Old Trafford,

03:00which is where everyone wants to get to at the end of the season.

Super League Video View - Leeds Rhinos and Hull KR previews

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