Jack Walker previews Huddersfield Giants vs Leeds Rhinos. This is what we have to look forward to.
Venue: John Smith’s Stadium
Kick-off: 15:00 BST
Last Five Meetings
12th September 2020: Leeds Rhinos 13-12 Huddersfield Giants
2nd August 2020: Huddersfield Giants 26-27 Leeds Rhinos
2nd August 2019: Huddersfield Giants 0-44 Leeds Rhinos
19th April 2019: Leeds Rhinos 38-18 Huddersfield Giants
8th June 2018: Leeds Rhinos 18-25 Huddersfield Giants
Team Lists
Match Preview
Both sides have only won one of their last six games, which doesn’t bode well for Sunday’s showdown. What does, though, is the fact that neither side can stop conceding cheap points and both languish down at the wrong end of the Super League table as a result.
Winless in the previous five league matches in the build up to this one, Huddersfield’s 18-36 away win against Leigh Centurions in the third round of the Challenge Cup will at least offer the Giants some hope.
As will Leeds’ 22-28 victory on the road at Wakefield Trinity back in March. In a game that could – and frankly should – have been much more straight forward than they made it, the Rhinos battled to victory despite conceding multiple tries, something that is cause for their fans to carry some optimism into Sunday’s West Yorkshire derby.
Luke Gale has kick match-winning drop goals in the last two meetings between the two sides and the ex-Castleford Tigers man will likely need to be a star turner in this game, too, if his side are going to come away with the points.
The Giants usually play better again ‘tougher’ opposition, as shown in the tight, spirited 10-18 defeat at home to St. Helens last time out. However, the 25-24 golden-point loss away to Hull Kingston Rovers just a week prior highlighted their incapability of keeping even the ‘lesser’ teams at bay.
The same can be said for Leeds, too, who also fell to defeat against a seemingly ever-improving KR side – losing 26-6 in East Yorkshire last week. Only summoning one try against a team who are expected to battle relegation is not the kind of form that Leeds are used to, so they need to stop the rut quickly if they want to avoid being in the fight against the drop themselves.
Prediction
Leeds in golden-point.
