Warrington can guarantee a play-off place when they take on Huddersfield. Here’s everything you need to know…
SQUAD NEWS
Warrington Wolves
Warrington are coming into this game after a record 80-10 win against Hull FC.
The Wire name just one change to the side that obliterated Hull, as Morgan Smith comes in for Ben Murdoch-Masila who is currently injured.
Bodene Thompson and Chris Hill are set to return after both being withdrawn with ankle injuries during last week’s game, but Sitaleki Akauola is still not fit and will be out for a couple of weeks as he continues to recover from a sternum injury.
Meanwhile, Ben Westwood is being rested before the final Super 8s games against the likes of St Helens and Wigan.
Warrington 19-man squad: Ratchford, Lineham, Goodwin, Atkins, K. Brown, Roberts, Hill, Clark, Cooper, Hughes, Patton, Philbin, T. King, G. King, Livett, Smith, Charnley, Pomeroy, Thompson.
Huddersfield Giants
Huddersfield have been on hot form recently, but a six-match winning run, which included victories over Castleford, Wigan and St Helens, was ended last Friday by Wakefield.
The Giants were leading 16-6 but Wakefield scored 36 points without reply to win 42-16. A win in this match is now essential as they look to reach the top four.
Huddersfield have named their 19-man side and it sees four changes to the squad from the Wakefield defeat. Darnell McIntosh and Colton Roche suffered injuries in that game and are joined by Aaron Murphy and Dale Ferguson, with Oliver Roberts, Daniel Smith, Jake Wardle and Innes Senior coming in for them.
Huddersfield 19-man squad: Mamo, McGillvary, Cudjoe, Turner, Gaskell, Brough, Leeming, Lawrence, Hinchcliffe, Rankin, Roberts, Ta’ai, Clough, Smith, O’Brien, Mellor, Wardle, I. Senior, Matagi.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Both sides have played each other twice this season and it stands at one apiece. In Round 2, Warrington got the first try but the Giants got the better of the Wolves in the end with a 20-6 win at the John Smith’s Stadium.
However, the return fixture was quite opposite as Steve Price made his mark on his Wolves side. In this fixture, it was Huddersfield that went ahead, but again they were the only points the Giants would get as Warrington registered 42 points for a comfortable win.
Now, both sides are looking for a place in the play-offs and should Warrington win, their place is secure. However, a win for Huddersfield would narrow the gap to four points with three games left to play.
KEY BATTLE – Danny Brough vs Tyrone Roberts
It’ll be a battle of the half-backs for this week’s fixture, meaning that both Danny Brough and Tyrone Roberts will have to be prominent in their respective sides in order to pull off a victory.
Danny Brough has been a crucial player in Huddersfield’s recovery in recent months. Brough has got himself 12 try assists this season and has also put forward 103 attacking kicks, more than 60 more than any Huddersfield player.
Brough is also the only player in the Giants side to kick a 40/20 this season, as well as being a decent goal kicker with a 76% conversion rate.
Tyrone Roberts was Warrington’s marquee signing for 2018 and he has proven his worth in some big games, but can he this Friday? Like Brough, Roberts is deadly in attack. He has gone over the line five times this year and has also assisted in 11 other tries. Roberts, along with other men in the Wire side, can kick goals and has only missed four out of 30 this year – converting 12 tries last week alone.
THE IMPORTANT DETAILS
Date: Friday 7th September
Venue: Halliwell Jones Stadium
Kick-off: 7:45pm
Referee: James Child
POLL
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