Huddersfield and Wakefield meet having confirmed their top eight places. Here’s everything you need to know…
TEAM NEWS
Huddersfield Giants
Huddersfield coach Simon Woolford makes just one change from the side that won 32-18 at Castleford Tigers last Friday to seal a place in the Super 8s.
Jake Mamo didn’t appear in that game and he drops out of the squad altogether, with young centre Jake Wardle taking his place having impressed in his two games so far this season.
Huddersfield 19-man squad: McGillvary, Cudjoe, Turner, Murphy, Gaskell, Brough, Lawrence, Hinchcliffe, Ferguson, Rankin, Roberts, Ta’ai, Clough, Smith, O’Brien, Mellor, McIntosh, English, Wardle.
Wakefield Trinity
Wakefield coach Chris Chester welcomes Joe Arundel back from injury in the only change to his squad from the 72-10 hammering of Hull FC last Sunday.
The centre has been absent since the Challenge Cup defeat to the Giants back in May, but returns to take the place of Mason Caton-Brown.
Wakefield 19-man squad: Johnstone, Tupou, Lyne, Jones-Bishop, Miller, Fifita, Wood, Ashurst, Randell, Horo, Pauli, Arona, Huby, Arundel, Batchelor, Hirst, Jowitt, Annakin, Hampshire.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
This is the fourth meeting between the two sides already this season, with the Giants winning 2-1 in 2018.
Wakefield comprehensively took the first 22-4 at the Mobile Rocket Stadium but Huddersfield defeated their West Yorkshire rivals twice in consecutive weeks in May, with a 24-14 win in the Challenge Cup on home soil followed by a 25-22 victory at Magic Weekend.
Trinity have lost on their last three visits to the John Smith’s Stadium, with the last victory in the Challenge Cup in 2016.
KEY BATTLE – Lee Gaskell vs Jacob Miller
Both sides will look towards their respective stand-offs for creativity in attack, with both in good form.
Lee Gaskell is arguably playing the best rugby of his career, transformed under Simon Woolford and now acting as the key creator in Huddersfield’s much-improved attack.
Jacob Miller, Wakefield Trinity. Photo credit: Getty Images.Jacob Miller is becoming an increasingly crucial player for Wakefield and when he is at his best they are a very dangerous side, as was very well demonstrated against Hull FC.
THE IMPORTANT DETAILS
Date: Friday 27th July
Venue: John Smith’s Stadium
Kick-off: 7:45pm
Referee: Robert Hicks
https://nothingbutleague.com/2018/07/26/super-league-predictions-round-23/
