Super League: Easter Monday talking points and team news | Rugby League news – Reuters

We take a look at what’s being said and team news ahead of Monday’s Betfred Super League matches including Castleford Tigers v Leeds Rhinos followed by Hull FC v Warrington Wolves live on Sky Sports…

Two matches live on Sky

Rivals Round took place ahead of the Easter weekend, but Bank Monday Super League action sees two more rivals go head-to-head in a live West Yorkshire-wide clash. sky sports.

Castleford Tigersfresh off a 17th straight win over local rivals Wakefield Trinity on Thursday night, is now welcome Leeds Rhinoceros at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle (3pm) after beating them 40-16 away in the Betfred Challenge Cup last month.

That game marked Jamie Jones-Buchanan’s first charge and the interim head coach saw his side pick up their first point of their reign in a 20-20 draw at home to Huddersfield Giants on Thursday – a match that they were winning until Luke’s late trials. Yates and Innes Senior earned the Giants a share of the spoils after the Golden Point overtime.

« We have to go back on Monday, » Jones-Buchanan said. « Because if we can compete like we did [against Huddersfield] Monday – and without looking too far ahead – and we get the rest of the week right, we might get to the end of next week and think we’ll take what happened as a big learning curve .

« Their eyes were glazed over, looking at the ground, and that’s my big concern because we have to get out of this now. »

Max Simpson and Jack Sinfield have both been added to Leeds’ 21-man squad in place of Jack Walker and Liam Tindall, who joined the Rhinos injured list.

Castleford Tigers v Leeds Rhinos

April 18, 2022, 2:30 p.m.

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Cheyse Blair, Brad Martin and Jason Qareqare all enter Castleford’s squad for the game and head coach Lee Radford will be hoping to see more of what his side showed in the 34-4 win over Wakefield.

« To get a response like that, it’s all credit to the band, » Radford said. “It was a gritty game – I love those kinds of games.

“When we needed to lock ourselves in, we did it and when opportunities presented themselves, we took them. »

This is followed by Warrington Wolves aiming to build on the end of a five-game losing streak in all competitions when they head to FC Hull (5:30 p.m.).

Hull FC v Warrington Wolves

April 18, 2022, 5:00 p.m.

Live of

The 32-18 win at home to the Salford Red Devils on Thursday was a much-needed boost for head coach Daryl Powell, who has George Williams available again, and he hopes they can feel that feeling at the stadium MKM Monday.

« Although it’s just one win, it’s a bit more than that, » Powell said. « It was great to hear the club song again and there’s a real positive vibe around the locker room, which is a starting point. »

Hull FC, meanwhile, are aiming to bounce back from a 16-4 loss to Hull Kingston Rovers in the Good Friday derby, with head coach Brett Hodgson recalling Connor Wynne, Aidan Burrell and Jamie Shaul after their respective recoveries after a wound.

“There has to be changes,” said Hodgson sky sports following this loss. “We won’t do them at the moment, but we have to understand that we have to build a game and manage to give ourselves a chance to win after 80 minutes. »

Different challenges for the first contenders

The battle of the early contenders went the way of the defending champions on Good Friday and now Saint Helena face off against another of the sides that challenges at the sharp end of the table in Huddersfield Giants.

Saints head coach Kristian Woolf, who has Curtis Sironen available after a one-game ban and Kyle Amor and Josh Simm back in his 21-man squad, was delighted with how his team absorbed the physique of the Wigan Warriors in the 22-4 derby win and wants to see more against the Giants.

“Every team wants to be physical against us at the start and what I love so much about this group is that they absorb that and hang in there,” Woolf said.

Huddersfield head coach Ian Watson meanwhile called up Nathan Mason, Jack Ashworth and Sam Hewitt to his 21-man squad after the draw with Leeds.

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Highlights from Betfred’s Super League game between St Helens and Wigan Warriors

Wigan head coach Matt Peet wants his team to find greater levels of consistency when hosting Trinity of Wakefieldthe team they beat in the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup just over a week ago.

« We know where we are, » Peet said. “We need to be more consistent and more clinical. It was never going to be a quick fix to overtake a team of such quality [in St Helens]but we will continue to work hard. »

The only change for the Warriors is the retirement of Tommy Leuluai due to injury, with the recall of Kaide Ellis. Wakefield is boosted by the return of captain Jacob Miller, but is without winger Tom Johnstone.

Toulouse want to spoil Smith’s big day

The first 100% French derby in the Super League followed the path of the Catalans Dragons on Thursday evening, with Toulouse Olympic now turning their attention to the visit of Hull Kingston Rovers.

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Highlights of the Betfred Super League match between Catalans Dragons and Toulouse Olympique

The game will mark Tony Smith’s 500th Super League game as head coach and he has Brad Takairangi back in Rovers’ 21-man squad, while Phoenix Laulu-Togaga’e or Will Dagger will replace Lachlan Coote in back.

Toulouse, meanwhile, still have several players out through injury, but head coach Sylvain Houles has promised the bottom side will give everything they have to try to secure a second win from the countryside.

“We will be fighting hard against Hull KR on Monday,” Houles said. « It’s the Super League, every game is tough and sometimes you lose and you feel good, but it’s not. »

Gil Dudson returns for Catalans as they travel to Salford and home head coach Paul Rowley wants his side to address defensive issues he says proved costly in their loss to Warrington.

« It’s coming from our defense, and we need more, » Rowley said. « It’s a glaring problem that we keep shooting ourselves in the foot and if we can fix that it will go a long way towards winning us. »