Garry Schofield: Magic Weekend Tips
23 May 2019
As a big fan of the Magic Weekend, I’m keen to see how it goes in Liverpool. I’ll be at both days and I am really looking forward to a great weekend of Rugby League. This is how I see the six games panning out.
WAKEFIELD TRINITY v CATALANS DRAGONS
This fixture will be very interesting because Wakefield and Catalans are generally two well-matched teams, despite their differing fortunes last weekend. Both have good, mobile forwards. Trinity now have Jacob Miller back which will give them an extra dimension. Before their defeat at London, I’d have argued they are a consistent side and they deserve credit for coping so well with numerous injuries. David Fifita is a superb player who is really leading by example up front. As for the Dragons, they are inconsistent on the road and the absence of Sam Tomkins isn’t ideal, but they coped well against Wigan in Barcelona. They’ll enjoy the width that Anfield provides and they will probably benefit from having played at the Nou Camp, a similarly wide field. I think this will be a high-scoring game and that the Dragons will be too good for Wakefield.
Tip: Catalans by 7
HULL FC v HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS
This is very tricky to predict. The Giants can compete with anyone on days when they perform, as they showed against St Helens, but when they don’t turn up, they can be dreadful. So we have to try to work out which Huddersfield will show up. They like to move the ball, so they should enjoy playing at Anfield, but only if their forwards get on top and that’s where I have my doubts about them. I’m not sure they are good enough to wear down this Hull FC team. The Black and Whites aren’t the most consistent either, but they’ve recovered after a difficult start to the season and they pulled off an outstanding win at Warrington on Saturday. Albert Kelly and Jake Connor will be a lot for the Giants to handle, perhaps too much. Huddersfield’s forwards mustn’t lose the battle up front, but I’m not sure they can match the Hull pack. I think Hull will be too good.
Tip: Hull by 14
WIGAN WARRIORS v WARRINGTON WOLVES
If Wigan reproduce their recent Challenge Cup performance against Warrington then they can beat them this time. It’s a big ‘if’, but I fancy them to do this. They stopped the Warrington forwards getting a roll on and kept Blake Austin quiet, which not many teams have been able to do this season. Dec Patton then struggled to feed off anything. Wigan were unlucky not to win. Despite another defeat in Barcelona against the Catalans, I’m tipping them to bet Warrington at the Magic Weekend. Wigan have benefited from Sean O’Loughlin being back in the squad and he’s still one of the two best loose forwards in Super League, along with Morgan Knowles. As for Warrington, they seem to be in a bit of a blip at the moment and the Warriors will take advantage.
Tip: Wigan by 10
SALFORD RED DEVILS v HULL KINGSTON ROVERS
This will be a high-scoring game. Both teams can score points and both struggle a bit defensively, especially Rovers. It will be the highest-scoring game of the weekend. Both sides have creative halfbacks, so make sure you don’t miss this. Robert Lui was superb against St Helens and we all know what Jackson Hastings can do. Hull KR will really struggle to contain those two, despite having a couple of talented halfbacks of their own. Salford were massively unlucky at St Helens, but they will take confidence from the performance and they’ll be too strong for a Rovers team, which is now firmly embedded in a relegation battle.
Tip: Salford by 10
"Those games, they create a feeling that there's something special between two teams that at their best play unbelievable Rugby League" 🙌@CTRLFC & @Saints1890 are the final show on the Sunday at Dacia #MagicWeekend, oh are we excited ?? pic.twitter.com/w8Qq6GS2t8
— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) May 21, 2019
LEEDS RHINOS v LONDON BRONCOS
Where do I begin with Leeds? Their fans will be praying for a win as they travel over the M62. They desperately need something to cheer because it’s never been this bad, even in 1996, 2016 or last year. London will be licking their lips at the prospect of playing such a shambolic side. They will simply play the game at their pace. They’ll kick the ball out and walk to the scrums. They will relish being on this sort of stage. And they know that Leeds are simply abysmal right now. I just cannot go for a Leeds win. That will only happen with some sort of divine intervention. London got a superb result against Wakefield and Jordan Abdull is obviously on fire at the moment. Leeds, on the other hand, were appalling once again against Castleford. I was at the game with several ex-Leeds players and if I had a pound for everyone who said to us we should put our boots back on because we couldn’t do any worse, I’d be shopping for a yacht right now.
Tip: London by 10
ST HELENS v CASTLEFORD TIGERS
This is probably the juiciest looking match of the weekend. Castleford didn’t have to get out of second gear to beat Leeds. Saints struggled massively against Salford, but they showed plenty of character to get the win. But it’s still first against third and the Tigers will have big designs on second now after Warrington slipped up against Hull. There is one obvious weakness they will target and that is when Alex Walmsley is off the field, the St Helens intensity drops massively. Coaches tend to be very formulaic when spelling front-rowers, but while Luke Thompson is absent, they need Walmsley out there for as long as possible. Even though they’ve been pretty ordinary in the last two games, which includes Huddersfield in the Cup, I do fancy them to beat Castleford. James Roby should be back and they will relish the big stage of Anfield. If Saints are on song, Castleford just won’t have enough.
Tip: Saints by 16
Good bye to a Rugby League giant
I was very sorry to hear of the death of Quentin Pongia on Saturday morning.
I first played against Quentin in 1992 when he played in the second row for New Zealand in the two-match series with the Lions after we had played Australia.
The series ended 1-1 and I was impressed with this young backrower. He reminded me of Roy Powell, an intimidating and imposing player, seemingly made of granite - the sort of forward every team needs.
I faced him again in the 1993 series and, although the Kiwis were whitewashed, it was clear he had a big future and he went on to play in the 1996 and 1998 series when the New Zealanders humiliated Great Britain. He was also part of the Kiwi side that hammered England 49-6 in the semi-final of the 2000 World Cup. He and his fellow forwards destroyed our pack that day.
He had a great career down under with the Raiders, the Warriors and the Roosters. But most English fans will remember him for his two-year stint at Wigan, when he was part of a superb pack, along with the likes of Terry O’Connor, Terry Newton, Andy Farrell and a young Sean O’Loughlin.
Quentin was a Rugby League giant and he’ll be badly missed.
Read Garry Schofield’s column each week in League Express, out Monday.
