Crystal Ball: Week 19

EPIC FAILZ last week. Better this week?

Leeds Rhinos beat Bradford Bulls by 32

Unfortunately for the Bulls, I think Leeds have begun their rise in standards in lieu of the approaching playoffs.

Huddersfield Giants beat Salford City Reds by 14

Huddersfield have proved to be pretty good at bouncing back from defeat, and seem to do better away from home. That will probably be enough against Salford.

St Helens beat Celtic Crusaders by 38

To be fair to the Crusaders, this is more to do with how good Saints are at the minute.

Castleford Tigers beat Catalan Dragons by 14

The Dragons definitely feel like this season’s biggest underachievers, whilst the Tigers are contenders for biggest overachievers.

Hull KR beat Wigan Warriors by 6

No idea why, except I’m losing my faith in Wigan.

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats beat Harlequins by 8

Because one team got battered last week, whilst the other had a week off.

Warrington Wolves beat Hull FC by 22

It’s incredible how both these teams seem to be heading in the exact opposite direction that they both started in.

Crystal Ball: Week 18

Salford City Reds beat Hull FC by 2

I just don’t trust Hull any more and they’re on a major skid. Salford haven’t been great recently but they’ve already beaten the Airlie Birds this season.

Huddersfield Giants beat Castleford Tigers by 14

Two teams coming off losses, but the Giants lost narrowly to the reigning champs whilst the TIgers were mauled by Saints. Cas are also on a skid, so I doubt it’ll be as close as their cup game.

Hull KR beat Celtic Crusaders by 14

Celtic haven’t shown an ability to win consecutive games so far this season, so this might be the exact sort of game that The Robins need to get their act together again.

Harlequins beat Leeds Rhinos by 8

More hope than anything else…

Catalan Dragons beat Warrington Wolves by 4

I think the occasion of the Dragons’ first game in Spain might just give them the lift needed to overcome the Wolves.

St Helens beat Bradford Bulls by 20

One word: REVENGE

Crystal Ball: Week 17

Some moderate success with the short option last week, but still room for improvement. Perhaps I can have blockbuster week this week.

St Helens beat Castleford Tigers by 22

I like Cas, but they’ve lost two of their best players for this match to international duty, which will hurt them a lot more than Saints’ loss of James Roby and James Graham. The fact that Saints won by 46 points last time was also factored into the decision. 

Hull KR beat Harlequins by 10

Mainly because I have a worrying amount of confidence in Quins right now, which means they’re due a defeat. Having said that, Hull KR do seem more vulnerable…

Wigan Warriors beat Celtic Crusaders by 26

Wigan got back to winning ways last week. Celtic, err… didn’t. Their scoring ability appears to have dried up recently, and considering the Warriors can be a rather stingy defence, that’s not a good thing going into this game. 

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats beat Hull FC by 8

Mainly because of home advantage. Both teams are in a slump right now, so this could be crucial for each team’s playoff ambitions. 

Leeds Rhinos beat Huddersfield Giants by 18 

Because, rather bizarrely, the Rhinos are less affected this weekend by the England game. 

Warrington Wolves beat Bradford Bulls by 16

I imagine this game will be closer than the game at Odsal, but I still think that Warrington are on too hot a streak for the Bulls.

BONUS UNOFFICIAL PREDICTION

England beat France by 30

I think this is a good England side to put into a match like this – it’s full of youngsters who will be looking to prove that they are up to the task in the rep arena. I think they’ll be helped by going up against a French side full of players who haven’t really been performing that spectacularly this year. I sort of hope I’m wrong, though…

Crystal Ball: Week 16

Well, I got the one game I predicted horribly wrong last week, so let’s hope we go a little better this weekend. Also this week: one-sentence justifications!

St Helens beat Hull FC by 26

Because I’m rapidly losing confidence in Hull FC…

Wigan Warriors beat Salford City Reds by 16

It’ll be closer than the cup game, but not enough for Salford.

Hull KR beat Huddersfield Giants by 1

I just think KR will have a point to prove after Saturday, and the Giants seem less trustworthy at home. 

Leeds Rhinos beat Catalan Dragons by 10

Leeds are back on track, and Catalan are not.

Harlequins beat Celtic Crusaders by 22

Because the Crusaders spurned my trust last week.

Warrington Wolves beat Castleford Tigers by 8

I’m worried by how much faith I have in the Wolves right now.

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats beat Bradford Bulls by 2

Honestly, I have no idea why.

Crystal Ball: Week 15

An abbreviated edition this week, as there is only a single game on in Super League due to the Challenge Cup.

Celtic Crusaders beat Wakefield Trinity Wildcats by 4

A lot of emotional baggage involved in this game, as this is the fixture that was called off following the death of Leon Walker. Both teams are involved in a bit of a struggle right now, but Wakey appear to be in a right slump right now. I think the Crusaders will be hoping to take advantage of that…

Crystal Ball: Week 14

This league is getting crazier and crazier, and it’s making predicting games harder and harder. Once more into the breach, dear friends…

Bradford Bulls beat Salford City Reds by 4

I would argue that this is picking the underdog, as Salford are on a two game win streak, whilst Bradford became the Crusaders’ first victim this year. I don’t know why, but I can see Bradford wanting to pick up their game. I doubt Salford will make it easy and I can easily see this pick being wrong. 

St Helens beat Harlequins by 16

What’s that? A three-win streak for Harlequins? Sounds like they’re due a defeat to me, and what better place to lose than the home of the current leaders? Of course, I thought Quins would lose at Leeds as well…

Hull KR beat Castleford Tigers by 14

The Robins really seem to be coming into their own at the minute and are looking more and more like the real deal. I just think they should have too much for an increasingly inconsistent Tigers side who must have been emotionally drained by the events of their last two matches. 

Warrington Wolves beat Wigan Warriors by 16

AKA The Martin Gleeson Game. After a rather stupid first half last week (a few silly mistakes, and they’re 10-0 down), the Wolves showed that they were able to right the ship in the second half. That’s pretty much the opposite of how their games at the beginning of the season, and implies to me that Tony Smith is getting them back on track. That might just be enough to get past a Wigan side who’s nice run was ended by Hull KR last week. I expect Gleeson to score, but I just don’t think it will be enough.

Celtic Crusaders beat Catalan Dragons by 10

Because a) the Dragons are in a rut and b) these things happen in pairs/threes. 

Huddersfield Giants beat Wakefield Trinity Wildcats by 22

For some reason the Giants appear to perform much better away from home. This spells trouble for a Wakey side that is stuck in a bad spot right now (four straight defeats in all competitions). Look for the Giants to get over the disappointment of last weekend.

Leeds Rhinos beat Hull FC by 18

AKA The Midweek Game. Leeds have been winning ugly of late, but they will no doubt emphasise the ‘winning’ over the ‘ugly’. Hull lost to Warrington last week even though the Wolves were generous enough to give them a head-start, and I somehow doubt that the Rhinos will be so charitable.

Crystal Ball: Week 13

So the Magic Weekend was a pretty big success prediction-wise. Can I keep it up this week? Let’s hope so…

Wigan Warriors beat Hull KR by 4

Two teams that are both definitely in-form (they’re both on four game win-streaks in both League and Cup) which means that I’m probably going to go with home advantage here. Either way this goes, I expect it should be a tight game and probably pretty fun to watch. 

Leeds Rhinos beat Castleford Tigers by 8

Although Castleford have much improved this year, they seemed to struggle against Halifax last week. They also have a win-loss-win-loss pattern going back through their last seven games, as as they won their last game the pattern dictates a loss this game. I think Leeds are forcing their way back into a semblance of form, and they should just about come out of the Jungle with the win.

Hull FC beat Warrington Wolves by 12

Both teams have pulled out of slumps recently and look to be getting their seasons back on track. The week off that Hull have been afforded by being knocked out of the Challenge Cup might prove to be a benefit here, especially after scraping wins out of the last two games. Again, a game I think could go either way.

St Helens beat Catalan Dragons by 16

Hmm. Saints thrashed the Dragons a mere week ago, and although they now have to try and do it away from home, I think it should be possible against a side who aren’t performing at the level they want to at the minute. 

Huddersfield Giants beat Salford City Reds by 20

So Salford now appear to be back in a slump again, except that it’s now losing by narrow margins instead of blowouts. Huddersfield should be looking to win a home game comfortably after much greater success away this season, and I just wonder if all those narrow defeats for Salford are going to eventually take their toll…

Harlequins beat Wakefield Trinity Wildcats by 10

Quins have won their last two games but they were both away from the Stoop, so we get to see if they’re just as comfortable playing at home again. Wakey are in a minor slump of sorts right now (is the emotional toll of their early season finally getting to them?) and Quins have had a week off. Of course, having the odds stacked in their favour like this is the exact kind of game Quins usually lose…

Bradford Bulls beat Celtic Crusaders by 24

Bradford appear to have pulled out of their slump at last. Celtic Crusaders don’t give off that vibe yet, and I think the Bulls will be looking to continue their surge in momentum.

Crystal Ball: Week 12 (Magic Edition)

So… I haven’t made a post in a while. Mainly it’s out of a sense of shame about my last set of predictions, even if I only think I was wrong to choose two of the sides I did. Hopefully the events at Murrayfield will even things up for me a bit. 

Harlequins beat Salford City Reds by 6

No idea why I’m choosing this. I just think Salford are going to enter another stumbling phase, although Quins do seem to do the opposite of what I think they will, so Salford fans: keep the hope!

Bradford Bulls beat Wakefield Trinity Wildcats by 8

This is a very dangerous pick, since I feel I might be jumping on a Bulls Bandwagon after their win at Saints. Nonetheless, I think they will look forward to a Magic game not against Leeds (although given they way this season has gone, maybe they would’ve preferred that?) and momentum looks to be on their side.

St Helens beat Wigan Warriors by 14

Before the season began, I thought that Wigan would beat Saints at some point this season, and after their respective last games  this might seem as good a time as any for the Cherry and Whites to do it. However, I think Bradford did Wigan a huge disservice by beating Saints in the manner that they did last week and I suspect that Saints will want to prove a point. 

Huddersfield Giants beat Celtic Crusaders by 22

I like the Giants this year, and although I think the Crusaders have been better than their cellar-dwelling league position would indicate, I don’t think they have enough to deal with the Giants.

Hull FC beat Castleford Tigers by 4

I think Hull might be entering a phase where they rebuild their season, but have to do so in an excruciatingly tense manner. Castleford have shown real improvement this year and I think this game is going to come down to a few key moments. This is the sort of pick which I almost expect to backfire on me whichever way I pick it.

Leeds Rhinos beat Catalan Dragons by 14

Why do I still have faith in the Rhinos here, when they’ve let me down badly over the last month? I don’t know, but they seem to do well at the Magic Weekend and they’re also another side with a point to prove this week.

Warrington Wolves beat Hull KR by 2

I hope this game is as good as it could be. KR are now second in the table and clearly a side to watch out for. Warrington last weekend finally looked like the contenders people thought they might be at the start of the season. If both sides fire at the same time, it could be an excellent game at Murrayfield.

Crystal Ball: Week 11

Another week, another chance for me to barely break even with my picks. Curse this seemingly unpredictable league!

Leeds Rhinos beat Harlequins RL by 26

So Leeds look to have gotten back on track against Huddersfield last week, whilst Quins are in a patch of mediocrity. All signs point to a home win here, although I think Leeds will win with a scoreline that flatters them somewhat. 

St Helens beat Bradford Bulls by 28

I expect an improved performance by the Bulls here, but an improvement on absolutely awful probably still isn’t going to be enough to be Saints away.

Salford City Reds beat Hull FC by 4

Under any other patch of form I would probably take Hull here, but they haven’t been good at all of late whilst Salford have shown signs of potential. Not confident about this pick at all though, as Hull really do need a victory to reignite their season. 

Celtic Crusaders beat Castleford Tigers by 2

No particularly logical reason for this pick. I just think that Celtic are due a win (they haven’t been that bad, really) and I wonder where Castleford’s heads are at following both the mauling by Saints and Joe Westerman’s health incident during that game.

Hull KR beat Catalan Dragons by 14

I like Hull KR a lot this season, and I’m not entirely convinced about the Dragons’ away form (although they are getting there at home). It should be an entertainingly bruising game. 

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats beat Wigan Warriors by 2

I’m torn by this game. On  the one hand, Wakefield have already beaten Wigan once this season and they appear to be in-form. On the other, Wigan have improved a lot since opening day and might just have revenge on their mind. In the end, I think home advantage should carry Wakey through here. 

Huddersfield Giants beat Warrington Wolves by 5

Well, this goes completely against the last results of each team. However Huddersfield are much better away for some reason, and I’ve been burnt picking Warrington far too many times already this season (no doubt they’re going to go on a spell of burning me by winning when I pick against them…).

Crystal Ball: Week 10

Well, it’s Week 10 if we assume the two Easter posts were a combined Week 9, and I am…

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats beat Hull FC by 8

Not actually that confident about this pick, but Wakefield are in form whilst Hull are not. There’s also the fact that Richard Horne is officially ‘doubtful’ which is never a good thing for the Black and Whites.

Bradford Bulls beat Warrington Wolves by 1

Battle of the Underachievers! Bradford have looked improved in the last few weeks, whilst Warrington seem to have slipped a bit. It’ll probably be one of theose dour-yet-compelling games that goes the distance.

Catalan Dragons beat Salford City Reds by 18

Battle of the Recently-Much-Improved! Gotta go with Catalans here, as they seem to have really rediscovered their mojo and more importantly have home advantage. 

Huddersfield Giants beat Leeds Rhinos by 2

I’m probably cursing the Giants here, but this game could consolidate their league positioning above Leeds. The Rhinos have looked shaky lately, and I’m not sure going to an in-form Huddersfield side is the best cure for that.

Wigan Warriors beat Celtic Crusaders by 14

Wigan should get back on track here, provided they don’t implode defensively like they did against Catalan Dragons and instead show the resolution they had in defeat to St Helens.

Harlequins beat Hull KR by 8

This should be a very tight game, but KR’s boom this season appeared to suffer a blow against Huddersfield. Add to that the saga hanging around Justin Morgan and I see enough distraction to stop them being at their best against Quins, which they will probably have to be to win away from home.

St Helens beat Castleford Tigers by 12

Saints appear to have entered that zone where picking against them is a very bad idea, so even though Cas are much improved this year and they won this corresponding game last season, I doubt that’s enough to see them through here.