In what has been the ‘round of the underdog’ could the Salford Red Devils follow the trend and get only their second win of an awful season as they faced Hull FC who were in need to the two points to move bac inside the all-important top six.

The bookies certainly didn’t think that it was going to be Salford’s day and they gave them a twenty-eight-point start on the handicap coupon pre-match, as the home side gave four players debut on loan as they struggled to name am eighteen.

This was the first meeting between the two sides in 2025, Salford winning the last meeting by 58-4 when they last met in September 2024.

Leeds Rhinos were looking for a sixth consecutive victory as they travelled to the Totally Wicked Stadium for a clash with a St Helens side who have had an indifferent season so far in 2025.

The Rhinos were unchanged from last week’s demolition of the Warrington Wolves while Saints were without impressive newcomer George Whitby and Curtis Sironen who both miss out after picking up injuries in the big win over Salford Red Devils last weekend.

The Rhinos were slight favourites with the bookies, handicapped by two points on the coupon, as they looked to repeat their Magic Weekend win and take a two to one lead in the third of this season’s four games between the two sides.

The league points were not under debate in the opening round fifteen fixture at Wheldon Road, they were heading back to Hull with the Champions elect Hull KR with Castleford Tigers role to try and minimise the points against column.

There bookies gave the home side an eighteen-point start on the coupon, some recognition for their recent improvement in form as they saw their injured stars starting to trickle back into their line-up.

KR won the opening round fixture of the 2025 season by a golden point against tonight’s opposition and you must go back to May 2022 for the last Castleford victory over the Robins.

Queensland needed a result after the humiliation of the game one lass as the game moved to neutral territory in Perth with New South Wales looking to seal the series win and make the third game in three weeks’ time a dead rubber.

In heavy rain, both coaches rang the changes as they hunted the win, Queensland added Mam and Capewell to the mix while New South Wales brought in Luai, Burton and Utoikamanu.

The Blues were big favourites with the bookies for a second 2025 win and were handicapped by twelve points on the coupon, the same as the winning margin in game one, as they looked to retain the shield.

The two points were unlikely to improve Warrington’s league position, given their awful points difference, but it would keep them in touch with the top six and a play-off place, however, they were up against a resurgent Leeds Rhinos who themselves wanted to reinforce their claim for third spot.

The Wolves needed to bounce back from their Challenge Cup heartbreak last weekend and knew that a win would go some way to do that, but they also knew that a loss would make the remainder of their season much more difficult.

Warrington won the previous meeting between the two sides in March by 16-14 but the bookies favoured the Rhinos this time, handicapping them by eight points on the coupon.

If there was one away banker on this weeks coupon then it was surely for the Wigan Warriors as they faced a lowly Huddersfield Giants as they struggle to break free of the bottom of the table in a game played at the Flair Stadium in Dewsbury.

The ‘home’ side were given a twenty-two point start by the bookies with Wigan clear favourites to move back within two points of the league leading Hull KR and in the process increase their points difference total tremendously in their favour.

The sides met back at the start of March, Wigan the 44-18 winners at the ‘Brick Community Stadium’.

Fifth against tenth in the Super League table as round fourteen got underway with Hull FC eying fourth spot in the table, facing a Castleford Tigers side who wanted the points to lift themselves farther away from the bottom two as they cling onto their very remote hopes of a play-off position.

The black & whites were the favourites for the win and handicapped by twelve points on the coupon, two more than the margin by which they beat Castleford when the two sides met in March.

A win of any description would see Hull FC into fourth spot, at least until Sunday evening, a Castleford win would lift them two points further away from the Huddersfield Giants and Salford Red Devils.

Following a nerve-jangling Challenge Cup Final, York Knights and Featherstone Rovers entered the arena to play the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup Final in the pouring rain as the stadium emptied of a large proportion of supporters after the main event.

Featherstone were favourites for the win and were handicapped by four points on the coupon, despite the relative league positions which see York in fourth and Featherstone four table points behind in eighth spot.

Yor beat Halifax, Widnes, and Bradford on their way to the final while Featherstone saw off the challenges of Keighley, London and Oldham on their way to Wembley.

Wembley Stadium was half red and white and half primrose and blue as solid favourites Hull KR looked for their first Challenge Cup win since the 1979-80 season as they faced an out of form Warrington Wolves looking to emulate their 2019 victory.

The sides met just a fortnight ago in the Super League with a massive 31-12 win, Warrington languishing in eighth place in the table while Hull KR are clear leaders with just one loss all season.

Warrington brushed aside the challenges of Whitehaven, Widnes, St Helens, and Leigh on their way to the final, Hull KR going past York Knights, Oldham, Hull FC and the Catalans Dragons, the neutrals were hoping for a close game.

St Helens were looking for their fifth consecutive Challenge Cup final win in the competition which they have made their own and all that stood in their way was their arch-rivals, Wigan Warriors, who were seeking their first ever win in their first ever final.

Both sides won their divisions with unbeaten records and without conceding a point, while Saints beat London and York in the quarter and semi-finals, Wigan eliminated Cardiff and Leeds on their road to Wembley.

The bookies favoured a St Helens win, despite Wigan currently leading the women’s Super League table by a point over their archrivals.

On paper this was the game of the round, Leeds Rhinos in fourth spot in the table approaching the halfway stage against promoted side Wakefield Trinity who are currently in sixth with both sides coming into the game on the back of three game unbeaten streaks.

The home side were favourites with the bookies to take a game which marked a year since the passing of Leeds super star Rob Burrow, and they were handicapped by eight points for a game which would be used to recognise motor neurone disease (MND), a cause close to the Rhinos hearts.

A win would take the Rhinos back ahead of Leigh and into the third spot that they relinquished last night to the Leopards, a win for Wakefield would elevate them to fourth, pushing the Rhinos back into fifth on points difference.

The league leaders Hull KR took on St Helens in round thirteen knowing that only a win was likely to keep them at the top of table as Wigan Warriors kicked off at the same time against the 2025 whipping boys Salford Red Devils needing two points to draw level.

St Helens came into the game on the back of two victories and were looking to make it three in a row after a rocky period, the bookies though favoured the home side and gave the visitors a six point start on the coupon suggesting that the Robins might not have everything their own way.

Hull KR have been victorious on the last three occasions that the sides have met including a 20-10 win in the round four match earlier this year and you have to go back as far as August 2023 to find the last Saints win.

Both sides were desperate for a win, and the points, in the opening game of round thirteen as second bottom side Huddersfield Giants looked for their second win of the season against a Leigh Leopards side who were looking to end a three-game losing streak.

Huddersfield haven’t beaten Leigh since February 2024, losing the only meeting between the two sides in 2025 by a fourteen-point margin, and as a result the Giants were given a ten point start on the coupon.

A win wouldn’t help the Giants league position, although it would lift them clear of Salford in bottom spot, but if the Leopards could get the points then they would move above the Rhinos and into third.

The pinnacle of rugby league, the three game State of Origin series, got underway at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane as the Maroons faced the Blues, New South Wales seeking to get off to the best of starts to retain the shield after wrestling it from Queensland in 2024.

Last season the Maroons won the opening game convincingly before losing the second and third outings to lose the shield that they had held for the previous two seasons, although they still hold a 24-17 series lead since the start of modern origin games in 1982.

The bookies were predicting a close game pre-kick-off but leaned slightly towards the Blues, handicapping them by four points on the coupon, the stage was set for a cracker.

Wigan Warriors were strong favourites for the win as the travelled to Perpignan to take over a Catalans Dragons side who had parted company with their longstanding coach during the week and who were having a disappointing season which see’s them in eighth position and in danger of missing out on the playoffs.

Wigan have won the last four games between the two sides and you must go back almost two years to find the last victory for the Dragons, but this is the first meeting between the sides in 2025 and comes at an inopportune moment for the home side.

Joel Tomkins was in temporary charge of the home side but his brother, and Dragons talisman, Sam was still unavailable for selection.

Castleford Tigers were looking for back-to-back wins for the first time in 2025 after defeating Salford Red Devils last time out, but they were up against near neighbours Leeds Rhinos who are pushing towards the top of the table and secured a sensational dying seconds win over Hull FC in round eleven.

A win would take the Rhinos into third spot, their highest league position for some time, while a win for the Tigers would move them to within two points of the Warrington Wolves in eighth spot, still holding out a hope of making the top six with a good run of form.

The home side were given an eight point start on the coupon, the bookies expecting a close game between these two fierce rivals, closer than when the Rhinos won by 38-24 in March.