The Yorkshire Poist's rugby league writer, James O'Brien, looks ahead to the Super League play-off semi-finals involving Catalans Dragons v St Helens and Hull KR v Wigan, the Women's Grand Final between York
Valkyrie and Leeds Rhinos PLUS the Championship play-off semi-finals involving Bradford Bulls and Featherstone Rovers ...
Valkyrie and Leeds Rhinos PLUS the Championship play-off semi-finals involving Bradford Bulls and Featherstone Rovers ...
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00:00 Some big games coming up this weekend in Rugby League. Stats Friday night, we've got Catalan
00:17 hosting St Helens in the first Super League play-off semi-final. You'd probably say that
00:22 it's St Helens' toughest play-off game during this period of dominance. They've had the Super
00:30 League trophy under lock and key since 2019. You wouldn't say they've had favourable play-off
00:35 games in that time, but this is definitely the toughest assignment away in Perpignan against
00:40 the Catalan side that finished second during the regular season. A real test of St Helens' title
00:47 credentials this season under Paul Wellens and for the French side, they're looking to get back
00:51 to Old Trafford for just the second time they got there in 2021. A real intriguing match-up,
00:57 looking forward to that one. Then on Saturday, we've got Hull KR going to Wigan. They go there
01:01 as underdogs. Wigan obviously won their league leader's shield. They've had the week off,
01:06 they've got home advantage, but it was the case last year as well when they played Leeds Rhinos.
01:11 They were expected to beat Leeds that night and they fell flat out having had the week off.
01:17 They hadn't lost at home all year. They lost to the Rhinos. Obviously, Rhinos went to Old
01:22 Trafford, lost to St Helens, but it was a big achievement at the time. Hull KR could follow
01:27 in their footsteps. They have the potential to go there and win. They've already beaten them
01:32 in the semi-final this year in the Challenge Cup. They've obviously won six games in a row to get
01:37 to this point. Wigan have won eight in a row since losing to Hull KR in the semi-finals. It's another
01:44 really intriguing match up there. Then in the women's, they've got the grand final on Sunday.
01:50 Leeds play York, a repeat of last year's grand final, which Leeds won. York, like Wigan, have
01:58 home advantage in this one. They'll be fancying the chances they won the league leader's shield.
02:04 They weren't beaten during the regular season, but there will be a nagging doubt there having lost
02:09 the final last year to Leeds. Leeds are a big game team. This is their fifth successive
02:17 grand final appearance. That's a really interesting match up and should be a really
02:21 fitting finale to another exciting women's season. Then you've got the Championship. You've got
02:26 Bradford going to Toulouse in the semi-final. A big ask there, but they're going in confident.
02:31 Sunday, you've got Featherstone, who won the league leader's shield at a cancer there playing
02:36 London, who hammered Sheffield last week. They'll be in good heart. Two really interesting games.
02:43 You'd expect Toulouse and Fev to be playing in the grand final next week. There's a lot on the
02:51 line this weekend. There's some really good match ups and should be a really interesting weekend.
02:56 you
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