The fifth meeting of the season between the Leeds Rhinos and St Helens was the most crucial as the two sides were fighting for the right to travel to Craven Park and a game against the minor premiers, Hull KR, for a spot in the Grand Final in a couple of weeks’ time.

Home advantage, and a single league place, made the Rhinos four-point favourites with the bookies but with Saints having won three out of the four encounters so far in 2025 there was nothing clear cut about who would emerge victorious.

These two sides have a massive play-off pedigree and this 2025 encounter promised to be as fierce as any that had gone before, the Rhinos needing to overcome a seven-game home losing streak against the red vee going back to 2017.

 

A fourth meeting of the season between the Leigh Leopards and Wakefield Trinity would determine who would progress to within a match of Old Trafford and a date at the 2025 Super League Grand Final.

Wakefield won the first meeting of the season all the way back in round six, but Leigh triumphed in the Challenge Cup quarter final and the second league meeting at the end of June, but neither were by massive margins, which was reflected in the home side being handicapped by eight points on the coupon.

A win for Leigh would set up a meeting with near neighbours Wigan Warriors next week while a Wakefield victory would send them to Hull KR in the semi-finals.

The Salford Red Devils were simply playing for personal pride and contracts for 2026 as they had been condemned to bottom spot for a couple of weeks, if not the entire wretched season which has seen them stumble clumsily from crisis to crisis.

The Huddersfield Giants, on the other hand, were playing for tenth spot, which they are currently disputing with the Castleford Tigers and a win this afternoon would lift them two points clear of eleventh spot would send the competition to avoid second bottom into the final round of a disappointing season.

The bookies were in no doubt, tipping a comfortable home win, with the Giants handicapped by sixteen points on the coupon in a round which has seen the underdogs triumph in a couple of games.

The promise from Hull KR was that this would be a history making afternoon for the visitors as they travelled to Wakefield with a chance to clinch the minor premiership for the first time in the summer era and finishing top of the pile for the first time since the 1984-85 season.

But Daryl Powell’s Trinity were intent on spoiling the party as they needed the points to continue their push for a top six finish in their first season after promotion and they knew that a win, along with a loss for Hull FC against the Warrington Wolves, would see them attain their objective.

Wakefield were given a respectful eight-point start on the coupon and based on a five-place gap between the sides on the league ladder they thought that it would be a close game.

The maths were simple, a loss for Saints would see them finish the season in fifth spot and guarantee a top four place for the Leigh Leopards, while the revers would march us into the final week of the regular season with places from three to five still up for grabs.

Leigh were the victors the last time that the two sides locked horns in July, the 16-4 victory being the outcome of the only encounter between the two near neighbours in 2025.

The bookies didn’t have a clue what the outcome would be and handicapped the home side by just two points going into the game as the house full notices went up at the Leigh Sports Village.

With two games of the regular season remaining, the Leeds Rhinos had their eyes firmly on second spot but knew that they needed a massive points win over a Catalans Dragons side who are destined to finish the season in a very disappointing ninth place in the table.

The Dragons were given a twenty-six-point start on the coupon, the Rhinos loss of the in-form Jake Connor not concerning the bookmakers who couldn’t see anything other than a comprehensive Leeds victory.

For Leeds the win was crucial, as was improving their points difference, as depending on results over the next two weeks they could still finish as high as second, or as low as fifth in the table.

There were three motivations for the black and white side of Hull as they travelled to take on their arch rivals wearing red and white; first was to deny the Robins the league leaders trophy which would be everything but mathematically certain should they win; second was to lift themselves above Wakefield Trinity and into a play-off play place, and third was to ridicule a twenty-six point handicap start which the bookies had allocated them on the coupon.

A victory for the home side would put them four clear of Wigan with two games remaining and supporting a massive points difference advantage meaning that they would be all but mathematically impossible to catch, and meaning that a single point from their remaining two games would give them the shield.

But Hull FC’s need was seemingly greater, a win would put them up to sixth, and would mean that their play-off fate was back in their own hands.

Few games are as highly anticipated as encounters between St Helens and the Wigan Warriors, the original derby, and in terms of the race for play off positions in 2025, this match up was one of the most anticipated in recent history.

Wigan were favourites with the bookies but there was very little to choose between the two sides, Saints with just a two-point start on the coupon as there was really very little to choose between the two sides.

A win for Saints would put them fourth with two games remaining, a win for the Warriors would do their quest for a home semi-final a power of good as they would move two points clear of the Rhinos, who they face in the final round of the season.

Hull FC’s defeat against the Leeds Rhinos left the door wide open for Wakefield Trinity to step into the top six, and a coveted pay off place, should they be able to despatch the challenge of the Huddersfield Giants.

Wakefield were handicapped by twelve points on the coupon as the bookies picked them as strong favourites to win the derby.

Trinity won the game in July at a canter by 46-10 after previously knocking Huddersfield out of the Challenge Cup in March with a 22-12 score line.

A win for the Leeds Rhinos at Hull FC would lift them into third spot in the table with three rounds of the season remaining, a win for the hosts would put them three points clear of seventh placed Wakefield Trinity, and strengthen their claim for a top six spot and a place in the play-offs.

The bookies fancied a win for a resurgent Rhinos but with just a six-point handicap on the coupon they weren’t expecting them to have it all their own way, Hull FC expected to run them close.

Leeds were the winners by just two points when the sides met in May, and in a weekend of intriguing fixtures, this might just have been the most unpredictable.

A round twenty-three encounter between the Wigan Warriors and Wakefield Trinity was a high stakes match with the Warriors needing the two points to put themselves in the box seat for at least second position in the league table, while Wakefield knew that a win would lift them into the six and put their fate back in their own hands in their fight for a playoff spot.

The bookies gave Wakefield a twelve point start on the coupon indicating that they were confident of a home win but concerned that it might not be by a points avalanche despite the return to their ranks of talisman Bevan French.

The importance could not be overexaggerated for either side, their season’s hanging in the balance for very different reasons.

Fourth against sixth was a mouthwatering prospect as St Helens welcomed Hull FC to the Totally Wicked Stadium with two points up for grabs which could lift Saints into second spot in the table or guarantee Hull FC’s position in the top six with four rounds remaining.

The home side were big favourites with the bookies, injuries hitting the Airlie Birds and forcing the bookies to give them a twenty point start in the handicap coupon.

We’re entering the business end of the season, and this was a critical game for both sides to win, Hull FC seeking revenge for their 13-6 loss at the beginning of July.

Leeds Rhinos were 14-8 winners the last time that they met Champions elect Hull Kingston Rovers in a round seventeen encounter, despite being 8-0 behind at the interval.

Hull KR were slight favourites with the bookies, being handicapped by two points on the coupon as they looked to go eight points clear at the top of the table, but a win for the Rhinos would lift them back above St Helens and into third and importantly, level on points with the Wigan Warriors in second.

It was the tie of round twenty-three, the outcome would speak volumes of the prospects of both sides as the end of the season approaches and all talk is of the play-offs and play-off places.

Third place beckoned for St Helens as they faced a Huddersfield Giants side who snook into tenth place in the league, their highest position of the season, thanks to the Castleford Tigers getting a thrashing at the hands of Leeds Rhinos on Saturday afternoon.

Saints were, of course, big favourites with the bookies and were given a twenty-two point handicap on the coupon but the Giants have been playing with a newfound confidence with wins against the Catalans Dragons and Hull FC in the last two rounds.

Saints won the game in round twelve by 46-6 but the Giants aspirations were to run them much closer than that this time, ideally springing a surprise or losing by less than seven points to keep them in tenth spot.