So it begins! The three-week march to Old Trafford starts tonight in nearby Salford as the Red Devils take on the Leopards in the first of two eliminators this weekend, to determine who win meet Wigan or Hull KR in the semi-finals next week.

Salford go into their eliminator against Leigh following a thrashing at the hands of the League Leader’s Shield winners Wigan last week, when their heavily-rotated and youthful side were on the wrong end of a 64-0 drubbing at the DW Stadium. Although the move ruffled some feathers over in East Hull, as it practically paved the way for Wigan to pip Hull KR to the shield, it could also be seen as a tactically-savvy move from Ian Watson.

Indeed, his squad is practically unrecognisable from last week’s side, with the likes of Marc Sneyd, Brad Singleton, and Nene Macdonald all making their return to the team. Salford will also enjoy home advantage following their fourth-place finish in the league, so they will be hoping their fans at the Salford Community Stadium will prove to be the difference-maker for them.

Their opponents tonight, Leigh Leopards, come into the game after a win against fellow play-off contenders St Helens, running out 18-12 winners last Friday at the Leigh Sports Village. The Leopards enjoyed a resurgence in form towards the end of the season, landing them with a fifth-place finish at the end of the regular season. Head coach Adrian Lam has been able to name a strong side to go against Salford, creating a clash between two strong sides that is sure to be a blockbuster encounter.

Switching our focus to Saturday night’s game then as the red-hot Warrington Wolves take on the faltering St Helens, a team who were lucky to make the playoffs on points difference alone this season, after falling to sixth place from third last season.

Sam Burgess’ men will be hoping to continue the form that has seen them score 120 unanswered points in the last two games, in their quest for Old Trafford, but the Wolves will do well to remember the old adage ‘Never Write Off the Saints’, especially at this stage in the season.

The Wire have three returning names to the squad this week, with Paul Vaughn returning from suspension, and Rodrick Tai and Joe Philbin both returning from injuries. They join an already-formidable team, who haven’t conceded a point in over 160 minutes of rugby.

St Helens may be a team whose fortunes have been mixed – to say the least – in recent times, but as stated above, any team who underestimates them will do so at their own peril. This is a team who have been there and done that at this stage in the season, and don’t be surprised if they turn on the class when all the chips are down. The Saints make just one change to the team which narrowly missed out on victory at Leigh last week, with Moses Mbye missing out through injury, with youngster Jonny Vaughan taking his place in the 21-man squad.

With the outlook for the semi-finals as yet unknown, depending on this weekend’s results, Hull KR and Wigan are sure to be watching both games with a keen eye on their potential opponents, with the spectre of the semi-finals just a week away, we will soon see the road to Old Trafford come into starker relief.

Nathan’s Predictions:

Salford Red Devils 18 – Leigh Leopards 22

Warrington Wolves 10 – St Helens 12

Written by Nathan Major-Kershaw (Site editor & Hull KR fan)

Sources: https://salfordreddevils.net/paul-rowley-names-squad-for-playoff-eliminator/, https://x.com/LeighLeopardsRL/status/1838926177987149959/photo/1, https://x.com/WarringtonRLFC/status/1839262390627574194/photo/1 & https://www.saintsrlfc.com/2024/09/26/saints-squad-for-eliminator-play-off-against-wolves/