SUPER LEAGUE GRAND FINAL
LEEDS RHINOS vs ST HELENS
TOMORROW 6PM, SKY SPORTS
OLD TRAFFORD opens its doors to footballers of a different variety tomorrow, as two of the most successful sides in the short history of rugby league’s Super League go head-to-head in the culmination of the 2009 season. Of eleven Grand Finals since 1998, seven have featured one or both of tomorrow’s opponents.
While recent history is on the side of the Rhinos, 4/7 favourites with Hills, St Helens will be determined to make the most of their sixth final appearance. In particular, the Merseysiders’ veteran scrum-half, Sean Long, will want to impress in his last game before a transfer to Hull FC.
Prior to this year, St Helens finished top of the league for the previous four seasons, yet have only come away with a single title. Both these sides have featured in the last two Grand Finals and Leeds triumphed in both, with a 33-6 victory in 2007 and a 24-16 win last year. Anyone who saw the way in which the Rhinos dismantled Hull KR in their qualifying play-off is unlikely to disagree with their final favouritism, but I can’t justify backing them at such a short price. Much better value can be found in Betdaq’s handicap market so I suggest backing them when giving away a 4.5 point start at 10/11.
POINTER…
Leeds (-4.5 handicap) at 10/11 on Betdaq