St Helens v Leeds Rhinos scene-setter: opposition star man, key battle, previous meeting and verdict

It’s five years since Rhinos last beat St Helens in any competition, but they will be looking to spoil the party in the hosts’ first home game since their big title wins. Here’s a scene-setter.

Betfred Super League round three

Where and when?

Date: Friday, March 3.

Time: 8pm.

Venue: TW Stadium.

Saints’ star man: Difficult to pick just one, but former Rhinos centre Konrad Hurrell scored a try in each of the sides’ three meetings last year, touching down four times in total against his previous club. A powerful ball carrier, he will be a major threat.

Key battle: Can Leeds’ forwards stop Alex Walmsley, the rampaging prop who was man of the match for Saints in their win at Castleford Tigers last week? It’s a tough challenge, particularly with Mikolaj Oledzki still on the casualty list, but Tom Holroyd and Justin Sangare were outstanding against Hull last week and this is an opportunity for them to make a mark.

Previous meeting: September 24, 2022. Betfred Super League Grand Final, at Old Trafford. St Helens 24 (Tries Lees, Bennison, Hurrell, Percival. Goals Makinson 4), Leeds Rhinos 12 (Tries Leeming, Martin. Goals Martin 2/2). Referee: Liam Moore. Attendance: 60,783.

Verdict: Leeds will beat Saints sooner or later, but the likelihood is later. Saints are playing at a different level to Rhinos and have been for a while, so the visitors will need 10/10 performances across the board, rather than the fives and sixes they have been getting. A competitive performance and close result would give Leeds something to build on; anything above that is a bonus, but they might be able to exploit a potential World Club Challenge hangover.