The coming weekend brings another bumper crop of Rugby League across the Betfred Super League and Championship and Ladbrokes Challenge Cup, where the competition enters round three.
It is round three of Super League with games played over three days from Friday to Sunday. Round four of the Championship has a full set of six fixtures which all take place on Sunday afternoon, the game between Leigh Centurions and Toulouse kicking off at 17:30 after the others at 15:00.
Thirteen third round ties in the Challenge Cup, the round which incorporates the Championship One sides, takes place over Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
After last week’s Australian expedition and the playing of two Round twelve games domestically, we return to normality this weekend. There is no Thursday night SKY game but they will be screening the Warrington Wolves home game against the Wigan Warriors on Friday night with the bookies unable to pick a favourite. Also on Friday St Helens are massive favourites to beat the Huddersfield Giants and Salford Red Devils are backed to open their 2018 points tally with a victory over Hull KR at the AJ Bell.
There are two Super League games on Saturday when the SKY cameras will broadcast Castleford Tigers against Hull FC at 15:15 with the home side odds on favourites for the win. At 17:15 Catalans and Wakefield Trinity play in the south of France with the visitors being tipped to inflict more pain on Steve McNamara’s men.
Also on Saturday there are also five Challenge Cup matches with; Kells v. British Army, Normanton Knights v. Batley Boys, Askam v. York City Knights, Hunslet Club Parkside v. Workington Town and Pilkington Recs v. Millom.
Sunday sees fifteen games including a Super League encounter between the Widnes Vikings and Leeds Rhinos where the Rhinos are clear favourites to overcome their World Club Challenge disappointment with a victory.
Three o’clock kick-offs in the Championship include; Batley v. Barrow, Dewsbury v. Swinton, Featherstone v. Sheffield, Rochdale v. Halifax and the early league leaders London Broncos with a mouth watering fixture against Toronto live on Premier Sports. Leigh and Toulouse are the late kick-off at 17:30.
Of the eight Challenge Cup games, the BBC has chosen to stream Coventry Bears v. Distington at 15:00 but you could choose to take in; Hemel v. Newcastle, North Wales Crusaders v. Keighley, Bradford v. West Wales, Doncaster v. Myton, Hunslet v. Oulton, Oldham v. Featherstone Lions or Whitehaven v. London Skolars.
Wherever you choose to watch your rugby this weekend, enjoy your games.