Wigan v Salford: Rod Studd's Betfred Super League rugby tips

Where to watch

Sky Sports Arena 7.45pm Friday

Best bet

Wigan -8
2pts 11-10 Betway

Match preview

There’s a growing feeling in Betfred Super League circles that Wigan are once again timing their run to the Grand Final to perfection.

The defending champions have appeared in five of the last six Old Trafford showpieces and are well placed for another end-of-season trip to the Theatre of Dreams after a run of 12 wins in 13 games took them to a second-place finish.

For the first half of the season, the Warriors looked more like facing a battle to beat the drop as they sunk to tenth in the table.

The turnaround has been remarkable though not as remarkable as Salford’s season of success.

The Red Devils kicked off the campaign as 150-1 no-hopers but under the astute coaching of Ian Watson and inspired by Man of Steel elect Jackson Hastings, they finished third and are currently on an eight-match winning streak.

Only table-toppers St Helens have posted more points than free-scoring Salford but their defence is a concern. They’ve shipped 30 or more points eight times.

Two of those occasions came against Wigan and the Warriors can boast three wins out of three against Salford in 2019.

The two victories at the AJ Bell Stadium were see-saw struggles and the most recent meeting at the DW Stadium may be a better guide. Wigan established a 10-6 half-time advantage and then gradually ground down Salford to emerge with a 28-12 success.

Similar tactics are likely to be employed by the playoff maestros - you have to go back to a 13-12 victory by Leeds in 2012 to find the last time Wigan lost a post-season match at home.

Since then they’ve won six consecutive playoff ties at the DW, five of them by a double-digit margin. Their opponents have been restricted to an average of nine points during those victories.

Wigan are 4-11 to extend that winning sequence and are asked to concede an eight-point start on the handicap. That should be within their compass.

The winners will visit St Helens next weekend but the losers won’t be eliminated. They’ll host the winners of Thursday’s Warrington-Castleford clash and that’s something for in-running punters to bear in mind with the temptation possibly to save energy.

Those who play the tryscorer markets can consider backing Wigan forward Joe Greenwood to touch down at 13-5. Four of his seven tries this season have come against the Red Devils.

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