Leeds Rhinos will be determined to regain their spot at the top of the Super League standings when they travel to the LNER Community Stadium to take on York Knights on Sunday.
The Rhinos have led the way for much of the campaign, but last weekend's home defeat to Leigh Leopards opened the door for Wigan Warriors, who went top following Friday's 26-12 success over Wakefield Trinity.
The destiny of the League Leaders' Shield is now in both teams' hands with the pair set to meet on the penultimate week of the regular season at Headingley.
Before then, Leeds must return to winning ways, starting with this trip to face a York side that have enjoyed a solid first season in Super League, highlighted by some notable home victories against St Helens and Hull Kingston Rovers.
York Knights v Leeds Rhinos Tips Summary
Best Bet - Leeds Rhinos -16.5 @ 10/11
Alternative Bet - Brodie Croft to score two or more tries @ 11/5
Bet Builder - Leeds Rhinos to win & Chris Hankinson and David Nofoaluma anytime tryscorers @ 8/1
York Knights v Leeds Rhinos Prediction
Best Bet: Leeds Rhinos -16.5 @ 10/11
Leeds will feel they have been the best team in Super League this season and the stats would appear to back that up, as they are both the division's leading scorers (784) and have conceded the fewest points (346).
However, Wigan have been relentless of late, with Friday's victory over Wakefield extending their winning run to 12 and moving them two points clear of the Rhinos at the top of the standings.
Brad Arthur's side opened the door for Wigan with last week's defeat to Leigh, but they have by and large been maintaining their form, as that 20-16 loss was only their second in 12 games.
When the Rhinos click, they tend to have too much for their opponents, with 14 of their 18 wins in Super League this season coming by a minimum margin of 18 points.
That includes a 46-14 home success over York in February and this could be another difficult afternoon for the Knights, who have lost four of their last five, most recently going down by 20 points at Warrington Wolves.
Mark Applegarth's side have taken some scalps this season, including edging out St Helens 34-32 in their last home fixture, and they still have plenty to play for in the battle to avoid finishing bottom.
The Knights can keep this more competitive than February's defeat to the Rhinos at Headingley, but Leeds should still cover the handicap as they bid to return to the top of the standings in style.
Alternative Bet: Brodie Croft to score two or more tries @ 11/5
Leeds were dealt a major blow at the end of last month when Super League's leading tryscorer, Maika Sivo, was ruled out for at least six weeks with a broken arm.
Sivo was setting a relentless pace at the top of the tryscoring standings, having scored 29 in just 19 appearances, but he is not the only member of the Rhinos squad thriving in that department, with stand-off Brodie Croft having taken his tally to 26 over recent weeks.
Australian Croft has crossed the whitewash in seven consecutive matches and has only failed to score a try in four of his 22 Super League appearances in 2026.
That run includes scoring multiple tries in five matches and he could add a couple more when he comes up against a York defence that is conceding an average of almost 29 points per game this season.
York Knights v Leeds Rhinos Bet Builder
Leeds Rhinos to win
Chris Hankinson anytime tryscorer
David Nofoaluma anytime tryscorer
Pays 8/1
Leeds have won 18 of their 23 Super League games this season, including thrashing York back in February, and with a speedy return to the top of the standings on the line, the Rhinos should come through this test unscathed.
Croft is likely to contribute heavily to the scoring, but he is not the only Leeds player liable to cross the whitewash, with Chris Hankinson keen to add to his eight Super League tries for the season, the most recent of which was a crucial late effort against Wakefield.
As for York, wing David Nofoaluma is leading the way in terms of tries, as he has a team-high 12 for the season, including eight in his last nine, a hot streak he will be hoping to continue on Sunday.
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Key Match Stats
Leeds have won 18 times in Super League this season and 14 of those successes have been by at least an 18-point margin
The Rhinos were 46-14 victors when these two teams last met at Headingley in February
York have lost four of their last five Super League games
The Knights have taken notable scalps on home soil this season, beating both St Helens and Hull KR
Stand-off Brodie Croft has only failed to score in four of his 22 Super League appearances for Leeds this season
York wing David Nofoaluma has eight tries in his last nine Super League games
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
