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Hull KR vs Leigh Leopards betting tips:
- Leigh to lift the trophy - 8/15 with Bet365
- Josh Charnley to score a try anytime - 20/21 with Betway
- Lachlan Lam to be Man of the Match - 3/1 with Parimatch
Following an enduring Challenge Cup run, both sides came through semi-finals in which they entered as the underdogs with betting sites, facing St Helens and Wigan Warriors respectively.
Willie Peters will lead his Hull KR side into a Challenge Cup final hoping to become winners of the prestigious trophy for only the second time in their history.
As for opposition coach Adrian Lam – a Challenge Cup winner in his playing days with Wigan – he takes his Leigh side to a first Challenge Cup final in 52 years.
The Robins are seeking to scribe their name into the trophy on the back of an impressive cup run which has seen the Yorkshire side dump out Wigan, the most successful Challenge Cup side (20-time winners), claiming victory by the narrowest of margins in an 11-10 win.
On the other side of the draw, the Leopards pounced upon reigning Super League champions St Helens in their semi-final, with their ecstasy being confirmed when Tommy Makinson narrowly failed to convert at the death, resulting in Leigh taking their place at Wembley following a 12-10 victory.
Lam’s Leopards to reign supreme
Despite a remarkable season last year – winning the Championship and 1895 cup – and being supported by the deep pockets of leopard print enthusiast Derek Beaumont, Leigh have been the surprise package in the Super League this year and have continued to exceed expectation in this memorable Challenge Cup campaign.
The Leopards – formerly the Centurions – are a reinvigorated side following a rebranding and squad overhaul courtesy of Beaumont and have excelled in the Super League this season, finding themselves at the dizzy height of third position after 21 games.
The two meetings between the sides this season has seen Lam’s side take the two points on both occasions. A narrow 30-25 victory at Craven Park was later bettered by a dominant 34-4 victory when the Leopards mauled the Robins at Leigh Sports Village in June.
We expect the Leopards to flourish on the big stage and, boasting a record of two wins from two in Challenge Cup finals, they will hope to inflict a seventh defeat in eight finals upon Hull KR.
Tip: Leigh Leopards to lift the trophy – 8/15 with Bet365
Charnley to claw his way over the line
Leigh have the Super League’s current second top try scorer in their armoury in the form of Josh Charnley. The three-time Challenge Cup winner will be looking to do what he does best and get over the whitewash when he faces former side Hull KR on Saturday.
The silky winger has scored both home and away against the Robins this year and will be confident of adding to that tally on the big occasion. The Robins defence is tasked with isolating the two-time Super League top try scorer and will have to be at the top of their game in order to prevent Charnley from finding the line for a fourth time in three encounters.
The two finalists both trailed at half time in their semi-finals before managing to prevail in two low scoring affairs. We anticipate the tie to differ from the high scoring clashes in prior meetings between the two sides as there's a lot more on the line and bookmakers also expect a tight contest judging by the -4.5 handicap on favourites Leigh.
With a wealth of experience and big game prowess, Charnley to touch down at a price of 20/21 with Betway is too good to overlook.
Tip: Josh Charnley to score anytime – 20/21 with Betway
Can the Robins see a change in fortune?
KR are not short of big game experience themselves and possess two-time Challenge Cup winner Ryan Hall, Super League winner Matt Parcell and NRL veteran Shaun Kenny-Dowall to name a few. They will be at the heartbeat of preventing Leopard attacks.
However, with seasoned half-back Jordan Abdull still unavailable following a quad injury sustained earlier in the season, the Robins have turned to the youthful duo of Mikey Lewis (22) and Rowan Milnes (23) to lead Hull for the majority of the campaign.
With a lack of big game experience, the pair will have a fight or flight battle on their hands in the national stadium when Lachlan Lam – son of coach Adrian – will look to capitalise on KR misfortune.
Lachlan Lam has adapted to life in the Super League flawlessly, providing 20 try assists while touching down seven times himself, making him great value with Parimatch at 3/1 for the Man of the Match award.
The Papua New Guinea international has already won personal accolades this season, claiming player of the month for May, and with Lam playing such an influential role in Leigh’s creativity in attack, we expect him to play a crucial part in ensuring the Challenge Cup trophy goes home and with Leopards.
Tip: Lachlan Lam to be Man of the Match – 3/1 with Parimatch
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Last Updated: 14th March 2024, 07:22 AM
