The Betfred Super League weekend comes to a close on Sunday with a huge clash in the continued scramble for top-six supremacy as Salford Red Devils host Wigan Warriors at the AJ Bell Stadium.
Can Paul Rowley's side put further distance between themselves and five-time Super League champions Wigan? Here is everything you need to know about Sunday's big fixture.
Salford Red Devils v Wigan Warriors
Where: AJ Bell Stadium, Eccles.
When: 3pm (BST)
TV: No UK screening
Salford's last five: Won 42-10 @ Castleford (Rd 15), Won 26-16 v Hull KR (Rd 14), Won 29-22 v Hull FC (Rd 13), Lost 12-26 @ St Helens (Rd 12), Won 22-12 @ Leeds (Rd 11)
Wigan's last five: Lost 16-34 @ St Helens (Rd 15), Lost 22-46 v Catalans (Rd 14), Won 26-22 @ Hull KR (Rd 13), Lost 18-40 v Leeds (Rd 12), Lost 10-14 @ Hull FC (Rd 11)
Betfred match winner odds (80 minutes): Salford 6/5, Wigan 8/11, draw 18/1
First try scorer odds: Liam Marshall (Wigan) 8/1, Bevan French (Wigan) 8/1, Ken Sio (Salford) 9/1, Jai French (Wigan) 10/1, Joe Burgess (Salford) 10/1
Milestones:
With another three tries Ken Sio will reach 100 in Super League, having so far added 74 with Salford Red Devils to his 23 for Hull Kingston Rovers.
If Morgan Smithies plays he will be celebrating his 100th appearance for Wigan Warriors.
Previous meetings:
Round 6, 2023: Wigan Warriors 20, Salford Red Devils 16
Round 15, 2022: Salford Red Devils 12, Wigan Warriors 30
Round 10, 2022: Wigan Warriors 30, Salford Red Devils 24
Round 18, 2021: Wigan Warriors 16, Salford Red Devils 6
Round 7, 2021: Salford Red Devils 16, Wigan Warriors 17
Total Super League meetings: 56 (Salford 8, Wigan 48, no draws)
Ignore their submissive performance against Hull Kingston Rovers in the Challenge Cup last week and Salford look like a team in fine form. They had won eight of their previous nine games and climbed into the top four of the Super League table as a result, but maybe Paul Rowley will find some extra fuel for the fire from that hugely disappointing 28-10 quarter-final defeat last Saturday.
Matt Peet's Warriors are the exact opposites coming into this one, having progressed to the semi-finals of the cup with a courageous display against Warrington Wolves but struggled in their recent Super League fixtures. Their only win in the last five two-pointers was an extra-time victory over Hull KR at Craven Park in Round 13, and they now find themselves scrapping for a place in the top six. Now is the time for the Warriors to show their credentials having only missed out on play-off rugby three times in the format's 25-year existence.
Sportsman stat: Wigan have a points difference of over 1000 in head-to-head Super League meetings with Salford, scoring 1773 to the Red Devils' 755 in their 56 clashes.
*18+ | BeGambleAware | Odds Subject to Change
