Super League: Leeds Rhinos v Wigan Warriors preview
High-flying Leeds Rhinos take on fourth-placed Wigan Warriors in a crunch clash at Headingley Carnegie on Friday night.
Last Updated: 02/05/14 7:53am
Leeds head into the game on the back of a convincing Tetley's Challenge Cup victory over St Helens, who inflicted their only Super League defeat of the season.
Wigan were beaten in two of their first three league games this season, but have since bounced back by winning their last eight games in all competitions.
Prop Ryan Bailey, winger Ben Jones-Bishop and back rower Stevie Ward have all been added to the Rhinos' 19-man squad.
Bailey was eighteenth man in the Cup game but with Rob Burrow ruled out following his broken collar bone, he could be in contention to return for his 299th Rhinos game.
Ward has been out since suffering an ankle injury in the win over Bradford but is in contention to return, whilst utility back Jones-Bishop missed out on the win over Saints last week but has been a regular in recent weeks.
Welcome back
The Warriors welcome back Darrell Goulding, Blake Green, Michael McIlorum and Skipper Sean O'Loughlin who were all rested for the 52-8 Cup win against Hunslet.
Prop Gil Dudson is back in the squad after serving a one game suspension.
Iain Thornley, Ben Flower, Eddy Pettybourne and Josh Charnley all miss out through injury.
Wigan overcame Hunslet Hawks in the Challenge Cup and head coach Shaun Wane admits they not be battle-hardened for Headingley.
"I look at it two ways," Wane said. "We need to be a bit more battle-hardened and that's where Leeds will have an advantage.
"We've lost a day and there wasn't a real good smash-up for us that we would have liked for a game like this. But it is what it is. My players won't need any motivating this week.
"It's happened before. My players can get up for big games and they don't come much bigger than Friday."
Leeds Rhinos: Hardaker, Jones-Bishop, Watkins, Moon, Hall, McGuire, Leuluai, Peacock, Ablett, Sinfield, Ward, Delaney, Bailey, Kirke, Clarkson, Achurch, Briscoe, Sutcliffe, Singleton.
Wigan Warriors: Bateman, Bowen, Burgess, Clubb, Crosby, Dudson, L. Farrell, Gelling, Goulding, Green, Hughes, James, McIlorum, O'Loughlin, S. Powell, Sarginson, Smith, Taylor, Williams.
You can see every moment of the action from Headingley on Friday as Leeds Rhinos host Wigan Warriors live on Sky Sports 1HD from 7.30pm