Right Said Fred: Talking Betting With BetFred Boss Fred Done

Despite the best efforts of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Betfred Super League reaches it’s conclusion on Friday night as the Grand Final takes place at it’s temporary new home of the KCOM Stadium in Hull, and what a final it promises to be. 

Sporting justice has been done and there can be no dispute that the best two teams in the league have reached the big dance. The reigning champions St Helens (6/5 to win with Betfred) take on the League Leaders Shield winners Wigan (5/6 to win) in a game that is not a derby showdown, but a meeting of two genuinely class rugby league football teams. 

The Warriors are the form team coming into this one having clinched the number one spot with a win against Saints in October, and the thing that immediately jumps off the team sheet is the danger they have across their backline. 

The headline acts are perhaps the 2019 Man of Steel Jackson Hastings in the halves, and the man many felt should have claimed that crown in 2020, Bevan French. Both are players who love to take the line on, and the kind of players who constantly twist the dial looking to crack the defensive combination. 

For St Helens the threat comes from their triple-threat back three. Fullback Lachlan Coote has cemented his status as the clubs best signing in years with another stellar season, whilst Tommy Makinson and Regan Grace represent danger in broken play from anywhere on the park.

Despite having these weapons in their arsenal, both teams will need their attacks to be at their absolute sharpest as two fearsome defensive units take to the field. Neither side conceded a try in their semi-final ties, something that both coaches will take immense pride in. 

Of course, one of the main story lines is the curtain call of two of greats of the modern era. Both Sean O’Loughlin and James Graham will hang their boots up for good at fulltime on Friday, and it feels almost cruel that only one of these former England captains can bow out a winner. 

O’Loughlin has changed the way that the position of Loose Forward is played in this country. Uncompromisingly physical, with the skill set of a Halfback, the one-club man may be as close to the complete rugby league footballer as we will ever see. 

As for James Graham, he will be remembered as one of the most fiercely competitive and dominant Prop Forwards to play in both the Betfred Super League and the NRL. For all the things that 2020 has deprived us of, it feels only right that we get once last chance to watch two legends of the game lace them up, and if the rugby league gods are truly looking down us, then just maybe we might see one of them lift the Harry Sunderland Trophy (O’Loughlin 10/1, Graham 12/1).

The betting shows that there is not much between these teams, and come fulltime, all the indicators are that the scoreline will reflect that. It’s going to be intense, it’s going to be emotional. It has all the hallmarks of a classic Grand Final.

City’s title claims need to get back on track after Spurs derailment 

 It is a rare 3pm kick off on a Saturday at the Etihad as Man City look to get their Premier League season back on track against Burnley.

Last weekends 2-0 defeat to Spurs was their second defeat in eight games and they lost further ground on Liverpool who sit eight points ahead of their nearest market rivals, although have played a match more. 

There was a big shift in title prices with Man City now the biggest price they have been all season at 5/2, with Liverpool clear 6/4 favourites to retain their Champions status.

Even at this stage, Pep Guardiola cannot afford to lose further ground and are very short at 1/6 to win this game against Sean Dyche’s men, who recorded their first win of the campaign on Monday night, beating Crystal Palace 1-0. The Clarets are a huge 14/1 to win two games in a week and the draw is 7/1. 

Guardiola will be desperate to see the return of Sergio Aguero in this game to bolster his stuttering strike force. The Argentinian has netted in five of the last six home games versus Burnley and is 9/4 to open the scoring.

Burnley have been sent back to Turf Moor with their tails between their legs following their last five trips to the Etihad, losing by at least three goals each occasion, the last three games ending 5-0. 

Man City -2 on the handicap is 5/4 (to win 3-0, 4-1 5-2 etc) while another 5-0 scoreline is 16/1. 

Sunday at 2pm, Man Utd take a trip to the south coast to face a in form Southampton. Five of the last seven matches between the pair have ended all square, in fact three of the last four visits to St Marys have ended in stalemate. The draw once again is 5/2.

Man Utd’s last Premier League away defeat came at Anfield in January and they are Even money to head back up north with the three points while Saints, who are unbeaten in their last seven and sit fifth in the table are 11/4 for a home win.