Rhinos to quell Storm

Leeds Rhinos can cover an eight-point spread at evens with Sportingbet when they entertain Melbourne Storm in the World Club Challenge at Elland Road on Friday evening.

The odds are stacked against Melbourne, the Australasian National Rugby League champions, who are still a fortnight away from starting their domestic campaign.

Their task is made all the harder by the fact that they are facing  a Leeds side who have already played four Super League matches and are attempting to continue the winning run of English clubs, who have won the past four Challenge matches.

Leeds’ Grand Final-winning team is still largely intact, but Melbourne have seen three members of their Grand Final team leave the club and have lost two more to injury.  Perhaps most critically, Melbourne will be without captain and goalkicker Cameron Smith.

Craig Bellamy, the Melbourne coach, admitted that his team missed Smith in a hard-working 26-10 win over National League One side Halifax last week, and also acknowledged that his team will need a “lot of improvement” if they are to get the better of the Rhinos.

They are likely to progress for that warm-up match, but Leeds look the answer and can cover the spread.

In the overall win market, the Rhinos are 1-3 with Paddy Power and Melbourne a stand-out 3-1 with Skybet.