Can Anyone Stop the Rhinos? We'll Soon Find Out

With Easter out of the way, we'll be one third through the Super League season after the round nine fixtures that kick off with the St Helens versus Leeds blockbuster at Knowsley Road tonight. That game will go a long way towards answering the burning question of the moment - can anyone stop the Rhinos?

Three of the six members of the Guardian's tipping panel think they can, with Rod Studd predicting a draw and Dave Woods and Dave Lawrenson backing Saints to pull off a shock win.

But for all the talk of Saints chasing revenge for their 33-6 defeat when they last met Leeds in the grand final, I wonder if key Rhinos players such as Jamie Peacock might be just as motivated by the memories of their last trip to Knowsley Road, when they were beaten 10-8 in the most intense play-off anyone could remember.

A passage from Peacock's autobiography, No White Flag, brings back vivid memories of that classic match: "It is still talked about as the most physical, if not brutal, match in Super League history. There was a period in the second half when Kylie Leuluai and Gareth Ellis wrecked about half the St Helens side in one set and we were just clattering them. You have to give them credit for surviving and holding on to win narrowly but it was just the case that they were ahead when the music stopped. Even though it was such a demanding clash and although we felt that we had pushed ourselves as far as we possibly could, I still thought that we had something in reserve, while they didn't. I honestly believe that game broke them. To win matches like that, you've got to take yourself to places that are scary, where you know there are going to be the highest pain levels."

The book has already received a good plug in the Guardian through Donald McRae's big interview in the build-up to the World Club Challenge, but having just finished it myself, I heartily recommend it for anyone interested in a real insight into the demanding, often unglamorous but clearly rewarding life of a modern rugby-league gladiator. It also left me pondering cheesy clichés about special things happening to special people - could Captain Peacock really defy logic in Australia this autumn by lifting the World Cup for England?

Future looks bright as English youngsters emerge

Along equally upbeat lines, Kyle Eastmond's thrilling cameo for St Helens against Wigan last Friday provided the most spectacular evidence yet of a healthy future for the national team even after stalwarts such as Peacock have moved on. Might there be a case to reform the old Under-21s team, which last played against France in Albi in 1995 and has since been usurped by a slightly vaguer Emerging England concept?

There would certainly be plenty of options, even discounting likely lads such as Sam Burgess who have already proved themselves at international level, and very highly-rated teenagers such as Kallum Watkins of Leeds and Jamie Foster of St Helens who have still to make an impact at first-team level.

The following team are all 21 or under and have already made an impression at Super League level: Cudjoe (Huddersfield, 21); Owen (Castleford, 17), Goulding (Wigan, 20), C Hall (Hull, 20), Penny (Warrington, 20); Eastmond (St Helens, 18), M Smith (St Helens, 20); Frodsham (St Helens, 18), Houghton (Hull, 19), L Burgess (Leeds, 21), Ferguson (Wakefield, 20), Westerman (Castleford, 18), Turner (Salford, 18). Interchange: R Hall (Leeds, 20), McIlorum (Wigan, 20), Boyle (Castleford, 20), Harrison (Warrington, 20).

And that's ignoring the following: L Smith (Leeds, 21), Gibson (Leeds, 21), Tyrer (St Helens, 19), Hemingway (Huddersfield, 21), Myler (Salford, 18), Tansey (Leeds, 21), Clough (St Helens, 20), Ferres (Wakefield, 21).

Finally, the tips for this weekend

Barrie McDermott's prediction of a shock win for Harlequins at Warrington is probably the most eye-catching, with Wigan and Bradford unanimously favoured, five out of six for Hull KR at home to Huddersfield and a split decision on Catalans-Hull.

Also, a correction to the table from Tuesday's blog - Barrie was incorrectly awarded a point for the Harlequins-Catalans game when in fact Rod Studd was closest with Dragons by 4.

So the correct table now reads: Lawrenson 12, McDermott 11, Studd 11, Walker 11, Woods 11, Wilson clueless.

St Helens v Leeds (Friday 7.30pm, Sky) Andy Wilson (Guardian): Leeds by 14 Gareth Walker (Guardian): Leeds by 12 Dave Lawrenson (Observer): Saints by 4 Rod Studd (Racing Post & Sky Sports): Draw Barrie McDermott (Sky Sports): Leeds by 6 Dave Woods (BBC 5 Live & Super League Show): Saints by 6

Wigan v Wakefield (Friday 8pm) Wilson: Wigan by 6 Walker: Wigan by 14 Lawrenson: Wigan by 10 Studd: Wigan by 16 McDermott: Wigan by 6 Woods: Wigan by 10

Warrington v Harlequins (Saturday 6pm, Sky) Wilson: Wire by 6 Walker: Wire by 16 Lawrenson: Wire by 20 Studd: Wire by 14 McDermott: Quins by 4 Woods: Wire by 8

Catalans v Hull (Saturday 6.30pm, Canal +) Wilson: Hull by 2 Walker: Hull by 4 Lawrenson: Dragons by 10 Studd: Dragons by 6 McDermott: Hull by 4 Woods: Dragons by 10

Bradford v Castleford (Sunday 3pm) Wilson: Bulls by 6 Walker: Bulls by 16 Lawrenson: Bulls by 8 Studd: Bulls by 12 McDermott: Bulls by 10 Woods: Bulls by 14

Hull KR v Huddersfield (Sunday 3pm) Wilson: Giants by 6 Walker: Rovers by 2 Lawrenson: Rovers by 10 Studd: Rovers by 6 McDermott: Rovers by 4 Woods: Rovers by 2