Super League play-offs: Wigan Warriors v Leeds Rhinos - Old rivals meet again

Leeds stunned Wigan in the last meeting of the clubs in July, winning 42-12

Leeds Rhinos head coach Rohan Smith expects Friday's Super League play-off semi-final against Wigan Warriors to be even more intense than last week's eliminator against Catalans Dragons.

Challenge Cup winners Wigan were second behind St Helens, winning 19 of 27 games, to go straight to the last four.

Leeds qualified in fifth, beating Catalans to progress to the semi-final.

"It'll be another level or two up, the stakes are getting higher," Smith told BBC Radio Leeds.

"We'll be playing a team that is well refreshed, I guess they rested most of their players the other week and then they've had another week off.

"There will be a few new tweaks and twists to their attack potentially, a rejuvenated team that have been among the top teams all year."

Mixed fortunes in recent meetings

Liam Farrell (left) will miss Friday's game but Wigan's other Dream Team picks Jai Field and Bevan French are in

Although Wigan have lost eight times in 2022, few teams have managed to compete with Matt Peet's side at their fluent attacking best.

The league's leading points-scorers have racked up 818 with 145 tries - 24 more tries than Salford in second - and only reigning champions St Helens have conceded fewer points.

One of the teams to beat the Warriors were Leeds, who limited the threat of Jai Field, Bevan French and company in a 42-12 win back in July.

It was one of an impressive 10 wins in 12 games at the tail end of the season which dragged Leeds from relegation-threat to play-off hope under mid-season arrival Smith.

"I don't think anything that happened before these 80 minutes will have any bearing," Warriors coach Peet told BBC Radio Manchester.

"It will be about who is in the moment? Who is handling the pressure? When you get two teams coming in with plenty of momentum, different tales of the season, but for those 80 minutes the team that performs closest to their best will win."

Field, French, Marshall in rich scoring form

Leeds' Matt Prior (left) is a two-time NRL winner with Cronulla here in 2016 and St George Illawarra in 2010

With Man of Steel contender Field, Super League top scorer French and the equally prolific Liam Marshall in the Wigan back-field, the key players to watch out for are quite obvious for Leeds.

Their gutsy win in Perpignan was one backed up by cool heads as the Dragons lost control discipline wise, but Friday's challenge is an even tougher one in Smith's eyes.

Leeds' approach to the game has been hampered by injury to winger Ash Handley and the suspension of goal-kicking back-rower Rhyse Martin.

However, they have play-off experience in former Wigan outside-back Zak Hardaker, plus NRL Grand Final experience in Matt Prior and Aidan Sezer.

"We're going to have to play very well in all aspects," he continued.

"They're a seasoned, veteran team across the board and with some real strike in Jai Field and Bevan French, but outside of those guys they've got a bunch of international standard players and we can't centre our attention too narrowly."

Plan has been in place

While Leeds were a late contender for the play-offs despite the pre-season optimism under former boss Richard Agar, Wigan have been in the mix since the early rounds.

The Cherry and Whites know what to expect in knock-out competitions having lifted the Challenge Cup and have been readied for the challenge of 'winner takes all' football since before a ball was kicked or a pass thrown.

"The team that wins over the next two weeks will have executed the plan the best," Peet continued.

"Whoever comes out on top out of the four teams will deserve the ring. There were no fixtures put in that were sneaky. We were all preparing for those turnarounds, the mid-season test and everything.

"We'll be the same as everyone else, everything we planned for in pre-season was designed for this."

Squads

Leeds (from): Sutcliffe, Austin, Sezer, Oledzki, Leeming, Prior, Bentley, Tetevano, Dwyer, Myler, Smith, Thompson, Briscoe, Walters, O'Connor, Donaldson, Johnson, Mustapha, Tindall, Sinfield, Hardaker

Wigan (from): French, Bibby, Marshall, Leuluai, Singleton, Powell, Mago, Isa, Bateman, Smithies, Ellis, Smith, Partington, Havard, Byrne, Pearce-Paul, Shorrocks, Field, Miski, O'Neill, Cooper