Quin-spirational!

McCarthy-Scarsbrook: talent

These Quins kids are really stealing the show. Young Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook is as big a handful as his name is a mouthful and if he can avoid that second-season syndrome that gets so many promising youngsters, he can be a top, top Super League performer.

Stevo
Quotes of the week

HARLEQUINS v WAKEFIELD
Live on Sky Sports
5.30pm, Sat, Sky Sports 1

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Teams

• Harlequins
• Wakefield Wildcats

Also see

• Harlequins v Wakefield: Teams

Hands up who thought Harlequins might struggle this season?

Well there were plenty of people out there - and I don't exclude myself in that - who might be proved wrong.

After the first game when they were ahead against Wigan and fell in a heap, the doubters and scoffers were quick to point the finger at Brian McDermott's side.

But full credit to Brian he would not accept that they did so because of a lack of fitness and I wonder how many of the cynics out there paid much attention to that wonderful win Quins enjoyed at Hull last week.

Yes the Black and Whites had plenty of people missing, but Peter Sharp did not use that excuse, and rightly so. I don't care who is in their side, when you see those four letters H-u-l-l on the fixture list and you're heading to the East Coast, you know what you are going to get.

You are going to get a tough, uncompromising opponent and a partisan crowd that can easily be worth two converted tries. You always do. Yet Harlequins went there and won and what I like is that they did it with plenty of local lads in the side.

I take my hat off to Brian for that. He is giving these local lads the opportunity and he is not afraid to throw the kids in. Of course, when you have Henry Paul, Mark McLinden, Rob Purdham, Danny Orr and Matt Gafa - who knows where the try-line is by the way - you've got some old heads and steady nerves in there - none of them are nonentities.

But these Quins kids are really stealing the show. Young Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook is as big a handful as his name is a mouthful and if he can avoid that second-season syndrome that gets so many promising youngsters, he can be a top, top Super League performer.

Consistency

I suppose the big problem is that Quins do not have that strength-in-depth and it may come to a point where that affects them and I guess with so many youngsters in their ranks, consistency might be a worry.

If they are to record back-to-back wins they are going to have their work cut out because this Wakefield side are a real handful.

They impressed us all against Bradford first up and although they were blown away by Leeds in the first half last week, there are plenty of sides who are going to suffer the same fate - and they did turn the tide in that second half.

Any side that pairs Danny Brough and Brad Drew together needs to be watched. When Drew signed I knew they were in for a good season.

These boys are genuine quality and although John Kear never likes me saying this, add an old-fashioned coach to the mix and the Wildcats cannot be under-estimated.

Kear nows how to put a defensive plan in place and although this season we are seeing more and more different ways of breaking sides down, Wakefield are not going to be pulled apart - which tells you how good the Rhinos were last Friday.

Much will depend on what Quins can do to keep Brough and Drew quiet, although McDermott is a wise old sage and will not ask his players to to anything that is beyond them, or foreign.

And we know the home side are going to keep doing what they've done so far; play without fear, play with freedom. In the two games they've played so far they've scored points. I'm expecting more of the same.

Stevo says

Home win - Wakefield are going to be a thorn in a few people's sides this season. Kear has put together a very strong squad and I am sure they will be looking at a trip to The Stoop as one they can win. But, Quins will keep doing what they have been doing and what suits them best, which is playing hard, fast and open rugby. They may come a cropper somewhere down the line but at the moment I am enjoying watching it - and should be enough to sneak a second successive win.

Stevo's star man

Rob Purdham - Matt Gafa is the leading try scorer so far and Brough and Drew will have their moments, but this lad is one helluva player. Quins need someone like Purdham, a good solid performer to compliment the younger legs and heads in the side and you know that nine times out of 10, if he has a good game then so do his side.

Harlequins to win is 1/2 with Sky Bet. For a full list of match odds click here