Super 8s predictions with Barrie McDermott and Terry O'Connor
Thursday 20 August 2015 12:10, UK
On the pitch, Barrie McDermott and Terry O'Connor liked nothing better than tearing into the opposition.
They may have hung up their boots but that competitive streak still runs strong and we have found a way to channel their energies.
Each week they will give their predictions for the Super League games; they will score one point for a win and if they both pick the winner, then the pundit with the closest score gets an extra point.
Terry has pipped Barrie to the post with his predictions for the regular season of Super League but the overall crown is still up for grabs as we head into the Super 8s and Qualifiers.
Let battle commence!
Results after 23 round of regular Super League season
TERRY - 115
BARRIE - 112
Super 8s and Qualifiers
TERRY - 14
BARRIE - 18
St Helens v Huddersfield: 7.30pm, Thursday, Sky Sports 1 HD
Terry says: Saints' performances in their three successive defeats have not been good enough. I can't put my finger on it, but when you watch them it looks as though they have no direction. Luke Walsh is still finding his feet, Travis Burns keeps on trying but it's just not coming together.
Last week against Hull FC, they had a set completion rate of 47 per cent and missed 46 tackles. You're not going to pick up any points in play-off football with a completion rate like that.
Tommy Makinson is back in Saints' 19-man squad after a 10-game absence. We've got some great wingers in Super League but before he got injured, I felt he was the best. He's a tremendous talent.
Huddersfield travel to Langtree Park knowing if they beat Saints, they could leapfrog them into third place. I already mentioned Makinson; Jermaine McGillvary could be England's other winger. He has been brilliant all year and is a constant threat.
Prediction: I think Saints will win by six points.
Barrie says: St Helens are in an unusual position for a team third in the league because if you look at the performance they put in last week, off the back of a mediocre cup exit, they'll be concerned about how they get out of the rut that they're in.
Hull FC put in an awesome shift against them but Saints were the masters of their own downfall. The ball retention, their imagination when they had hold of it and they kept hold of it was nowhere near good enough.
Keiron Cunningham has said: "I don't care how much they're getting paid, if they're not performing, they're not getting picked." That isn't a knee-jerk reaction.
One of the bright spots of this game is that one of my favourite players is in the 19: Tommy Makinson.
It's good one for Saints in terms of being at home and having familiar surroundings but Huddersfield are quietly going about their business and are under the radar.
Prediction: A workmanlike Saints to win by eight points.
Warrington v Wigan: 7.30pm, Friday, Sky Sports 1 HD
Terry says: What can you say about Warrington? They've not performed all year. They've lost their opening two games in the Super 8s and are making far too many unforced errors. On a number of occasions against Castleford we saw passes going straight into touch.
If you were picking a fantasy rugby side, you'd be selecting the likes of Daryl Clark, Michael Monaghan and Chris Hill.
Warrington were poor for long spells against Castleford but then fought back and levelled matters late on, only for Liam Finn to knock over a one-pointer. I think Warrington realise this isn't their year.
Wigan missed some great chances against Leeds last week, and their stats were better than the Rhinos. They're big and direct and I think they're happy for everyone to be talking about Leeds. They're quietly confident of claiming second place and a home draw.
Prediction: Wigan by 12.
Barrie says: Wigan will have been disappointed with their overall performance against Leeds and the way the game started for them. They didn't give up but Shaun Wane demands more than what they produced.
The way Warrington played at Castleford, in a game that they would have highlighted as a win, emphasises the mood they're in at the minute.
Who would have predicted Warrington to be in the position of not having won a game in the Super 8s after missing out on Wembley the week before? That can't go on or they've absolutely no chance of making the top four.
Even though statistically it's not impossible, you can't pin anything on them because they've been so erratic. If it wasn't for players like Chris Hill they'd be in a far worse position.
Wigan will consider themselves unlucky to lose at Leeds and that thought process will carry them into this game with a healthy mindset. It's not always healthy to lay blame with others and take that into account but you'll hear players and coaches talking about only controlling the controllables.
Where it is healthy is that they won't consider themselves out of the race in any way, shape or form and that will probably give them the mental and confidence edge in this game. They are still very much contenders for the Grand Final.
Prediction: Warrington look busted to me, both mentally and physically, while Wigan look like they've got it all to play. I'm going for Wigan to win by 6 points.
Leigh v Wakefield: 3pm, Saturday, Sky Sports 1 HD
Terry says: Leigh need to take something from this game. It has been good for them to meet the Super League sides in the opening games of the Qualifiers, to give them an idea of the challenge they face.
Leigh have got a very good side but they've not performed for the full 80 minutes yet. They led at half time against Hull KR but fell apart and they were well beaten by Salford last week.
This is a huge game for the Centurions against a Wakefield outfit that were excellent last week. The Wildcats dominated Bradford in the forwards. Every carry they made was for big metres and they have class in the halves.
Many people predict this will be the 'Million Pound Game' and I'd like to see Leigh perform in front of the Sky Sports cameras and let everyone know what they're capable of.
Prediction: Wakefield by 10
Barrie says: There was no shortage of drama when Leigh defeated Wakefield in the Challenge Cup earlier this season. The Wildcats led 24-6 at half-time but Leigh came back to win 36-30 and it was amazing entertainment for everybody.
That cup rugby league mentally hasn't quite crept its way into the Super 8s just yet. I know Paul Rowley has said how he and his team now realise that and are getting full evidence of how difficult it's going to be to achieve promotion.
Realistically, Leigh need to beat all their Championship opposition and at least one Super League side.
Wakefield are coming off the back of what was a hugely impressive performance against Bradford. I thought the Bulls would win that game and Brian Smith and his players deserve a huge amount of credit for their performance. They were good in defence, lethal in attack and I thought the pack was really good.
Terry and myself called the game and we gave Nick Scruton man of the match. We thought that whenever he was on the pitch, he had a big influence in the rhythm of the game. Add to that the contribution of Tim Smith, who was orchestrating everything.
Obviously, the black mark was the injuries picked up by Lee Gaskell for Bradford and poor old Richard Owen, who has the well wishes of all rugby league and a speedy recovery is hopefully on its way for him.
Prediction: If Wakefield have the same attitude and application as last week, I think they'll win by 14 points.
Catalans Dragons v Castleford: 5pm, Saturday, Sky Sports 5 HD
Terry says: Catalans welcomed back Todd Carney last week and that could inspire them on home soil against the Tigers.
Although they lost against Huddersfield last week, they beat St Helens at home in the opening round of the Super 8s.
If they're clinical, disciplined and play heads-up rugby, they could trouble a Cas side that have won their opening two games. Who would have thought that Daryl Powell's side, after losing nine of his best players and bringing 10 in, would be there fighting for fourth place.
Liam Finn and Justin Carney have been very good all year. Defensively, they work so hard for each other.
Prediction: I'm going go for an upset here and for Catalans to win by eight.
Barrie says: There's not a lot Catalans can take from last week's loss at Huddersfield so they'll do what they've done for most of the season and hold onto the way they play at home.
The Dragons players obviously enjoy playing at home and the environment and atmosphere the Stade Gilbert Brutus creates is bringing out the best in them. It's not going to be enough for them to get into the top four though; their away form has been their Achilles heel all season.
Catalans have some good players who individually perform to a higher level when they get it right, but I'm not sure they can match Castleford's unity. I think the Tigers are stronger because they are the sum of all their parts, their strength is in the collective unity and credit has to go to Daryl Powell, Ryan Sheridan and Danny Orr who have assembled that team to have such a selfless attitude.
Castleford have got enough to get the win in Perpignan. They've got everything to play for. They have earned every inch of this season's journey and are in joint fourth with Huddersfield on merit.
Prediction: I'm going to go for Castleford to get a rare win at Stade Gilbert Brutus by 10 points.
Hull FC v Leeds
Terry: Leeds by 14
Barrie: Leeds by 14
Bradford v Salford
Terry: Salford by 18
Barrie: Salford by 10
Widnes v Hull KR
Terry: Widnes by 6
Barrie: Hull KR by 10
Sheffield v Halifax
Terry: Halifax by 10
Barrie: Halifax by 12
Join Barrie and Terry for a special evening to say farewell to Kevin Sinfield MBE and Jamie Peacock. Click here for details
