The Yorkshire Post's rugby league writer, James O'brien, loooks ahead to this weekend's Challenge Cup fourth round ties - including Bradford Bulls, Leeds Rhinos, Hull KR, Hull FC Featherstone Rovers, Batley Bulldogs and Huddersfield Giants v Wakefield Trinity
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00:00We'll probably have a good look at Salford versus Bradford. Just give us an indication
00:11of how you see that one going?
00:13It's a great opportunity for Bradford against the Salford side club that are still in turmoil
00:21a month into the season. They can only name 17 players in the squad again and by all accounts
00:26a few of those won't play. Bradford are looking at playing the Salford side with a bench of
00:33one, two, maybe three players. Bradford themselves are coming off a tough loss. They went to
00:40Toulouse and got a bit of a hammering last weekend. So a great chance for Bradford to
00:46get back on the horse and book a quarter-final place as well. Salford have still got some
00:51good players out there but if you're playing with a bench, if you've only got one or two
00:55subs you're going to struggle no matter how good you're starting as 13. So a great chance
01:01for Bradford.
01:02Similarly, Hull Key Are, they'll be highly fancied to beat Oldham. They're an ambitious
01:07championship club but Hull Key Are are a strong squad. They're taking it seriously and should
01:13win that comfortably. Leeds go into St Helens. They always seem to get tricky cup ties. They
01:17always seem to play St Helens. They've lost 17 in the last 18 meetings against St Helens
01:22which would have been unthinkable when Leeds were winning all of those grand finals against
01:26their old foes back in the day. But yeah, tough ask for Leeds. Going to St Helens in
01:33the last 16, I should see them winning there based on their performance last week against
01:38Catalan.
01:39Moving on to Saturday, Hull are at Wigan. Hull have had a decent start obviously. They'll
01:46be pleased with the way they've started considering the way they finished last season. But Hull
01:53to Wigan is never, well not for anyone, it's never an easy day out is it?
01:58No, it's a real tough ask for Hull going to Wigan. Just like Leeds really, they couldn't
02:05have asked for a tougher draw. Wigan in these knockout games are virtually unbeatable. They
02:12have been in recent times. Hull go there in good spirits. They've been very good so
02:18far. They've showed a lot of positive traits that we haven't seen in recent years. That
02:23togetherness and the ability to dig themselves out of the hole and put the bodies on the
02:28line at crucial moments. They did that last week in a draw against Lee. So they go there
02:33in good spirits. If everything falls in their favour they could produce a shock. Funny things
02:39have happened in the competition. All things being equal, Wigan should win that game. But
02:45for Hull it's just about building on the early positivity and putting in another spirited
02:49performance and one that we can be proud of.
02:52One Yorkshire derby in this round of last 16, Huddersfield v Wakey. Wakey will be more
02:58pleased with the way they've started the season. Huddersfield have had a struggle but they've
03:04shown competitiveness. How do you see that one going?
03:08It's a funny one because Huddersfield, obviously the record reads four games, four defeats.
03:13But they're winning at half-time in all those games. So they have been playing okay. They've
03:18been playing quite well. They just need to get over the line in one of those games. They've
03:21been hampered by injuries in key positions all over the field really. Particularly in
03:27those half-back, full-back and hooker as well. Those key positions.
03:34Luke Roberts has said he's got a few more doubts over players this week, which doesn't
03:40help. They're playing a Wakey side who are going well, like you say. They've made a real
03:47positive start on their return to the Super League. So they're coming off the back of
03:51that big win at Warrington last week. So you've got a fancy Wakey field in this. But if Huddersfield
03:56keep playing the way they are, they're going to get over the line eventually. It could
03:59be this Sunday.
04:00Yeah, definitely. Just a quick word about Catalan's Featherstone and Batley at Lee.
04:07Obviously up against it, massive odds. The odds are stacked heavily against them. Any
04:11chance of an upset in either of those games, do you feel?
04:14I don't think so, unfortunately, no. I spoke to the Batley Bulldogs head coach, Mike Watson,
04:23earlier. They've got a few out and the guys they've been using in the league so far, they're
04:29not eligible this weekend. So they go there with a really depleted squad over to Lee.
04:34Real big ask, it's just damage limitation, just produce spirit performance and hope the
04:40scoreboard reflects that. And it's the same for Fev going over to Catalan as well. Nobody's
04:45expecting anything of them over there. So just go over there, give it your all and hopefully,
04:49like I say, the scoreboard reflects the performance.