Leeds are there for the taking. Hull Kingston Rovers coach Justin Morgan will be well aware that the dark clouds of Manly will be hanging over the minds of the Leeds players.

Irrespective of whether you are champions or not, and despite being a fantastic and well-drilled outfit, Leeds will still have to deal with plenty of nerves.

There is no way that they will be able to eliminate the fact that the following weekend they fight to retain their world title crown.

Morgan: A tactical battle ahead

No-one has ever retained that crown and Leeds - who got the monkey of their back by winning back-to-back Grand Finals - will be looking to change that fact. However before they face Manly the have to go to Hull KR.

Morgan is no fool and I think he will play the first 20minutes very hard and strong. Psychologically this could upset the Leeds outfit. They may and probably will at times, have a little thought of what is happening next weekend.

It is easy to say that they are full-time professionals and that professionals do not get dragged into these things but you cannot disregard human nature and human nature has a habit of making you think about things like getting hurt and injured.

However Leeds will be well aware that they need a good run out and they will know the easiest way to get injured is to hang back and to go into contact less than 100 per cent.

I think this is going to be an absolute classic - a game of minds. Not just between the two coaches, but also between the players on the field.

Rovers were spitting blood that they let go of the lead against Bradford and Morgan made it quite clear that it was a point lost, not a point gained when they drew with the Bulls.

Dobson and Cooke are the key for Hull KR to pull off the win. Leeds will be without Rob Burrow who is an integral part of their gameplan. Without him I think the Rovers duo will have a better chance to get on the front foot and decide the tempo of the game.

The battle of the big men is going to be on heck of a clash too - an absolute cruncher where the likes of Nick Fozzard and Clint Newton are also going to be key.

Fozzard will want to show the world that St Helens made a mistake in letting him go and there is only one way he can do that - by putting in a superb performance against the current Super League and world champions.

He will be fired up for this, as will Rovers winger Peter Fox. He scored two tries last week and is in superb form. I think it was shame he was not included in the World Cup squad and I am not afraid to say that Tony Smith made a big mistake in taking Mark Calderwood instead of this lad.

Fox will want to show Smith exactly what he missed, and like Fozzard he has the perfect opportunity to make that point against the best in the league.

Hull KR hooker Ben Fisher will be looking forward to this game too. He will want to prove that he can mix it up with the big boys. He will want to show the likes of Buderus, Diskin and McShane that he too is a world-class player.

As well as matching Leeds up front, Rovers face a tough task in stopping full-back Lee Smith. Smith has continued on from a magnificent game in the Grand Final into top form - he was outstanding against Wakefield. He has the ability in a tight game to be the difference as he did in the Grand Final.

I hope the weather will be good because with all that talent on show, we really don't want to see the rain coming down.

Stevo says

Home win - I have a funny feeling that Rovers will do them. I know all the Hull KR fans will say 'how can it be an upset when we are playing at home?', but Leeds are the team to beat. There will be a big crowd and the tension and atmosphere will be fantastic.

Stevo's Star man

Danny Buderus (Leeds) - All eyes will be on Buderus. He came on last weekend and acquitted himself well - he created the final try and he will be dieing to get back into the action. Not surprisingly he was a little bit rusty but that is to be expected coming into a new team and having to learn how the players around him play. But he a classy player and he will be relishing the chance to show why he is the best hooker in the world.

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