Leeds Rhinos host St Helens for a second week in a row when the two teams meet on Friday night in the Challenge Cup with both sides seeing key players return.
The two sides faced off at Headingley last week in a game of two halves with the Rhinos dominating the early exchanges but it simply saw the Red Vee bend and not break.
Leeds were 8-0 up approaching half-time before a Waqa Blake try in the 35th minute stemmed the flow of the Rhinos’ attacks.
A much stiffer St Helens turned up in the second forty and they managed to grind out the result with tries in quick succession around the hour mark proving too much for the Rhinos to recover from.
Tensions did rise late on when Sione Mata’utia folded James Bentley in half with a huge hit, the Irish international having to leave the field for a HIA.
Bentley is available for Friday night’s clash with Rohan Smith and Paul Wellens having confirmed their squads for the occasion.
Leeds Rhinos get major boost for St Helens clash
Credit: Imago Images
With the return of James Bentley after the Irishman passed his HIA, it is the Rhinos who come into the game with a cleaner bill of health and that’s been further boosted by the return of Paul Momirovski and Sam Lisone.
The overseas duo both missed Friday’s Super League clash but could be in action this Friday after being named in Rohan SMith’s 21-man squad.
Lisone returns from suspension after a three-game ban for his shot on Hull KR captain Elliot Minchella, whereas Momirovski returns after a minor shoulder injury.
They mark the changes for the Rhinos who will go into the game with confidence, particularly if they can replicate the form showed in the first half last week.
As for St Helens, they do see Curtis Sironen return but they’re without Tommy Makinson once again with the winger missing the Leeds clash once again.
Makinson had pulled out during the warm-up last week with what Paul Wellens has since confirmed as a lower back injury and a hamstring issue, both of which will be looked into by the club.
On the other hand Sironen returns after suffering back spasms and he’ll form a formidable pack that will once again aim to get on top of the Rhinos.
Chris Kendall will be the man in the middle for the match.
Leeds Rhinos 21-Man Squad
1 Lachie Miller
3 Harry Newman
4 Paul Momirovski
5 Ash Handley
6 Brodie Croft
7 Matt Frawley
8 Mikolaj Oledzki
9 Andy Ackers
10 Tom Holroyd
11 James Bentley
12 Rhyse Martin
13 Cameron Smith
14 Jarrod O’Connor
15 Sam Lisone
16 James McDonnell
17 Justin Sangare
18 Mickael Goudemand
21 Jack Sinfield
24 Luis Roberts
25 James Donaldson
29 Alfie Edgell
St Helens 21-Man Squad
1. Jack Welsby
3. Waqa Blake
5. Jon Bennison
6. Jonny Lomax
7. Lewis Dodd
8. Alex Walmsley
9. Daryl Clark
10. Matty Lees
11. Sione Mata’utia
12. Joe Batchelor
13. Morgan Knowles
14. Moses Mbye
15. James Bell
16. Curtis Sironen
18. Jake Wingfield
19. Matt Whitley
20. George Delaney
21. Ben Davies
22. Sam Royle
23. Konrad Hurrell
25. Tee Ritson
