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Brad Arthur explains Leeds Rhinos man’s position switch and sends pre-Wigan Warriors message

Leeds Rhinos

Boss Brad Arthur has challenged his Leeds Rhinos side to get physical against “the best team in the comp”.

Sunday’s visit of Wigan Warriors, for Ash Handley’s testimonial, is Rhinos’ second and final warm-up game ahead of their Challenge Cup opener against Wests Warriors or British Army in two weeks’ time. Their Super League campaign begins at home to Wakefield Trinity on Saturday, February 15.

Arthur has named his strongest-available starting side – with some young players set to get a taste of first team action after the break.

And he reckons taking on the World, Challenge Cup and Super League champions will show where they are near the end of a tough pre-season.

“I’ve spoken to [Wigan coach] Matt Peet and he is putting out a really strong side early – like we are – and the second half will probably be filled with a lot of the kids from both teams,” Arthur confirmed.

“I think both teams will just be looking to see where they are at physically from their pre-season.

“There’s no points on the line, but it will be a really good test. We will have a good indication of what we need to do to get right for round one.

“I am really happy with the way the boys have trained, now the hard thing is, they’ve got to transfer that to the field.”

Arthur paid tribute to Handley, who – at 28 – is celebrating 10 years in Rhinos’ first team squad.

Scorer of 127 tries in 212 games for Leeds, he will co-captain Rhinos this season, alongside Cameron Smith and the coach hailed Handley as a “really good leader”.

“When he talks, the boys listen,” he said. “He is an action-first person, he leads with his actions and he drives through his actions, but he’s also not afraid, regardless of who it is, to hold people accountable and to drive standards, whether they are player number 30 or player number one.

“That’s what I really like about him. He is respected a lot by the boys and hopefully they show him how much they respect him with their effort and the way we want to try and play on Sunday.”

Having spent most of his Leeds Rhinos career as a winger, Handley is set to feature at centre this year, with new signings Ryan Hall and Maika Sivo on the flanks.

Explaining the change of role, Arthur said: “It obviously helps with the two recruits we got for the wings.

“I knew Hally was coming, but before we signed Maika it was always my plan to move Harry [Newman] to the other side of the field and put Ash in the centres, because I think there’s more to him than being a finisher.

“I think he can be a finisher and a creator. He moves nice and smooth, he has got good catch-pass and I’d like to see him with a bit more space. That was behind the move.”

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