“Gruesome injury” threatens to keep star out for a month

Amidst all the furore on the back of the Leeds-Salford fixture, there were a number of injury concerns for the Rhinos, Richard Agar has revealed.

Neither Ash Handley nor Konrad Hurrell will be available for Leeds’ clash with Leigh this week following concussions sustained for England and the Rhinos respectively.

“Ash Handley and Konrad Hurrell will both be out, but the fact we’ve got games back-to-back is tough, but it is what it is and we will roll our sleeves up,” Agar said.

“Konrad was fine after his head knock, but Ash wasn’t really good after his head knock, he was dusty and groggy and it took him a number of days to come around from it.

“Richie is out 3-4 weeks with his finger, he needs the wound to heal and hopefully we can shave that four weeks down to two.

“His finger feels fine actually, but it’s a really gruesome injury with the way his finger opened up.”

The Rhinos boss knows that his side will have to do it tough.

“We’ve got 9 or 10 out at this count but it’s the calibre of those players out too.

“Our young players are getting experience at first grade and we will rely heavily on them this week.

“It’ll be Matt Prior’s, Kruise Leeming’s and Mikolaj Oledzki’s third game in six days, but it’s difficult when you’ve got such short turnarounds.

“We really haven’t got time to prepare the team in any way shape, or form.”