England centre Harry Newman remains part of Leeds Rhinos’ plans for this season, coach Brad Arthur insists.
Newman hasn’t featured in the Rhinos’ past two games and was not included in their initial 21-man squad for Friday’s visit to his hometown club Huddersfield Giants.
Instead, the 26-year-old has joined Hull FC on a one-week loan and will play for them against St Helens this evening.
Newman will leave Leeds at the end of this season to begin a two-year deal with new NRL club Perth Bears and – with Aussie recruit Jack Bird having taken his place – the loan deal has left a question mark over his remaining time at Leeds.
However, Arthur stressed the move is all about him staying match fit and ready for when he is needed by Leeds.
“I spoke to him last week about him needing to get some game time and gave him the weekend to think about it,” Arthur said.
“It has been a couple of weeks since he played and he wants to play at Super League level, which I am supportive of.
“He is here for the season, he is clear on that and we are clear on that. He wants to be here for the season and wants to fight his way back into the team.
“He will get some game time with Hull this week and that will be a week-to-week proposition. They were in need of a bloke of his quality so it fits for Harry, it fits for us as a club and it fits for Hull.”
The Rhinos have no injuries among their first-choice squad and Arthur added: “We wanted competition for spots and we have got that.
“This is a healthy situation, everyone has been open and honest and Harry has taken it the right way and he is going to do something about trying to get himself back in the team.
“Harry is a great player. If he is playing his best footy, he is part of our best team – that’s what we have got to get back to.
“We are both on the same page with that and this is the best way for him to do it.”
Second Leeds Rhinos man heads on loan to Super League club
Forward Ben Littlewood, who featured twice off the bench this season and was on loan at Hunslet RLFC last weekend, is set to play for York Knights against Leigh Leopards on Friday on a similar one-week arrangement.
Arthur said: “We had a couple of other guys who were close to playing for other clubs, but it didn’t work out this week.
“It is a week-to-week proposition; we have a reserves game this week so those guys will get some game time, but because that’s a fortnightly event we need to make sure we are ticking these guys over with minutes.
“I hope it doesn’t happen, but things change very quickly around injuries and whatnot. They are still our players, they are still part of this team and this club and we want them to feel like that.
“We are not sending them out to get rid of them, we are sending them out so they get some game time, get something out of it and keep challenging the rest of the team.
“We want them to come back each week so they still feel part of Leeds Rhinos, because that’s what they are.
“They are Leeds Rhinos players, they are not going anywhere. We want them here at this club, we are just in a really fortunate position with the health of our squad.”
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