Leeds Rhinos have revealed their squad numbers for the 2024 season with 30 players awarded squad numbers ahead of the new Betfred Super League season.
It had already been revealed that new signings Brodie Croft and Andy Ackers would wear 6 and 9 respectively whilst centre Paul Momirovski takes the number 4 shirt vacated by Nene Macdonald. Lachie Miller replaces Richie Myler in the number one shirt whilst former Canberra Raider Matt Frawley replaces another former Raider, Aidan Sezer at seven.
The latest of the club’s new signings, prop Kieran Hudson, gets the number 22 shirt whilst Alfie Edgell and Tom Nicholson-Watton are both rewarded for their first team debuts last season with squad numbers. There are a number of younger players who are part of the first team squad who will be awarded squad numbers when selected for their debuts this season.
Another new signing, Mickael Goudemand comes in at 18 alongside his compatriot Justin Sangare at 17 whilst James McDonnell moves up from 19 to 16. The biggest movement is Academy graduate Tom Holroyd capping a strong 2023 as he is awarded the famous Leeds number 10 shirt. Holroyd made his England debut last season and moves from 18 to 10.
But speaking of movement within the squad, to facilitate McDonnell’s move to number 16, Derrell Olpherts has swapped with him to the number 19 shirt ahead of the new season. However, this seems to confirm his involvement at the club despite interest from Bradford Bulls and Leigh Leopards recently.
However, Serious About Rugby League understands Olpherts wants to stay at the club. The club had been interested in Wakefield Trinity winger Lee Kershaw as a potential replacement for the winger in 2024.
Now he will remain available to Super League rivals with other clubs also thought to be interested. As for Olpherts, he is in the last year of a two year contract signed at Headingley which saw him take on the number 16 shirt last year before moving to 19 this year.
That jersey has previously been worn by James McDonnell, Bodene Thompson, King Vuniyayawa and Dom Crosby in recent years so Olpherts is bucking the recent trend but in the past the likes of Kallum Watkins have also worn the shirt number.
The squad list in full is:
1 MILLER
2 FUSITU’A
3 NEWMAN
4 MOMIROVSKI
5 HANDLEY
6 CROFT
7 FRAWLEY
8 OLEDZKI
9 ACKERS
10 HOLROYD
11 BENTLEY
12 MARTIN
13 SMITH
14 O’CONNOR
15 LISONE
16 McDONNELL
17 SANGARE
18 GOUDEMAND
19 OLPHERTS
20 GANNON
21 SINFIELD
22 HUDSON
23 RUAN
24 ROBERTS
25 DONALDSON
26 JOHNSON
27 WARREN
28 SIMPSON
29 EDGELL
30 NICHOLSON-WATTON
