Leeds star ruled out for rest of season

Leeds haven’t exactly had it easy in 2021 with COVID-19 and injuries taking their toll on a play-off hunting side.

And, with the business end of the season approaching, the Rhinos have been rocked by another blow to halfback Callum McLelland according to head coach Richard Agar.

“He got taken off with a pretty serious injury against Wakefield,” Agar said.

“We are awaiting the scans on that but he will likely miss the rest of the season.

“He wasn’t feeling great this morning, a patella tendon issue is the initial thoughts but the exact damage is unknown at this point.

“He’s had a few bad injuries and this is a cruel blow to him as we’re going into the business end of the season, but he’s still young enough and has a long fruitful career ahead of him.

Agar knows that this weekend’s fixture against Hull FC at St James’ Park is ‘must win’ for both sides as they attempt to qualify for the top six play-offs.

“It is a big game, for the players it has a different feel in a fantastic stadium with a lot of neutrals in the crowd.

“The public has adopted it and the cities have really welcomed the fans so it has a different feel and atmosphere to it and the players have really embraced it.

“Not everybody plays finals and semi-finals every year so it’s a great experience for those players.

“It’s must win for both of us, we don’t like to turn games must win and it’s not over if both sides don’t win.

“But, because of the percentages it’s almost worth more than two points in the context of the season.”