It’s a Super League triple-header tonight and the team news for all three games is in with Hull KR making a fitness call on Dean Hadley, Leeds Rhinos replacing the injured Maika Sivo, and changes made in the Battle of the Borough between Leigh Leopards and Wigan Warriors.
Hull KR head coach Willie Peters had confirmed that Dean Hadley would be checked on as Arthur Mourgue was ruled out with the Frenchman’s bad run of injury luck continuing.
That injury luck isn’t as bad as opponents Bradford have had with Kurt Haggerty’s side without a host of players, including the latest blows of losing Jayden Nikorima and Jack Ormondroyd in last week’s derby clash with Leeds Rhinos.
The Rhinos lost Maika Sivo to a broken arm in that game and their opponents Toulouse are also without their own talisman, with Olly Ashall-Bott out due to a hamstring injury sustained last week against Castleford.
As for the evening’s big game, Leigh have made a decision on both David Armstrong and Josh Charnley ahead of their game against Wigan, who Adrian Lam revealed may be sweating on the fitness of Liam Marshall.
All the questions regarding fitness and team selection have now been answered with the matchday squads confirmed.
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Super League team news
Leigh Leopards v Wigan Warriors
Leigh were sweating on the fitness of Josh Charnley with Adrian Lam labelling the winger a ‘serious doubt’ and the all-time Super League top try-scorer is out of the match, with a big reshuffle in Leigh’s backs.
Gareth O’Brien is fit enough again to start at full-back as David Armstrong moves to the wing with Andy Badrock recalled from his loan at Widnes to start in the centres. Robbie Mulhern is fit enough to return to the bench, as is Jacob Alick-Wiencke. Jack Hughes moves from the centres to the second-row, replacing Frankie Halton, who is out for the year.
Wigan have also been dealt a blow in their backs but it’s not Liam Marshall, as Adrian Lam had suspected, but Adam Keighran who drops out. That sees Zach Eckersley shift to centre with Noah Hodkinson starting on the wing.
Oliver Partington remains in the second-row on account of both Liam Farrell and Junior Nsemba remaining out, with Partington having scored a brace from that position last week. He’s joined by Sam Walters as Taylor Kerr drops to the bench.
Leigh Leopards XIII: Gareth O’Brien, David Armstrong, Andy Badrock, Umyla Hanley, Innes Senior, Adam Cook, Lachlan Lam, Joe Ofahengaue, Liam Horne, Isaac Liu, Jack Hughes, Owen Trout, Louis Brogan
Interchanges: Robbie Mulhern, Matt Davies, Jacob Alick-Wiencke, Lazarus Vaalepu
Wigan Warriors XIII: Jai Field, Noah Hodkinson, Zach Eckersley, Jake Wardle, Liam Marshall, Bevan French, Harry Smith, Ethan Havard, Brad O’Neill, Luke Thompson, Oliver Partington, Sam Walters, Kaide Ellis
Interchanges: Patrick Mago, Shea O’Connor, Taylor Kerr, George O’Loughlin
Hull KR v Bradford Bulls
Ryan Hampshire replaces Arthur Mourgue in the halves, as expected, and Hull KR receive a big boost as Dean Hadley passes fit to start in the front-row.
Sauaso Sue drops out as Tom Amone returns to the starting XII as Rhyse Martin moves from 18th man to the bench.
Riley Dean replaces the injured Jayden Nikorima as Will Gardiner takes the place of Jack Ormondroyd at starting prop.
Loanee Thomas Doyle is named on the bench along with debutant Alfie Leake, academy product Jamie Gill and the returning Loghan Lewis in a completely changed bench.
Hull KR XIII: Jack Broadbent, Tom Davies, Peta Hiku, Oliver Gildart, Joe Burgess, Ryan Hampshire, Tyrone May, Tom Amone, Jez Litten, Dean Hadley, Jai Whitbread, James Batchelor, Elliot Minchella
Interchanges: Sam Luckley, Karl Lawton, Jordan Dezaria, Rhyse Martin
Bradford Bulls XIII: Caleb Aekins, Connor Wynne, Guy Armitage, Luke Hooley, Ethan Ryan, Riley Dean, Chris Atkin, Ryan Sutton, Andy Ackers, Will Gardiner, Phoenix Steinwede, Zac Fulton, Joe Mellor
Interchanges: Thomas Doyle, Alfie Leake, Jamie Gill, Loghan Lewis
Leeds Rhinos v Toulouse Olympique
Leeds see both Maika Sivo (broken arm) and Ben Littlewood (hamstring) drop out but there is a senior debut for Zak Lloyd, who starts on the bench.
Riley Lumb replaces Maika Sivo as Ned McCormack gets a start at centre and Harry Newman shifts to the opposite wing with Alfie Edgell dropping out. Chris Hankinson makes his return in the second-row.
Olly Ashall-Bott is replaced by Luke Polselli at full-back in an otherwise unchanged backline but halves Jake Shorrocks and Thomas Lacans are replaced by Victor Collin and Cesar Rouge.
James Roumanos also drops out and is replaced by Rob Butler as AJ Wallace returns to the bench in place of Louis Grossemy.
Leeds Rhinos XIII: Lachie Miller, Riley Lumb, Ned McCormack, Jack Bird, Harry Newman, Brodie Croft, Jake Connor, Mikolaj Oledzki, Jarrod O’Connor, Cooper Jenkins, Chris Hankinson, James McDonnell, Kallum Watkins
Interchanges: Tom Holroyd, Cameron Smith, Presley Cassell, Zak Lloyd
Toulouse Olympique XIII: Luke Polselli, Benjamin Laguerre, Romeo Tropis, Ethan Quai-Ward, Paul Ulberg, Victor Collin, Cesar Rouge, Rob Butler, Anthony Marion, Lambert Belmas, Henry O’Kane, Mathieu Jussaume, Joe Cator
Interchanges: Hugo Garrigues, Tiaki Chan, John Toleafoa, AJ Wallace
