Four returning players will give Leeds Rhinos a huge boost in Saturday’s sudden-death play-off against St Helens, coach Brad Arthur says.
Dream Team scrum-half Jake Connor has missed Rhinos’ past two games with a rib injury while full-back Lachie Miller wasn’t risked against Wigan Warriors last Friday because of a calf muscle issue.
They, along with co-captain/centre Ash Handley (groin) and winger Ryan Hall (ribs), are back in full training and will be in the team to face Saints at AMT Headingley, Arthur confirmed.
Winger Maika Sivo hasn’t played this year after rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament before the campaign began and Leeds’ other captain, Cameron Smith, suffered a season-ending back injury two months ago.
But Rhinos will otherwise be close to full-strength and Arthur insisted: “We’ve seen the difference at training; when you add back a bit of class and quality to your team it injects a bit of confidence.
“They trained well so our left-edge has a totally different look to what it has been the last couple of weeks.
“We know the quality our captain brings and we have missed his leadership a little bit as well.
“Jake is probably one of the form players in the competition so he will be a handy addition for us; it allows Kallum [Watkins] to get back into the middle, controlling the forwards and Lachie is a threat out the back that we probably missed last week.”
Leeds Rhinos’ quartet to return from injury
Arthur stressed the quartet’s return isn’t a gamble. He added: “Hally needed the week off, he has been playing busted for a while now. Ash, Lachie and Jake were all touch and go for last week, but we thought there were bigger things ahead.”
Meanwhile, the coach has paid tribute to Rhinos’ two inclusions in this year’s Betfred Super League Dream Team.
Connor, who joined Leeds in pre-season from Huddersfield Giants, was last week named the club’s player of the year and is expected to be on the 2025 Man of Steel shortlist.
Arthur admitted: “At the start of the season I didn’t think he would be our player of the year and it is credit to Jake.
“He has probably had a lot of people, not doubting him, but wondering whether he was ever going to reach his full potential.
“I wasn’t aware of how much quality he had about him, but I feel like our team environment and the behaviours and standards of the rest of the group has helped him and kept him trying to achieve on a weekly basis.
“The natural thing for him is to challenge him. He is gifted, so you need to put him in an environment that’s conducive to him.”
James McDonnell was chosen in the second-row and Arthur reflected: “He is probably one of those guys who has been a bit unnoticed because he just does his job every week.
“He is very easy to coach, you don’t have to worry about him a lot. He is ultra-reliable, he turns up, he is physical every week and he makes it tough for the opposition.
“He has worked really hard and he gets all the simple things right in his game – he has been very consistent.”
Serious About Rugby League has launched a brand new podcast which can be watched in full on our YouTube channel here.
