Leigh Leopards’ injury issues are on show with Adrian Lam’s side among three Super League teams to name their squads for this week’s Challenge Cup games.
Lam had revealed to Serious About Rugby League on Wednesday’s Super League season launch that he would be selecting from just 19 players this weekend, such was the club’s injury status.
Among those listed was Robbie Mulhern, however, he has been named to a 20-man squad, which would indicate that he has passed a fitness test for the game.
The Leopards will be without the likes of David Armstrong (ACL), Umyla Hanley (shoulder), Joe Ofahengaue (HIA), Isaac Liu (unknown), Aaron Pene (unknown), Liam Horne (HIA) and Matty Davis (leg) and that’s seen them call on the likes of Nathan Wilde, Ryan Brown and Will Brough, all of whom had previously been loaned to Salford RLFC.
Leigh will take on North Wales Crusaders on Saturday evening with kick-off for that game in Colwyn Bay slated for 7:00 pm.
Leigh Leopards squad: Keanan Brand, Tesi Niu, Josh Charnley, Adam Cook, Lachlan Lam, Edwin Ipape, Robbie Mulhern, Frankie Halton, Owen Trout, Jacob Alick-Wiencke, Bailey Hodgson, Innes Senior, AJ Towse, Gareth O’Brien, Jack Hughes, Andrew Badrock, Ben McNamara, Nathan Wilde, Ryan Brown, Will Brough
Super League sides name Challenge Cup squads
As for the other three ties on Saturday, Leeds Rhinos will travel to face Widnes Vikings, Castleford Tigers will make the short trip to Doncaster, whilst York Knights will head to Cumbria to take on Barrow Raiders.
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds are without eight players through injury whilst Jake Connor and Lachie Miller have also been omitted in preparation of round one of Super League.
That puts the injury list at Maika Sivo, Ash Handley, James McDonnell, Keenan Palasia, Chris Hankinson, Max Simpson, Jeremiah Mata’utia and Alfie Edgell. Players such as Sivo are expected back soon, with Chris Hankinson likely for a swift return after he broke his nose against Bradford Bulls.
This game will be available to watch live on the Sportsman YouTube channel.
Leeds’ 21-man squad: 3 Harry Newman, 5 Ryan Hall, 6 Brodie Croft, 8 Mikolaj Oledzki, 9 Jarrod O’Connor, 10 Tom Holroyd, 11 Kallum Watkins (C), 15 Cooper Jenkins, 16 Ethan O’Neill, 17 Cameron Smith, 20 Presley Cassell, 22 Riley Lumb, 23 Danny Levi, 24 Ned McCormack, 25 Ben Littlewood, 26 Tom Nicholson-Watton, George Brown, Fergie McCormack, Oscar Brown, Harley Thomas, Jacob Stead
Castleford Tigers
The Tigers were the only Super League club to fall at this stage in 2025 and they’ll want to make sure that doesn’t happen again, and Ryan Carr’s team selection points to that.
New NRL signing Krystian Mapapalangi could make his debut and he’ll be joined by a number of other NRL recruits including Blake Taaffe, Mikaele Ravalawa, Tom Weaver and Brock Greacen.
Semi Valemei and Zac Cini miss out, as does Jack Ashworth who remains suspended after last year’s swinging arm on Mikey Lewis in the Hull derby.
Castleford’s 21-man squad: 1 Blake Taafee, 4 Darnell McIntosh, 5 Mikaele Ravalawa, 6 Daejarn Asi, 7 Tom Weaver, 8 Renouf Atoni, 9 Liam Hood, 10 George Lawler, 11 Jordan Lane, 12 Alex Mellor, 13 Joe Stimson, 14 Brock Greacen, 16 Joe Westerman, 17 Chris Atkin, 18 Fletcher Rooney, 19 Brad Singleton, 22 Jason Qareqare, 23 Krystian Mapapalangi, 24 Jenson Windley, 25 Sam Hall, 30 Jimmy Beckett
York Knights
The Knights will head to Championship table-toppers Barrow for what will likely be a tough test. As such Mark Applegarth has named a very strong squad that also includes King Vuniyayawa on loan from Newcastle Thunder.
Signings Paul Vaughan, Xavier Va’a and Josh Griffin are among some of the recruits who could make their competitive debuts.
York’s 21-man squad: 1 Toa Mata’afa, 2 Ben Jones-Bishop, 4 Sam Wood, 5 Scott Galeano, 6 Mafoa’aeata Hingano, 7 Liam Harris, 8 Jack Martin, 9 Paul McShane, 10 Paul Vaughan, 11 Josh Griffin, 12 Jesse Dee, 13 Jordan Thompson, 14 Denive Balmforth, 15 Xavier Va’a, 16 Justin Sangare, 19 Danny Richardson, 20 Oli Field, 21 Kieran Buchanan, 25 Jack Smith, 26 Nikau Williams, 31 King Vuniyayawa
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