Leeds Rhinos ‘all guns blazing’ for Hull KR clash as Engand man gives verdict

England centre Harry Newman insists Leeds Rhinos “can match anyone” as they prepare for the season’s toughest challenge.

Rhinos are on a six-game losing run against Sunday’s hosts Hull KR, but Newman reckons they are good enough to upset the Betfred Super League leaders, if they come up with an 80-minute performance.

Leeds led for much of their 20-14 home defeat by the Robins in April and will go into this weekend’s game on the back of a 48-30 win against Leigh Leopards when they produced their best attack – and poorest defence – of the campaign so far.

Newman admitted Hull KR are “flying”, but stressed: “We probably should have won the home game against them and we will be going there all guns blazing.

“We will give it our best shot and if we fix some defensive things up, I think we will go close.

“We know we can match anyone and the scary thing is we’ve not reached our height yet.

“There’s been signs of it, both with the ball and without, but when we do play for 80 minutes I think we’ll be a very dangerous team.”

Leeds Rhinos man calls on tougher defence for KR test

Newman accepts Rhinos will need to be better defensively than they were last weekend.

“I thought our attack was outstanding,” he said. “Leigh are a great attacking team and they broke us down a fair bit, so the second half was a bit disappointing.

“If we are going to be a champion team we have to be a lot better than that. That is what we are focusing on. It didn’t really feel like a winning changing room and that’s probably a good thing.

“It shows where we are as a team and the team we want to be. We were happy to get the win, but we were a bit disappointed with the tries we conceded in the second half – they were soft and that’s not like us.”

Newman was one of two Rhinos players to bag a brace of tries against Leigh, along with veteran forward Kallum Watkins.

Newman made his debut in 2017, two years before Watkins – then also a centre – ended his first spell at Leeds and he recalled: “He was a great leader when I first came through, I always did my extras with him and looked up to Kal.

“When he left I took that position and now he has come back and has been absolutely outstanding, the same as Hally [Ryan Hall].

“They are older players, 34 and 37, but the experience they bring to the training ground and off the field, as well as on the field, has been fantastic.”

Newman is one of six Leeds Rhinos players in England’s train–on squad ahead of the Ashes Test series which begins against Australia in October.

Of his personal form, he said: “I was pleased with my performance [last week] but I am never comfortable with where I am at. I don’t think I am back to where I want to be yet, but when I do that I’ll just keep kicking on.”

Brad Arthur has named an unchanged 21 man squad to face Hull KR this Sunday, kick off 3pm. James McDonnell is set to make his 100th career appearance

— Leeds Rhinos (@leedsrhinos) July 4, 2025