England hopeful Mikolaj Oledzki could be back in action sooner than first feared, according to his Leeds Rhinos coach Brad Arthur.
Leeds initially said Oledzki would be sidelined for six to eight weeks after suffering a fractured cheekbone and damaged eye socket during the Rhinos 6-0 loss to St Helens last Friday.
But speaking at his weekly preview press conference today, ahead of tomorrow’s home game against Salford Red Devils, Arthur painted a slightly more optimistic picture.
“He’s having an operation tomorrow,” the coach revealed. “He’ll have a couple of plates inserted and it’s four-six weeks from there.
“He is pretty smashed up, but it’s not like a soft tissue injury where he has to rehab it. He has to wait for it to heal and then he’s ready to play.
“Mik’s pretty tough, but we certainly won’t be putting him out there until he’s right to play.”
Nobody was charged over the incident which caused Oledzki’s injury, with the RFL’s match review panel describing it as an accident.
Asked about that, Arthur stressed: “I don’t make the rules. All I know is it is up to the defenders not to make contact with the opposition’s head. You take what you like from that.”
Leeds Rhinos set to hand debut to talented teen
Rhinos are also without Oledzki’s fellow prop Tom Holroyd who has undergone surgery on a wrist injury sustained in the win at Hull KR two weeks ago, so 18-year-old back-rower Presley Cassell will make his debut off the bench against Salford.
Arthur added: “Mik has been playing well for us all year. He has been priding himself on his starts and taking that personally as a reflection of him, but it gives Keenan Palasia and Cooper Jenkins an opportunity this week to make sure it’s a reflection of them.
“Tom was providing good game minutes and impact off the bench. We’ll get some more minutes into Cooper and Sam, who can get on the field a little bit earlier and it gives Pres an opportunity.”
Cassell is among 13 Leeds Rhinos players in Yorkshire’s squad for next month’s Academy Origin game against Lancashire.
“We’ve tried to keep it pretty low key,” Arthur said of the teenager’s debut. “We’ve told him it’s not likely he’ll get on in the first half and to sit there and enjoy it.
“We’ll give him some instructions after half-time on when he might take the field. It’s a good indication of where the club is at and it’s rewarding for the likes of Chev [Walker, Rhinos’ transition coach] who has put a lot of time into him. He’ll be like a proud dad come kick-off.”
Meanwhile, winger Elliot Wallis has returned to Huddersfield Giants after his loan spell with Leeds and is in their squad for tomorrow’s game against Wakefield Trinity.
He didn’t play a first team game for Rhinos and Arthur stated: “Unfortunately it didn’t work out moving forward with the [salary] cap and all that sort of thing, but he was good. He trained well for us.”
Leeds Rhinos Head Coach Brad Arthur is set to give 18-year-old Presley Cassell his debut in Friday’s clash with Salford Red Devils at AMT Headingley after confirming his 21 man squad for the game.
— Leeds Rhinos (@leedsrhinos) July 16, 2025
