Leeds Rhinos are without Jake Connor for tonight’s Super League clash with Catalans Dragons and the team news has now been confirmed.
Connor was omitted from the 21-man squad after he left the field against former club Huddersfield with the half not even bothering to go for scans, with head coach Brad Arthur bluntly stating: “Break, fracture, cartilage, it’s all the same – ribs are ribs.”
Speaking further on Wednesday, Arthur had explained: “He is a bit tender, his ribs. He has been in every game so it’s probably a good opportunity for us to sit him out.
“He wouldn’t have been able to do his job properly, we’ve got guys in the squad who have come in and done the job and we need to stick with that mentality.”
The guy in question tonight who steps up is Jack Sinfield with the 20-year-old playing in his 13th game for the Rhinos this season, with Leeds seeking a win to keep the pressure on second-place Wigan Warriors.
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Leeds Rhinos team news
Jake Connor for Jack Sinfield is the major change but it’s not the only one that the Rhinos make with Leeds able to welcome back forward Keenan Palasia.
The Samoan international returns at loose forward meaning Kallum Watkins drops to the bench, where there is no place for Andy Ackers who is named 18th man.
Sam Lisone, James Bentley and the returning Tom Holroyd are also on the bench with the other big call being Max Simpson over Ned McCormack in the centres.
Leeds Rhinos XIII: Lachie Miller; Ryan Hall, Harry Newman, Max Simpson, Chris Hankinson; Brodie Croft, Jack Sinfield; Cooper Jenkins, Jarrod O’Connor, Mikolaj Oledzki; James McDonnell, Morgan Gannon, Keenan Palasia
Interchanges: Kallum Watkins, Sam Lisone, James Bentley, Tom Holroyd
Your Leeds Rhinos team for the final game of the regular season at AMT Headingley against Catalans Dragons, kick off 8pm, live on Sky Sports + pic.twitter.com/HF3QxrVE9D
— Leeds Rhinos (@leedsrhinos) September 11, 2025
Catalans Dragons team news
Joel Tomkins had a job on his hand navigating the three bans his side picked up last week with Franck Maria’s five-match suspension the longest of them. Tevita Pangai Jr and Alrix Da Costa also ended up banned, meaning the Dragons are down on three forwards.
Denive Balmforth’s loan recall means Ugo Tison is thrown in as the makeshift hooker to form a spine alongside the returning Luke Keary, as well as Theo Fages and Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet.
Jordan Dezaria starts at prop in the absence of Pangai Jr with three forwards named on the bench in Chris Satae, Julian Bousquet and Paul Seguier.
Catalans Dragons XIII: Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet; Fouad Yaha, Nick Cotric, Reimis Smith, Tommy Makinson; Theo Fages, Luke Keary; Jordan Dezaria, Ugo Tison, Romain Navarrete; Tariq Sims, Bayley Sironen, Benjamin Garcia
Interchanges: Chris Satae, Julian Bousquet, Paul Seguier, Tanguy Zenon
📋 Le 𝐗𝐈𝐈𝐈 𝐝𝐞 𝐝𝐞́𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 de Joel Tomkins pic.twitter.com/sPpQeN4sMt
— Dragons Catalans (@DragonsOfficiel) September 11, 2025
