Super League team news as Leeds Rhinos dealt huge boost, St Helens forward returns and Bradford Bulls forced into changes

Round two of Super League is fast approaching and clubs have named their squads ahead of Friday night’s action.

Brad Arthur’s Leeds Rhinos will be desperate to pick up their first win of the season before heading out to Las Vegas, but they know they’ll be in for a challenging evening against York, though, who stunned the treble winners last week in what was one of the biggest shocks in Super League history.

St Helens boss Paul Rowley will be demanding a much improved performance when his side host Leigh Leopards after underwhelming in round one against Warrington Wolves.

Catalans Dragons will be the opposition when Bradford Bulls welcome Super League action back to Odsal.

Here’s the team news ahead of Friday’s games.

Leeds Rhinos v York Knights

Leeds Rhinos have been boosted by the return of a raft of players ahead of this Friday’s clash with York Knights. Maika Sivo looks set to make his Super League debut for the Rhinos after being passed fit to play this week.

The Fijian winger has spent the last 13 months on the sidelines with an ACL injury but he’ll play this week and he’ll be keen to impress as he shakes off the cobwebs.

Cameron Smith and Jake Connor have also been passed fit after missing round one, while Jeremiah Mata’utia is another in line for a debut after shaking off the knee injury he picked up in January.

Mark Applegarth has made just one change to his 21-man squad ahead of this week’s trip across Yorkshire. John Sagaga, who joined the club from Penrith Panthers in the off-season is in contention for a debut for the Knight, with the forward replacing Jack Smith in the squad.

Danny Richardson, Kieran Buchanan and King Vuniyayawa are also included and the trio will be hoping to get the nod after being overlooked last week.

Leeds Rhinos: Lachie Miller, Maika Sivo, Harry Newman, Ryan Hall, Brodie Croft, Jake Connor, Jarrod O’Connor, Tom Holroyd, Kallum Watkins, James McDonnell, Keenan Palasia, Chris Hankinson, Cooper Jenkins, Ethan O’Neill, Cameron Smith, Jeremiah Mata’utia, Danny Levi, Ned McCormack, Ben Littlewood, Tom Nicholson-Watton, George Brown.

York Knights: Toa Mata’afa, Ben Jones-Bishop, Sam Wood, Scott Galeano, Mafoa’aeata Hingano, Liam Harris, Jack Martin, Paul McShane, Paul Vaughan, Josh Griffin, Jesse Dee, Jordan Thompson, Denive Balmforth, Xavier Va’a, Justin Sangare, Danny Richardson, Oli Field, Kieran Buchanan John Sagaga, Nikau Williams, King Vuniyayawa.

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St Helens v Leigh Leopards

Paul Rowley will be determined to pick up his first Super League win as Saints head coach this week but he’ll have to do it without Jack Welsby. The full-back dislocated his shoulder last time out and won’t feature for three months at least.

He drops out of the fold this week then, with the England international being replaced by the fit again Curtis Sironen and that represents the only change in Rowley’s 21-man squad.

Adrian Lam has named Umyla Hanley in the squad after the centre missed the opening round of the Super League season and if he’s fit enough to play that will come as a big boost for the Leopards.

Isaac Liu and Frankie Halton are also named despite their injury issues, while Aaron Pene looks set to come into the fold.

St Helens Kyle Feldt, Harry Robertson, Deon Cross, Tristan Sailor, Jonny Lomax, Alex Walmsley, Daryl Clark, Curtis Sironen, Shane Wright, David Klemmer, Jacob Host, George Delaney, Matt Whitley, George Whitby, Lewis Murphy, Joe Shorrocks, Jake Burns, Owen Dagnall, Nene Macdonald, Jake Davies, Jackson Hastings.

Leigh Leopards: Keanan Brand, Tesi Niu, Umyla Hanley, Josh Charnley, Adam Cook, Lachlan Lam, Joe Ofahengaue, Edwin Ipape, Robbie Mulhern, Frankie Halton, Owen Trout, Isaac Liu, Aaron Pene, Jacob Alick-Wiencke, Matt Davis Liam Horne, Bailey Hodgson, Innes Senior, Gareth O’Brien, Jack Hughes, Andrew Badrock.

Bradford Bulls v Catalans Dragons

Bradford Bulls boss Kurt Haggerty has been forced into changes this week with Jayden Okunbor and Dan Russell picking up knee injuries last week at Hull FC.

Ethan Ryan comes back into the fold though after missing last week through illness, while Sam Hallas is also named in the 21-man squad and it seems as though both could step straight into the matchday squad.

Catalans boss Joel Tomkins has named a 20-man squad for the trip to Odsal, but the only change in personnel is Alexis Lis coming in for the suspended Benjamin Garcia.

Bradford Bulls: Andy Ackers, Caleb Aekins, Waqa Blake, Ed Chamberlain, Eribe Doro, Brandon Douglas, Zac Fulton, Sam Hallas, Luke Hooley, Joe Keyes, Loghan Lewis, Esan Marsters, Joe Mellor, Rowan Milnes, Eliot Peposhi, Leon Ruan, Ethan Ryan, Ebon Scurr, Mitch Souter, Ryan Sutton, Connor Wynne

Catalans Dragons: Charlie Staines, Tommy Makinson, Nick Cotric, Solomona Faataape, Toby Sexton, Lewis Dodd, Chris Satae, Alrix Da Costa, Julian Bousquet, Ben Condon, Phoenix Laulu-Togaga’e, Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui, Josh Allen, Romain Navrrete, Harvey Wilson, Kruise Leeming, Zac Lipowicz, Matthieu Laguerre, Josh Simm, Alexis Lis.