Bradford Bulls v Leeds Rhinos latest team news as coach Brad Arthur 'feels sorry' for players left out
Leeds Rhinos coach Brad Arthur admits it is “hard” leaving fit players out of the team.
Rhinos’ unchanged 21-man squad for tonight’s derby at Bradford Bulls – which will be available to watch free via the BBC - includes 19 of their top-20, with only rookie centre Max Simpson, who won’t play this year after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in pre-season, ruled out. England centre Harry Newman is expected to miss a second successive game after being replaced by recent signing Jack Bird for last Sunday’s win against Warrington Wolves.
Of the others who didn’t play in that, Presley Cassell hasn’t featured since Betfred Super League round one and fellow forwards Ethan O’Neill and Jeremiah Mata’utia have been left out of the past three matches. Arthur admitted: “It is hard, as a coach I am whinging I can’t get everyone in the team, but if we had injuries I’d be whinging about that.
“As coaches we are never happy. I just feel sorry for those guys, it is part of the gig. I am really comfortable [sporting director] Ian Blease has done a good job putting together a good, solid squad and I want to rap our staff because they’ve done a good job of keeping them all healthy.
“But we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves too, because that can change overnight. For those guys it is tough, I talk to them weekly about it and all they can do is train well and, the games they get in reserve grade, play well. There might be a possibility we can get them some Super League games, we want to do all we can to get them playing at the best level, but at the moment it creates good, healthy competition for spots and that’s what we need.”
Arthur conceded the players missing out are “frustrated and disappointed, which is what I would expect and want from them”, but stressed: “They are training well and doing all the right things.
“There is no negativity from them around the group. If they had their choice they’d rather be in the team and that’s what we need - we need guys who all want to be in the team, then the guys who are can’t take it for granted because the ones who are missing out want their spots. That’s not a negative thing, it’s a positive.”
Cassell played on loan for Huddersfield Giants in Bulls’ previous home match two weeks ago. Some first team squad members will feature for the reserves against Bradford at Horsfall Stadium tomorrow, but Arthur confirmed loan deals “might be a possibility, as long as it works for us as well as the team that’s in need of them,” when Super League returns after next week’s Challenge Cup break.
That won’t include Newman. Arthur stated: “Harry has just had a couple of bumps and bruises and we wanted to get him through that, now he is committed to getting himself back in the team. We don’t want Harry Newman going anywhere, he is part of our team and an integral part of our team.”
Bulls coach Kurt Haggerty has made three changes to his initial group. Eliot Peposhi returns after suspension, Zac Fulton is available following a concussion layoff and Joe Keyes also comes back into contention. Ex-Rhinos full-back Luke Hooley drops out from the 21 named before last week’s 40-28 defeat at Castleford Tigers, along with Guy Armitage - who has a hamstring injury - and Brandon Douglas.
Bulls’ squad includes Andy Ackers who joined them from Rhinos in pre-season, plus ex-Leeds men Sam Hallas, Leon Ruan and Jack Ormondroyd.
Bradford Bulls: from Ackers, Aekins, Atkin, Blake, Chamberlain, Fulton, Hallas, Keyes, Lewis, Marsters, Mellor, Milnes, Nikorima, Ormondroyd, Peposhi, Ruan, Ryan, Souter, Steinwede, Sutton, Wynne.
Leeds Rhinos: from Miller, Sivo, Newman, Handley, Hall, Croft, Connor, Oledzki, O’Connor, Holroyd, Watkins, McDonnell, Palasia, Hankinson, Jenkins, O'Neill, C Smith, Mata’utia, Cassell, Levi, Bird.
Referee: Liam Moore (Wigan). Kick-off: Friday, 8pm.