'Hard work and good luck': Leeds Rhinos v Wakefield Trinity latest team news
Hard work and good luck are behind Leeds Rhinos’ remarkable injury-free run, coach Brad Arthur reckons.
Leeds are set to field the same 17 for a fifth successive game when Wakefield Trinity visit AMT Headingley this evening (Friday). Though fringe players Max Simpson, Alfie Edgell and George Brown are on the casualty list, all Rhinos’ first-choice squad are fit.
That continuity has helped Rhinos build a four-match winning sequence, lifting them top of Betfred Super League. Arthur knows the situation could change at any time and insists Leeds have to make the most of it while they can.
He stated: “We have done a lot of hard work over the last 18 months to build up our resilience. That’s credit to the players for buying in and to Adam [Megretton, head of strength and conditioning] and Ferg [David Ferguson, head physiotherapist], but also you get a fair bit of luck.
“While we are in this position we are going to continue to use it to our advantage. The advantage is it creates really good, healthy competition for spots. Every player has to really value their opportunity to play in the team.”
Teenage forward Presley Cassell will again be 18th man this evening. Young backs Fergus McCormack and Harley Thomas have been drafted into the initial squad, replacing Riley Lumb and Tom Nicholson-Watton who are on loan at Hunslet RLFC and Castleford Tigers respectively.
Scrum-half Mason Lino is back in contention for Trinity after a two-game layoff with a patella tendon injury, but forward Seth Nikotemo misses out after failing a head injury assessment during last week’s defeat at St Helens. Isaiah Vagana (shoulder injury) remains unavailable so Wakefield will be without both first-choice second-rowers.
Others on the injury list include full-back Max Jowitt (Achilles), winger Tom Johnstone (knee/Achilles) and hooker/loose-forward Jazz Tevaga (knee). Youngsters Robbie Brook and Zack Clegg have both been called into the initial squad. Ellis Lingard, who didn’t play last week, drops out.
Leeds Rhinos: from Miller, Sivo, Handley, R Hall, Croft, Connor, Oledzki, O’Connor, Holroyd, Watkins, McDonnell, Palasia, Hankinson, Jenkins, O'Neill, Smith, Cassell, Levi, Bird, F McCormack, Thomas.
Wakefield Trinity from: Pratt, Scott, Hall, Trueman, Lino, McMeeken, Smoothy, Rodwell, Storton, Pitts, Hamlin-Uele, Faatili, H Smith, Sinfield, Myers, Rourke, Lolesio, Tate, Abraham, Brook, Clegg.
Referee: Chris Kendall (Huddersfield). Kick-off: Today (Friday), 8pm.