Injuries bite, but young players a positive for Leeds Rhinos' women after tough Super League start

After three rounds, Rhinos are second from bottom in Betfred Women’s Super League with only Warrington Wolves - who they meet at AMT Headingley tomorrow (3pm) - below them. But they have faced last year’s league leaders St Helens, reigning champions York Valkyrie and new Challenge Cup holders Wigan Warriors in the toughest possible start to the campaign and Sunday’s game is an opportunity for them to get back on track.

Coach Lois Forsell - whose side also lost to Wigan in a Challenge Cup semi-final - said: “We had four really tough games to start off with, but now we have got a period to build ourselves back up and we will do that. We know the quality we’ve got. We’ve taken a lot from the early part of the season, but there’s also a lot we can learn from.”

Injuries have had an impact on Leeds in the early stages of the season, with Bella Sykes (hamstring), Connie Boyd (ankle), Grace Field (shoulder) , Ebony Stead (foot) and Frankie Blakey (hip) spending time on the sidelines. In addition, Ruby Enright hasn’t played, but could be available for the end of the campaign following two operations, Caitlin Beevers is aiming to be back from a serious knee injury in July or August and off-season signing Lacey Owen is yet to make her debut, because of illness.

Only 13 players were fit to train before the league game against Wigan two weeks ago and Forsell stressed: “We are really doing it tough, but I have got belief in the girls [who are fit]. I know we can put an 80-minute performance together.”

Forsell was “disappointed and frustrated” with the way Leeds played against Wigan and a better start is the priority for tomorrow. “Our start wasn’t good enough, there were too many errors and a lack of desire in defence,” she admitted.

“There’s areas where we do have a good dig and show how competitive we can be, but not consistently enough. There’s got to be some individual accountability, but as a group we have to start better.”

One encouraging sign is the form of Rhinos’ next generation. Their academy have beaten St Helens, York and Wigan this year and meet Warrington in a curtain-raiser tomorrow (1pm). Forsell noted: “We’ve got quite a young side in our 19s, so that is positive. They have been doing brilliantly, we know they’ve got some girls who will be pushing through to the first team in the next season or two and that’s exciting.

“It is what we are all about at Leeds, getting that youth through and making sure they get an opportunity. We’ve still got a lot of young girls in our first team so it is going to take time; they are learning quick and it’s a lot for them to keep improving on.”

Stead, Boyd and Blakey are all set to return for Sunday’s Super League game and new signing Sharp is set for her debut.

Leeds Rhinos Women (v Warrington, 3pm kick-off): from Stead, Cousins, Nuttall, Howard, Walker, Bennett, Northrop, Brown, Murray, Dainton, Bruce, Donnelly, Glynn, Greening, Whitehead, Frain, Short, Boyd, Blakey, Bryer, Sharp.

Rhinos women under-19s (v Warrington, 1pm kick-off): from Baker, Benn, Brook, Carter, Green, Hallas, Henderson, Hirst, Leach, Morrison-Twibill, Seal, Sharp, Smith, Thompson, Wambalu, Wilson, Winter.