Leeds Rhinos have bright future as youngsters ready for 2 Grand Finals in 8 days v Warrington Wolves

Rhinos face Warrington Wolves at AMT Headingley tomorrow (Saturday, 2pm) in the reserves showpiece before the clubs’ academy sides meet a week later at HJ Stadium for the under-18s title decider. Both Grand Finals see the top two sides on the table go head to head, with the league leaders having home advantage.

Chev Walker, who coaches both Rhinos’ lower grade teams, said: “We’ll have a similar side to the one we’ve had all year. There’ll be a sprinkling of fringe first team players, but the majority of them are eligible under-18s. It is strong, we have got a good bunch. A lot of them will be playing next week as well and it’s the same for them [Warrington] as well.”

Whatever happens, Walker reckons Rhinos can be proud of the season they’ve had. Leeds’ reserves lost just one of their 12 fixtures, 18-16 at Hull FC in April and hammered Warrington 44-12 three months later, though the lineups are likely to be different tomorrow.

“With a young side, it has been really, really pleasing,” Walker stated. “They have stood up in 11 games and we were unlucky away at Hull, we just lost that on the bell - missed a goal to take it to golden-point, but we learned a lot from that one loss. It has been a cracking year.”

According to Walker, reserves is growing in strength as a competition. He added: “All teams have bought into playing their young, talented players in it at every opportunity. The relaxed loan deals has helped, so the likes of Wigan have been able to let their lads go out and play at London for a week and come back and play reserves and they’ve not lost players for two weeks or a month at a time.

“It has been a much stronger competition than previous years, because the reserves lads have genuinely been from that club. In 2022 we were using players from Hunslet and Batley, but it makes it a bit more consistent, having our own players play. It has been a lot more enjoyable.”

The ultimate aim of the lower grades is to prepare players for first team rugby. Presley Cassell has made the step up this year and Walker reckons more will follow. He said: “They are chasing it. BA [Rhinos coach Brad Arthur] has got a good bunch of kids he’ll be able to use next year, when they’ll be a year older and more experienced.

“It bodes well for us next year and going forward after that. If the first team is healthy their opportunities might be limited, but no doubt the year after they will be planned in there and able to be part of the squad going forward.”

Warrington’s second-string suffered only two losses in the league and Walker expects them to throw everything at Leeds. “Their academy team are the only team to beat us this year,” he warned. “They are well-coached and stacked with talent. I know it has been a miserable year for Warrington in terms of first team performances, but they have been hanging their hat on their kids as well. It is a recipe for a good game. We have both got the pick of the best kids so it should be a good battle. We are looking forward to it.”

Rhinos are without hooker Joe Diskin, who will miss both finals after undergoing surgery on a shoulder injury suffered against Castleford Tigers last month. Presley Cassell, Ben Littlewood, Ned McCormack and Tom Nicholson-Watton – who were all named in Rhinos’ 21 for Friday’s Super League game at Wigan Warriors – are in Walker’s 19-man squad. For Warrington, Cai Taylor-Wray, Ewan Irwin, Max Wood, Thomas McKinney and Lucas Green could back up from Thursday’s Super League game at Hull KR.

Leeds Rhinos reserves: from G Brown, Butterfield, Cassell, Fox, Hardy, D Jones-Buchanan, Littlewood, Lloyd, N McCormack, Nicholson-Watton, Proud, Qareqare, Smart, J Smith, H Smith, H Thomas, Tinkler, Tuohey, Whittingham.

Warrington Wolves: from Bajer, Barratt, Coop, Duffy, Green, Hartill, Hickey, Holdsworth, Irwin, Lund, McKinney, McKler, Raughter, Regan, Reid, Sargent, Stanton, Taylor-Wray, C Walker.

Referee: Milo McKelvey (Huddersfield). Kick-off: Saturday, 2pm.