Leeds Rhinos news: 1st-choice forward ruled out through injury as Brad Arthur hands full-back role to rookie
A first-choice Leeds Rhinos player has been ruled out of Friday’s home clash with Huddersfield Giants because of injury.
Speaking at his weekly preview press conference today (Tuesday), coach Brad Arthur said 19-year-old forward Presley Cassell will come into the team in place of prop Tom Holroyd. He also revealed rookie Fergus McCormack, 20, will make his Betfred Super League debut, if full-back Lachie Miller remains suspended. Miller is appealing against a three-match ban issued by the RFL’s match review panel and the result of that will be known later this afternoon/evening.
Arthur said: “Tom Holroyd has just got some back stiffness from last weekend’s game, which is unfortunate for him because I thought he played really well. Pres has been waiting and waiting and he was one of the better performers in reserve grade on the weekend just gone.
“We were going five or six weeks with no injuries and all of a sudden a few spots open up. It is good on one hand because we get to give these young guys an opportunity.
“We have been telling them to hang in there, have the right attitude, keep training well and playing well - you just don’t know when your time will come. It is a good example for everyone else in the club. While these young guys have been frustrated, they have been patient and still doing their job and now they get their chance.”
Fergus McCormack - whose older brother Ned McCormack is also a Rhinos player - has been in recent 21-man squads and is set to replace Miller on Friday if the Aussie remains suspended. Arthur said: “We could have gone down the route of moving Chank [Chris Hankinson] there and making changes, but we have got these kids here and we said at the start of the year we have got good depth and we need to back that.”
Fergus McCormack began as a half-back before converting to the number one position. His only previous first team game was as a substitute in Leeds’ Challenge Cup win at Widnes Vikings three months ago.
“We’re putting him in a pretty good team,” Arthur stated. “All these guys have been there, done that and made their debut at a young age. They know what it’s like and they want to make sure they do their jobs to help him do his.
“Ferg is ready to go and is coming into a team that has been playing pretty well and is on top of their game and he’s going to be a part of that.”
Alfie Edgell, who can play full-back or wing, would have been an option, but remains unavailable because of a thigh muscle injury suffered on Boxing Day. Arthur reported: “Alfie is running and getting fitter, but is probably still a month away. Every time Alfie has had his opportunity he has made the most of it, he has just been unlucky he hasn’t been able to do much more than five or six weeks of it.”