Leeds Rhinos news: out of contract play-maker suffers season-ending injury during loan spell
Leeds Rhinos scrum-half Matt Frawley has suffered a season-ending injury during his loan spell at Huddersfield Giants.
The Australian damaged an ankle in Giants’ 52-4 loss at St Helens last week. He has now undergone surgery and Huddersfield coach Luke Robinson confirmed he won’t play again this year.
Frawley is expected to leave Leeds when his contract expires this autumn. He joined Rhinos ahead of last season and was a regular in the team throughout the 2024 campaign, but dropped down the pecking order after only six appearances this term.
Former Giants pivot Jake Connor is now established as a first-choice half-back at Leeds, alongside Brodie Croft, with Jack Sinfield as back-up. Frawley has not played for Rhinos since a home win against Giants at Easter and joined Huddersfield - the club he spent the 2019 season with - in June. The initial one-month loan was later extended for the “forseeable future”.
Robinson said: “He has gone for an operation today [Friday]. There’s nothing we can do about it, it’s one of those things that happens in sport. He’s another half we have lost, that’s Niall Evalds, Tui Lolohea, Adam Clune and now Frawls all gone for the year.
“He has done a real good job since he came in. He has steadied the ship for us and given us some good leadership in the halves. It’s really unfortunate, not only for us, but also for him as a player.”
Giants have taken their former player Oliver Russell on loan from Wakefield Trinity as a replacement for Frawley, who scored seven tries in 32 games for Leeds.