Leeds Rhinos news: prop's injury explained as 1st teamers set for reserves duty ahead of Castleford Tigers
Two of Leeds Rhinos’ Australian imports will play in the reserves this weekend, coach Brad Arthur has confirmed.
Outside-back Ethan Clark-Wood and scrum-half Matt Frawley have both been named in Rhinos’ initial 21-man squad for tomorrow’s (Saturday) Betfred Super League derby at Castleford Tigers, but Arthur said the pair will feature for the second-string at Wigan Warriors the same afternoon. Clark-Wood has not played since sustaining an ankle injury in a reserves game against St Helens at the end of March and his only first team appearance so far was at Catalans Dragons earlier that month.
“He has been back for a couple of weeks now, full training,” Arthur said at his weekly preview press conference today (Friday). “There might be some opportunities for him further down the track.” Clark-Wood replaced Alfie Edgell in Rhinos’ 21 and Arthur explained the full-back/winger is unavailable because of a shoulder injury suffered in the Super League win over St Helens three weeks ago.
“He’s probably another week away,” Arthur said of Edgell. “We’ve got next week [at home to Wakefield Trinity] and then a week off and he will probably be back after that. He is training, but he hasn’t been able to do any full contact.”
Frawley has been left out of Rhinos’ past three Super League games and will also be on second team duty. “All those guys who are fit and healthy [will play in the reserves],” Arthur stated. “Andy Ackers, Alfie and Tom Nicholson-Watton are the only ones who’ve been regulars who won’t play in the reserves this week.”
Of prop Nicholson-Watton, Arthur said: “He had a stress fracture reaction in his foot so we are just waiting for a bit more news around that. He is going to be out for an extended period.
“That’s unfortunate; he is a good club person, he trains hard, does all the right things and waits for his opportunity. He has had limited opportunities this year so it’s a shame for him. He is one of those guys at training that works really hard to help the main team to prepare each week.”
Rhinos’ second team play every other week, but there are no immediate plans to send players out on loan to gain game time. Arthur said: “Not at the minute, we don’t need to. We’ve got a reserves game this week so they will get some football.
“Our reserves have done a really good job for us with our preparation each week, with our training. They are preparing us at a high level and really testing us at training, which is good. All the success you get on the field, it’s not just the 17 guys. All the staff here do a great job and the players who aren’t playing each week are big contributors as well.”
Meanwhile, Arthur - who is out of contract at the end of this season - remains undecided on whether he will remain at Rhinos next year. He has been linked with the new Perth Bears club which will join the southern hemisphere NRL in 2027, but stressed: “I am the coach here at the moment.
“I haven’t, at this stage, made a decision on what I am doing. Like I have said all the way through - I don’t want to keep going on about it - I’ve got two boys at home I am desperate to get home to at some stage, but there’s been no pressure to make a decision at the moment.”
Arthur confirmed he has spoken to Perth “at some stage”, but added: “I am just worried about every game as it comes, week to week. There’s no pressure from the club for me to make any decisions at the moment. I haven’t said I am not here next year.”