Leeds Rhinos news: returning star praised but key duo will miss Castleford Tigers derby
Second-rower Morgan Gannon has been praised for his ‘tough’ Leeds Rhinos comeback after an unexpected call into the starting side.
Gannon returned from five matches on the sidelines with an ankle injury when Rhinos hit back from 8-0 down to win 22-14 at Leigh Leopards on Thursday. The 21-year-old, who will join New Zealand Warriors in the southern hemisphere NRL next season, played the full game, but coach Brad Arthur revealed the initial plan was for him to get only half an hour, as one of the substitutes.
“I told him at the start of the week I was only playing him for 30 minutes and starting him off the bench,” Arthur stated. “We had a couple of mishaps at training during the week and, to his credit, he went out there and did a great job for us. He rolled that ankle again; it’s okay, but he toughed it out and it just shows he is going to handle the NRL okay.”
Winger Maika Sivo, who won’t play this year after damaging knee ligaments in pre-season, co-captain Cameron Smith (back) and the prop-forward duo of Mikolaj Oledzki and Tom Holroyd remain on Leeds’ casualty list. Sivo is back in this country following a break in Australia and was at Thursday’s game.
Oledzki (fractured cheekbone) and Holroyd (wrist) are getting closer to a return, but Arthur has ruled them out of next Saturday’s derby at Castleford Tigers. He said: “Mik will be the following week and Tom may be a week or two after that.”
Arthur confirmed Rhinos came through the match at Leigh with no obvious new injury worries, though the coach admitted he has said that before and been proved wrong. “I know I say that every week, but that just shows you the toughness of the group because often they play through things and we don’t find out until the next day,” he said. “But I think we are okay.”
Yesterday’s clash was a bruising battle between the sides now third and fourth in the table and Arthur feels winning such a hard-fought contest was ideal preparation for the final six league rounds and the play-offs. “It certainly helps us get ready for those big games,” he added.
“We have had a lot of big games in the last 10 weeks. We’ve lost our fair share of games, but all our losing margins have been minimal and we’ve been right in them. With 30 seconds to go in the last game [away to Wakefield] we got beat. This week, we managed to hang on and then kick away and score a try so we are learning as we go.
“It is important in terms of how the table looks and any time you can take two points off a team that’s in front of you, it’s nearly worth four. There’s six games to go and it’s still a long time.”
After Tigers, Rhinos play host to table-topping Hull KR followed by visits to seventh-placed Hull FC and second-bottom Huddersfield Giants. They complete their home campaign against Catalans Dragons, who are currently ninth, before travelling to second-placed Wigan Warriors in round 27.