Leeds Rhinos v Bradford Bulls: latest team news for Cameron Smith testimonial
All Leeds Rhinos’ available first team players will get a run in Cameron Smith’s testimonial against Bradford Bulls today (Saturday).
Coach Brad Arthur has named a 25-man squad with only Maika Sivo, Keenan Palasia, Jeremiah Mata’utia and Alfie Edgell not included. Winger Sivo, who hasn’t played since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament tear 12 months ago, won’t be risked and full-back Edgell is part way through a 14-16-week layoff after suffering a thigh injury in the Boxing Day game against Wakefield Trinity.
Mata’utia is touch and go for the start of Betfred Super League, in three weeks’ time, after picking up a knee problem in training and fellow forward Palasia has a “minor niggle”, but could be fit by round one. Outside-back Harley Thomas, centre Oscar Brown and half-back George Brown - who don’t have a squad number - have been drafted in from the second-string side which lost at Castleford Tigers last week.
Loose-forward Smith has recovered from an operation on his back and will start at loose-forward in his first game since last July. Centres Harry Newman and Ash Handley both return following off-season groin surgery.
Arthur said: “We will be going with a strong team, definitely for the first half. Kallum Watkins will probably only play the second half, Mik [Oledzki] might only get 30-40 minutes. All our backs haven’t had a hit out yet, Ash and Harry are coming off surgery, they’ve been training really well, but they’ll only probably play 40 minutes. Crofty [Brodie Croft] and Jake [Connor] will get probably 50-60 minutes, then we’ll put the young guys out there to finish the game off.”
Bulls’ squad includes ex-Leeds players Sam Hallas, Luke Hooley and Leon Ruan, but Andy Ackers - who moved from Rhinos to Bradford in pre-season - will not feature.
Leeds Rhinos: Miller, Hankinson, Newman, Handley, Hall, Croft, Connor, Jenkins, Levi, Holroyd, O'Neill, McDonnell, Smith. Subs Oledzki, O'Connor, Watkins, Simpson, Cassell, Lumb, N McCormack, Littlewood, Nicholson-Watton, G Brown, O Brown, Thomas.
Bradford Bulls: from Aekins, Blake, Doro, Douglas, Gill, Hallas, Hooley, Keyes, Lewis, Marsters, Michael, Nikorima, Okunbor, Peposhi, Ruan, Russell, Ryan, Souter, Sutton, Wynne.
Referee: Tom Grant (Leeds). Kick-off: Saturday, 1pm.