Leeds Rhinos v Castleford Tigers latest team news: players make 'pick him' plea after star ruled out

Leeds coach Brad Arthur has confirmed Brown will start alongside Jake Connor in the halves after Croft was ruled out with a hamstring injury. It will be the 19-year-old’s home debut and second Betfred Super League appearance following the round one defeat at Leigh Leopards last month.

Arthur said: “The good thing about it for George is, at the end of the day the buck stops with me around team selection. I own every selection and the accountability with it, but I’ve sourced out a couple of the senior players and leaders and spoke to Jake and they wanted him in the team.

“We have got a couple of options and they wanted to back the kid, so that’s a really good sign. I felt like in his first game he was a bit quiet and probably needed to show a bit more authority in his first 40 minutes, but after a half-time chat in the second half he started to demand and command a bit more football. Hopefully he can build from that last 40 minutes he played against Leigh.”

Brown travelled to Las Vegas with the team last week, but didn’t play in the big win against Hull KR. Arthur felt his teammates were overly protective of Brown in his first top-flight game and has urged them to let him do his own thing this time.

“Sometimes you can try to do too much to try and protect him, they’ve just got to let him go,” the coach insisted. “He deserves to be there and let him play his game. We don’t have to baby sit him.

“Everyone else around him has to do their job really well and if they do that, it makes his job easier. At times you can try and cover for blokes or help them out too much and it just hinders them.”

Forward Ben Littlewood, who was among Rhinos’ substitutes last week, drops out of the 21-man squad and will feature on loan for Hunslet RLFC at Widnes Vikings in the Betfred Championship. Prop Mikolaj Oledzki could make his first Super League appearance of 2026 if he proves his fitness following a rib injury. New signing Jack Bird is in contention, but not expected to play and outside-back Ned McCormack has also been drafted into the initial squad.

The only change to Tigers' initial 21 sees prop Brock Greacen return following injury and illness in place of Fletcher Rooney. The full-back, who didn't play in last weekend's win against Huddersfield Giants, has joined the long-term casualty list with a hamstring problem.

Leeds Rhinos: from Miller, Sivo, Newman, Handley, R Hall, Connor, Oledzki, O’Connor, Holroyd, Watkins, McDonnell, Palasia, Hankinson, Jenkins, O'Neill, Smith, Mata’utia, Levi, N McCormack, Brown, Bird.

Castleford Tigers: from Cini, McIntosh, Ravalawa, Asi, Weaver, Atoni, Hood, Lawler, Lane, Stimson, Greacen, Ashworth, Westerman, Atkin, Singleton, Qareqare, Mapapalangi, S Hall, Beckett, Golding, Hirst.

Referee: James Vella (Sydney). Kick-off: Sunday, 3pm.