Leeds Rhinos v Hull KR latest team news and 21-man squads as door left open for Riley Lumb recall

Lumb, 20, played in Rhinos’ opening 17 games of 2025, but has been out of the picture since a defeat at St Helens on June 20. With his initial replacement Alfie Edgell on the injury list, recent signing Chris Hankinson has been on the left-wing for Rhinos’ past two games.

Though Lumb - who played in Betfred Super League on loan for Salford Red Devils against Hull FC earlier this month - is in Rhinos’ 21-man squad, Hankinson is set to continue in today’s (Thursday) visit of Hull KR. Lumb has touched down 11 times for Leeds this term, a total matched only by veteran winger Ryan Hall and Arthur insisted: “Riley could get another opportunity.

“I thought Chris did a really good job for us last weekend. In his first game he got a few things wrong, but I thought he tried really hard against Leigh and in terms of his execution and his role the other day against Castleford, he was really good.

“Everyone wants to play well because they know if they don’t, there’s a chance of someone else taking their spot. That’s how you win games of footy, you want all 17 blokes contributing and playing at their best.”

Prop Mikolaj Oledzki, who has missed the last four games, has been named in Rhinos’ initial squad, along with loan signing Joe Shorrocks. Neither is expected to play so Presley Cassell will make a second successive start at prop. Even without suspended veteran Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Hull KR have a big, aggressive pack, but Arthur insisted he has full confidence in the 18-year-old rookie.

“Otherwise, I wouldn’t be putting him there,” he said. “I thought Keenan [Palasia] did a good job of leading from the front [against Castleford Tigers last week] and both our back-rowers were nice and physical. The rest of the forwards really stepped up to make his transition into that role as comfortable as possible. It’s another level this week, but sometimes you don’t know until you actually put them out there.

“It is a good opportunity for Pres and he’s certainly not backwards in coming forward. He will get a couple of things wrong, but he will keep going at it.” Arthur added: “He is looking forward to it, nothing seems to faze him.

“He showed that last weekend. This is another level again, there’s some things he’ll want to improve on after this weekend, but the only way they get experience is by giving them the experience. I can talk to him about how he needs to start and doing this and that, but the only way he’s going to learn is by doing it.”

The only change to the Robins’ 21, following their win at Wigan Warriors last week, sees half-back Tyrone May return from suspension in place of Waerea-Hargreaves. Of the former Kiwi Test ace’s absence, Arthur said: “He is a good player and they’d probably rather have him in there, but I think both teams have got enough depth to cover. They’ve had plenty of injuries and keep fronting up. The guys who come in get the job done so I don’t think it’ll change how they play.”

Leeds Rhinos: from Miller, Newman, Handley, Hall, Croft, Oledzki, Ackers, Palasia, Bentley, McDonnell, O’Connor, Lisone, Gannon, Connor, Sinfield, Lumb, Littlewood, Watkins, Cassell, Hankinson, Shorrocks.

Hull KR: from Davies, Hiku, Burgess, Lewis, May, Sue, Litten, Hadley, Batchelor, Minchella, Luckley, Whitbread, Martin, Broadbent, Tanginoa, Brown, Doro, Leyland, Mourgue, Booth, Milnes.

Referee: Jack Smith (Wigan). Kick-off: Thursday, 8pm.