Two big names return, another still missing as Leeds Rhinos squad named for Bradford Bulls derby
Two star players will make their first appearance of pre-season for Leeds Rhinos on Sunday, but one is missing again.
Rhyse Martin and Cameron Smith have both been named in the side to face Bradford Bulls at Headingley in Rhinos’ third pre-season game.
Martin, a specialist second-rower, is set to start at centre after David Fusitu’a was not named in Leeds’ 21-man squad.
Fusitu’a did not play in the pre-season opener against Wakefield on Boxing Day, after an extended off-season break in New Zealand.
He had been due to feature at Leigh Leopards last week, but was ruled out because of illness.
Rhinos say not playing on Sunday will allow Fusitu’a - along with others including halves Blake Austin and Aidan Sezer, hooker Kruise Leeming and props Zane Tetevano and Justin Sangare - to get extra work done at the end of this week and over the weekend, rather than focusing on game-preparation for Bradford.
Ash Handley will continue at full-back, with Richie Myler starting in the halves alongside Morgan Gannon.
Sam Lisone is poised for his first Headingley appearance in the front-row and fellow new signing Luis Roberts will start on the right-wing, after impressing at Leigh last week.
Harry Newman, Nene Macdonald, Mikolaj Oledzki, James Bentley, Luke Hooley and Corey Johnson remain on the casualty list.
Youngsters Oli Field, Joe Gibbons and Alfie Edgell have been named on the bench, alongside teenage prop Tom Nicholason-Watton who is not a member of Rhinos’ full-time squad.
Rhinos’ side is: Handley, Roberts, Martin, Olpherts, Tindall, Gannon, Myler, Lisone, O’Connor, Walters, McDonnell, Ruan, Smith. Subs Holroyd, Donaldson, Sinfield, Edwards, Field, Gibbons, Edgell, Nicholson-Watton.