Leeds Rhinos will debut a new signing against Hull FC and see a key injury return.
New Leeds Rhinos signing Jack Bird.(Image: SW PIX)
Leeds Rhinos will debut new Australian recruit Jack Bird against Hull FC on Sunday afternoon – with influential half-back Brodie Croft also set to return after two games out with a hamstring injury.
The Rhinos, like the Black and Whites, are looking to respond after a disappointing Challenge Cup defeat last week, with the boost of two overseas talents helping their cause.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday, Arthur confirmed that Bird, who arrived at the Rhinos from NRL outfit Wests Tigers last month and has since been getting up to speed in training, will play some part at the MKM Stadium, with the 31-year-old debuting off the bench, albeit where he plays will be dictated by how the game goes.
Meanwhile, Croft is good to go after recovering from a minor hamstring tweak, with the player copping the injury in the latter stages of the side’s victory over Hull KR in Las Vegas.
“Jack hasn’t played for a long time,” Arthur said. “I think it’s been six or seven months since he last played a game, so our expectations won’t be too high.”
Asked where the Aussie will play, Arthur continued: “The game will decide that once we’re in the flow of it. He’ll come off the bench and the game will decide what’s needed at the time or where it’s at.
“I can’t predict that right now, but what I do know is he can go to the centre, he can go in the halves, he can go to the back row, and he can go to 13. He can pretty much carve up any position for us, similar to Chank (Chris Hankinson).
And on Croft, who trained this week, Arthur said: “He trained really well on Wednesday. He was very, very close (to playing at Wakefield) last week, but we were just beaten by the circumstances.
“We only had the opportunity for one training session on the five-day turnaround and it wasn’t much of a session, so it wasn’t enough to test him.
“We’re four games into the season, so it wasn’t the right thing to put him out there, not knowing 100 per cent that he was good to go.”
Croft’s return is a welcome boost for the Rhinos, who have suffered a long-term blow with young half-back George Brown requiring surgery on a serious knee injury. The teenager left the field at Wakefield last week.
“It could be quite lengthy, they’re talking four or five months,” Arthur said. “It’s his meniscus and I’m not sure if he will play again this year – it will just depend on his rehab. There is certainly no rush, he’s only young and we want to give him every opportunity.”
Leeds Rhinos 21-man squad: 1. Lachie Miller, 2. Maika Sivo, 3. Harry Newman, 4. Ash Handley, 5. Ryan Hall, 6. Brodie Croft, 7. Jake Connor, 8. Mikolaj Oledzki, 9. Jarrod O’Connor, 10. Tom Holroyd, 11. Kallum Watkins, 12. James McDonnell, 13. Keenan Palasia, 14. Chris Hankinson, 15. Cooper Jenkins, 16. Ethan O’Neill, 17. Cameron Smith, 19. Jeremiah Mata’utia, 23. Danny Levi, 25. Ben Littlewood, 33. Jack Bird