Leeds Rhinos v Catalans Dragons: Rhinos star Mitch Garbutt confident of slaying Dragons

On the back of five successive Betfred Super League defeats Leeds, the defending champions, have plunged to seventh in the table, only three points ahead of ninth-placed Catalans.

The French side are improving as rapidly as Leeds have declined. Last Friday’s one-point defeat at Huddersfield Giants ended a five-game winning run in league and cup, including a 33-20 home success against Rhinos 25 days ago and victory this evening would leave them only one point behind Huddersfield and Leeds with five rounds remaining before the competition splits into Super-8s and Qualifiers.

Rhinos have been in this situation before, two years ago when they finished ninth before going on to secure their Super League status by topping the table in the middle-eights.

But then their form and injury situation improved towards the end of the regular campaign and now the reverse is true.

Leeds will be without at least 10 senior players tonight. Ryan Hall is in Denver with the England squad preparing for Saturday’s Test against New Zealand and Kallum Watkins, Jimmy Keinhorst, Richie Myler, Jordan Lilley, Brett Delaney, Stevie Ward, Carl Ablett, Jamie Jones-Buchanan, Brad Singleton and Nathaniel Peteru are all injured.

It is a grim situation for coach Brian McDermott’s side, but, with 12 players unavailable, they gave runaway leaders St Helens a fright at Headingley five days ago before being beaten 23-22 by Danny Richardson’s last-gasp drop goal. That was front-row Mitch Garbutt’s second comeback match following a long-term knee injury and just his fourth appearance of the season.

He admits Leeds are getting to a “must-win” stage, but believes they will take confidence from last Friday’s performance.

“We need to win some games and we need to string some performances together,” stressed the Australian forward. “Catalans beat us last time we played them and they’ll be confident they can do it again, but confidence-wise we took a lot away from the St Helens game.

“I thought Saints did a good job of hanging in there. We should probably have scored two or three more tries with the ball we had and the opportunities we created, but it was credit to them that they were there at the end.”

With Hall unavailable, Rhinos have brought in Featherstone Rovers’ record-breaking winger Luke Briscoe for his third spell at the club and he is set to start tonight.

Briscoe, who equalled Leeds legend Eric Harris’s British record last month when he touched down for a 17th consecutive game, has scored 29 tries in 19 matches for Rovers this year. Leeds have signed him until the end of the season, when he is expected to return to Rovers, but he will be available to the Championship club on dual-registration as early as Sunday’s game away to Sheffield Eagles.

Catalans have a relatively clean bill of health, but will be without former Hull prop Sam Moa. He has been banned for two games following a high tackle in the 
26-25 setback at Huddersfield.

Hull FC utility back Jake Connor will win his first England cap in tomorrow’s historic Test match against New Zealand in Denver, Colorado.

Coach Wayne Bennett will name his team for the ground-breaking game at the Mile High Stadium this morning.

However, he has already revealed that 23-year-old Connor will make his debut.

The former Huddersfield Giants player can play anywhere in the back division, but looks certain to line up at centre in the absence of Kallum Watkins and he says he will be ready to go.

“It’s been good,” Connor said. “I’m just getting to know the boys, but I’m feeling comfortable.

“I was a little bit nervous about meeting new people, but the boys welcomed me with open arms.”