Leeds Rhinos v Hull FC: Buoyant Gareth Ellis backs Airlie Birds to reach the '˜next level'

The Hull FC captain, who won two Grand Finals with Leeds in 2007 and 2008, had hoped to recover from a rib injury to face his struggling former employers at Headingley this evening.

Ellis, showing no signs of his 35 years, has been phenomenal for the Airlie Birds, the former England second-row proving a force of nature in their drive towards Super League’s summit.

Indeed, he is arguably playing better than ever before during his fine career, which, of course, included a distinguished stint with Wests Tigers in the NRL.

On his ongoing recovery from an injury that saw him miss last Friday’s win over Huddersfield Giants, Ellis told The Yorkshire Post: “It’s one of those where I can almost play and probably could.

“But I don’t want to put the side under pressure by getting hurt and coming off with 60 minutes to go.

“The game’s difficult enough as it is without making it even harder for the squad.

“The coaching staff took the decision out of my hands, which is good, and it means I can make the most of a long turnaround before Wakefield next Sunday.”

Chiefly, Lee Radford is able to do that because of the quality of the squad he has available to him – club legend Richard Whiting was allowed to join Leigh Centurions permanently yesterday – a facet which has been key for the vibrant East Yorkshire side seeking a sixth successive win tonight.

Ellis admitted: “Even before a ball was kicked, I thought the squad put together this year was one of our strengths given its depth.

“It’s certainly proved to be that. Particularly over a tough Easter period, for us to be able to ride the injuries we had and still keep winning – and get some good wins, too – has been massive.

“It’s kicked us up the table and now we want to continue that.”

At the other end of the table, with just two wins compared to Hull’s seven, are last season’s treble-winners Leeds.

As has been well-documented, they have stuttered since Kevin Sinfield, Jamie Peacock and Kylie Leuluai – all former colleagues of Ellis – left over the winter.

“It was always going to be hard,” he said, with Leeds knowing they will suffer their worst-ever start to Super League if they lose for a ninth time tonight.

“You will never fill those shoes but I still felt – and I still do – that the quality is there.

“Some of the young lads there have shown it before and, though it’s taking a little time to adapt to life without those players, I still expect them to get their season up and running soon. Hopefully, it’s not against us on Friday.”

Hull, meanwhile, with Marc Sneyd and Jamie Shaul thriving behind such a dominant pack, are looking capable of maintaining their bid for a first Grand Final since their solitary date in 2006.

“I certainly think this is our best opportunity since I’ve been here to do something and push on to the next level,” said Ellis, now in his fourth season at FC.

“We were up and down last year as we have been for a number of years, probably going back to before when I came here.

“Radders hit the nail on the head, though, the other day; when we win a couple people think we’re going to win a Grand Final, and when we lose a couple, he’s getting the sack.

“We want to get away from that – and we are guilty of it ourselves, getting carried away. It takes time to build something but this squad is showing it’s capable of building.

“It’s massive for us that we now carry it on. We’re bubbling along, the squad’s been enjoying it but we know we’re coming up against a dangerous Leeds side.”

Ellis has certainly proved the snapped Achilles that wrecked his 2015 has had no lasting effect.

“I’m really pleased with how I’ve been playing and how I’ve come back from that,” he said.

“It was always going to be tough but it allowed me to have a really good pre-season where I could pinpoint certain things.

“To only miss the first game and to then be back and put that injury to bed, playing well like I have, that’s all been a bonus.

“I am really happy with it but, if I’m honest, those types of performances are just what I expected them to be...”

Therein lies one of the reasons Ellis is such a respected player.

A final word for Whiting, though, who will stay at Leigh on loan for the rest of this season and join permanently in 2017.

The recruitment of Hull’s NRL stars, such as Frank Pritchard and Carlos Tuimavave, restricted his chances this term and he was loaned out initially in February.

However, the 31-year-old, who joined from Featherstone Rovers in 2004 and won the 2005 Challenge Cup, remains a huge fans favourite after 257 FC games.

Ellis said: “Whiting IS Superman! He’s a legend at Hull, a tremendous servant over 12 years, he ‘ll be missed by us all. We wish him and his family well.”