McNamara backing Rhinos’ injured duo

The pair were both crocked in Friday night’s 18-6 loss at Hull FC with scrum-half McGuire suffering a broken leg after opponent Liam Watts fell on him in a tackle and centre Watkins badly damaging ankle ligaments.

McGuire will have further scans on his fractured fibula today but it is expected he will be out for up to three months while his colleague is potentially facing eight weeks out.

McNamara is set to announce his England squad tomorrow for next week’s Exiles game at Warrington with both likely to have figured.

He told the Yorkshire Post: “They were two really unfortunate injuries and the timing is, obviously, pretty poor for us.

“But that is especially true for the Leeds club who have plenty of injuries themselves and it is a cruel blow for the players.

“Kallum was involved in the autumn games for us last season when he played well and, though Danny wasn’t, they are both part of our 30-man ETS squad.

“Hopefully they’ll both get back for the end of the season and they’ll then be available for selection for the World Cup.

“We’ve a few others missing from that squad, too, at the minute with Carl Ablett and Danny Tickle both injured.

“There may be a couple more after this weekend just gone and we’ll have to assess everything again after the Huddersfield/Saints game Monday night.”

Leeds, who have lost four successive games for the first time in seven years, do have severe injury problems with McGuire and Watkins now joining centre Ablett, prop Jamie Peacock, second-row Stevie Ward and winger Ben Jones-Bishop in the treatment room.

Watkins was looking likely to partner Huddersfield’s Leroy Cudjoe for England against the Exiles but that centre spot is now up for grabs.

Ablett is injured, though, and Hull KR’s Kris Welham has just been ruled out for the season as he requires a shoulder reconstruction.

McNamara is a fan of Hull FC tyro Ben Crooks, who terrorised Leeds at the weekend and is certainly in more impressive form than eight-cap Airlie Birds colleague Kirk Yeaman.

But, still just 19 and in his first consistent run of Super League games, he may be seen as too young for such a rapid rise.

The England coach was at Warrington Wolves yesterday to see their game against Salford City Reds which hints he could yet bring their strong-running centre Ryan Atkins in from the cold after a three-year absence or maybe use their utility Stefan Ratchford there.

However, McNamara is most likely to switch Leeds full-back Zak Hardaker to his old position in the three-quarters with Wigan’s Sam Tomkins at No 1.