Resurgent Leeds eye top-four play-off spot after Easter success

The 2009 champions won just four of their first 10 games but they re-ignited their Grand Final ambitions with three wins in nine days over Easter and kept their run going with victory over Super League rivals Crusaders in the Challenge Cup.

Tonight the Rhinos look to maintain their improvement against another resurgent team, Catalan Dragons, who are level on the same number of points after winning five and drawing one of their last six matches.

“There is momentum building,” said McDermott. “I wouldn’t say we’re where we need to be but we’re heading in the right direction.

“This is an important game and will have a bearing on where we end up in the next four or five weeks.

“We’re level on points with Catalan and we’re getting to the second half of the season when you start to crack the whip. If you can put a run of results together, you can start to climb the table and jockey for position for the play-offs.”

The Dragons are seeking their first away win over Leeds, having lost on all six previous visits to Headingley, most of them heavily, but McDermott said: “They’re a difficult team to play against.

“They’re big and aggressive and can play. They will come to Headingley with little pressure on them and we’ve got to be good to beat them.”

Leeds stand-off Danny McGuire could be available for England’s mid-season international after the leg injury he sustained in the Rhinos’ Challenge Cup win over Crusaders proved to be less serious than first feared.

McGuire limped off in his third game back from a knee reconstruction in the first half of last Saturday’s 30-20 win with what was initially thought to be a torn quad muscle.

However, the injury has now been diagnosed as a strain and will mean he could be out of action for as little as two weeks.

McGuire was in the national elite training squad at Loughborough University earlier this week preparing for the June 10 clash with the Exiles at Headingley.

Wigan, one of three teams level with Warrington on 18 points, will be expected to make it five wins in a row when struggling Harlequins visit the DW Stadium but they will be wary of lightning striking twice.

The Warriors led 24-6 at half-time in the corresponding fixture last season but conceded conceded 32 points in the second half to go down 38-26.

Harlequins acting captain Chad Randall, who was among their tryscorers in that game, would love to help his side repeat the feat.

“It was awesome,” he recalled. “I think it was one of their biggest crowds, the St George’s Day event last year.

“Scoring the last try to seal the win was great and I remember a lot of smiling people in the crowd after that one. It would be great to do the same again.”

In tonight’s other games, Hull FC have recalled Craig Fitzgibbon, Mark O’Meley, Danny Tickle, Kirk Yeaman and Joe Westerman after sitting out the 82-0 Cup win against Oldham.

Wakefield’s Jeremy Smith is poised to make his second appearance for the Wildcats in the basement battle at Crusaders.