Rhinos are determined to learn lessons of Giants loss

Leeds Rhinos head coach Brian McDermott says his squad are ready to bounce back immediately from their home humbling.

The Super League champions host Wigan Warriors tonight just a week after being severely overrun at Headingley Carnegie by Huddersfield Giants in an emphatic 32-8 loss.

It has served as a harsh lesson to Leeds, who are already keen to atone for last year’s humiliating 50-8 home defeat against Wigan.

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“We’ve seen in a number of games this year across Super League that if you’re not on your game you’ll get beaten,” said McDermott. “Huddersfield are the league leaders and we needed to be better to beat them. They did to us what they have done to a number of teams this year and we must learn from that experience.

“The players were keen to get back going again come Monday and we’ve been looking forward to Friday’s game ever since.”

Wigan’s only reverse was also against Huddersfield, but they journey over having delivered a ruthless 38-0 win against top-four outfit Catalan Dragons.

“I’m sure they are enjoying proving the critics wrong who incorrectly said they would struggle this season after a number of key people left the club,” said McDermott, referring to the loss of stars such as Brett Finch, Thomas Leuluai, Jeff Lima and George Carmont.

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“Clearly, the project at Wigan is a long-term investment from top to bottom, which has been evidenced by the number of players emerging from the club’s academy in recent seasons.

“(Coach) Shaun Wane is already talking about where the team will go next if any other star names leave the club.

“That is a responsible strategy and one that I am sure Wigan fans appreciate. They come into this week’s game after nilling Catalan at home last week so they will be full of confidence.”

McDermott praised the reaction of Mitch Achurch, the ex-Penrith forward who is back in Leeds’s 19-man squad after spending the last fortnight playing with Hunslet Hawks following a poor performance against Australian champions Melbourne Storm.

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“Mitch was obviously disappointed after the World Club Challenge, but we’d always planned for him to go to Hunslet at some point as he’s very young in terms of his first-team playing experience,” said McDermott, who confirmed Ryan Bailey is also fit again and Darrell Griffin has extended his loan by another month at Salford.

“He’s gone there and acquitted himself professionally and is back in contention for Wigan.”

Former Leeds coach Graham Murray has suffered a suspected heart attack and is in an induced coma in a Sydney hospital.

The influential Australian, 58, was the last man to guide the West Yorkshire club to Challenge Cup success back in 1999 having also led them to the inaugural Grand Final the previous year.