Wigan Warriors v Leeds Rhinos: Mitch Garbutt ready to atone on comeback for Rhinos

The Australian prop returns to action for the first time since infamously becoming only the second player to be sent off in the World Club Challenge’s 40-year history.

He received his red card for flooring North Queensland Cowboys’ James Tamou with a punch after the Kangaroos front-row had “slapped” Leeds colleague Keith Galloway during Rhinos’ 38-4 defeat at Headingley almost three weeks ago.

The West Yorkshire club could have done without that. Not in the sense of the game – that was already long gone – but in terms of numbers for further down the line given they were already depleted by injuries and Garbutt added to their list of unavailable players by subsequently receiving a two-match ban.

Furthermore, considering defending Super League champions Leeds were still awaiting a first win of the season as well – that has come since, at the fifth attempt by virtue of a scrappy 
20-16 success against second-bottom Huddersfield Giants last Friday – his indiscipline was all a bit foolish.

Garbutt, to his credit, apologised and, ahead of his comeback at the side Leeds defeated in last season’s Grand Final, he is ready to atone.

He maintains, also, he will avoid any urge to be stirred into such actions again, no matter what Wigan, always keen to irritate, might throw at him to try to provoke a retaliation.

“It’s against the rules of the game and it’s not what the game’s about,” said the player, who was an instant hit, having arrived at Headingley from Brisbane Broncos last June.

“It’s something I regret, but, for me, I am just moving forward.

“I try to play the same game every week and that’s what I’ll be trying to do at Wigan.

“I don’t think I’ve had any days off while I’ve been banned. Jason Davidson (Rhinos’ conditioner) has made sure I’ve been in doing something, so it has been tough and I am ready to go.”

That is good news for Leeds who will need to be at their best to dent Wigan’s 100 per cent league record this term.

They have defeated Catalans Dragons, Huddersfield Giants, Salford Red Devils and Hull FC, their only defeat coming in the World Club Series when vanquished 42-12 by Garbutt’s former club Brisbane.

To add to that, Wigan have won their last three home meetings with Leeds at the DW Stadium where the visitors have not triumphed since 2013.

However, in their Super League games so far this term, Shaun Wane’s side have only prospered by narrow margins such as the point garnered by Matty Smith’s late drop goal in last Friday’s 
26-25 win at Hull, so that will encourage the visitors that they can be hurt.

“Any time you play Wigan you know you are in for a big game and a physical game,” said Garbutt.

“That’s something we are looking forward to and, for me, it can’t come quick enough.

“It has been a long two weeks. It doesn’t seem like long but it is, not getting to play with the boys, so I am looking forward to it.

“The win last week was what we needed. It wasn’t pretty against Huddersfield but everyone dug their heels in and I thought it was a good defensive effort in the end, which was what we needed.

“We love close games! It is heart-stopping stuff but I think you benefit from those more than you do a big blow-out.

“We’ve taken a lot of things out of last weekend and moved forward ready for this.”

Garbutt believes Leeds’s forwards, who, of course, have lost retired props Jamie Peacock and Kylie Leuluai since last season’s Grand Final win, are ready for the challenge they will face at a Wigan side who are boosted by the return of England captain and loose-forward Sean O’Loughlin.

“I think the pack’s been really good,” said the 26-year-old.

“Bar the game against Widnes, the team has actually performed better than people think.

“We lost against Warrington and Catalans, but they were two close games and they are good sides who are going to be up there at the end of the year.

“Adam Cuthbertson led by example last week – he was outstanding – and Keith Galloway is big, strong and has added a lot of experience while I thought Brad Singleton was really good as well.”

Leeds’s pack should be further augmented this evening, too, with Australian hooker Beau Falloon finally set for his debut and second-rows Jamie-Jones Buchanan, after eight months out, and Mitch Achurch hoping to return, offsetting the loss of centre Joel Moon and back-row Brett Delaney to fresh injuries.