‘Wonderful challenge’ as Leeds Rhinos rookies handed Super League chance

COACH Richard Agar is not hedging his bets at the start of the biggest four days of Leeds Rhinos’ season so far.
Rhinos coach Richard Agar takes training. Picture: SWpix.comRhinos coach Richard Agar takes training. Picture: SWpix.com
Rhinos coach Richard Agar takes training. Picture: SWpix.com

Catalans Dragons visit Headingley this evening for what, in normal circumstances, would be a huge Super League fixture between two teams sitting fourth and fifth in the table and battling for a place in the play-offs.

But Leeds also have a Challenge Cup semi-final coming up against Wigan Warriors on Saturday and that has clearly taken precedence with Agar opting to rest most of his big names and selecting from an initial squad including eight potential debutants, one of them – Levi Edwards – aged only 16.

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Most of the experience in Leeds’s line-up is provided by players hoping to prove their fitness for Saturday, but – though he has to replace broken leg victim Harry Newman – Agar is unlikely to make many changes from the team which has put together a four-game winning run.

Full-back Jack Walker (fractured foot), centre Konrad Hurrell (isolating), hooker Brad Dwyer (coronavirus) and loose-forward Cameron Smith (broken jaw) could all return today and Agar said: “There’s at least a spot and maybe two up for grabs for the semi-final, but hopefully we are only backing up one or two players, maximum, from this game.”

The rest of today’s side will be made up of fringe players and youngsters aiming to prove they belong at the top level, which is a daunting task against a near full-strength Catalans squad.

Agar accepts the French visitors, whose coach Steve McNamara has named a strong squad, are “overwhelming favourites”.

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He insisted: “Some of their best players are the best players in the competition, blokes like Sam Tomkins, James Maloney, Israel Folau.

“That in itself is a wonderful challenge for our blokes.

“On the one hand it’s great we are making so many debuts; on the other it’s a bit of a shame that this potentially could have been the game of the round, but we have got a team we feel can go out there and, if it plays its best rugby, can really compete.”

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