Ex-England rugby union under-18s back Ned McCormack set for Leeds Rhinos debut v Warrington Wolves

The former Woodhouse Grove School pupil played junior rugby league for Farnley Falcons and North Leeds Leopards before switching to union. He progressed through the Yorkshire academy to England under-18s, but returned to league with Rhinos a year ago.

McCormack trains with Leeds’ full-time squad and was a substitute in all three of their first team pre-season games, scoring a try in James Donaldson’s testimonial against Hull KR.

Here’s an interview with McCormack, whose brother Fergus is also on Leeds’ books, which was first published in February.

While many of the players around him are steeped in the sport, Ned McCormack admits he is still adapting to the 13-a-side code after his spell in union.

“It is like getting to know a different language,” he conceded of switching games. “Obviously you can convert some things form union to league, but it is different. But with players like Brodie [Croft] and Andy Ackers, the amount of experience and learning you get from those guys is unreal.”

A full-back or winger in union, McCormack has been playing at centre for Leeds. He noted: “Defending in the line in league is a step up. Getting those defensive reads right and those backline carries, it is different, but I am loving it. Being put in at full-back straight away after coming back from union would be more complicated, but centre is a good way of learning the game and bettering myself.”

The youngster is also relishing working with Rhinos’ elite players. He added: “Training full-time is a big step up, but you don’t realise it. You do what you love and time flies by when you’re doing it. I am appreciating the opportunity, I have been in school and other environments and it’s not as good as what I am doing now. It doesn’t feel like a job, it feels like doing what I love.”

McCormack was on the winning side against Wakefield Trinity on Boxing Day and Hull KR, but Bulls proved too strong in the pre-season meeting at Odsal. Rhinos had 12 teenagers among the 22 players on duty that afternoon and McCormack reckons he and his fellow rookies have gained priceless experience in pre-season.

“Being put outside my comfort zone is only going to better me,” he said. “I am doing much better than I expected in terms of learning the game. Learning the game is one thing, but trying to excel in games after that is another. With the people around me and how much experience there is, it is accelerating faster than I thought it would, so it’s all going really well.”

If everything works out, McCormack - who is in his first year at Leeds Beckett University, studying nutrition - could be one of the first two brothers to play competitively for Leeds since the Gibbons twins, Anthony and David, in the 1990s. Fergus McCormack, 17, played in the same three pre-season games and Ned said: “It’s weird, I play side by side with him on the pitch, then we go and play Xbox.

“I learn from him and being able to have that information on the game is special. He knows a lot about the game and I am always asking him questions.”