Leeds Rhinos coach Rohan Smith talks James Bentley's return, Morgan Gannon update and squad v St Helens

The former Saints man has been named in Rhinos’ initial squad for the first time since suffering knee damage in training which kept him out of Leeds’ pre-season games and the opening Betfred Super League rounds against Warrington Wolves and Hull FC.

Rhinos have a vacancy in the second-row after Morgan Gannon was ruled out of Friday’s trip to the Betfred Super League and World Club champions because of concussion.

“He is close,” Smith said of Bentley. “He is training really well, but we’ll see how he got through today’s [Wednesday’s] session and make a final call tomorrow.”

After two long bans in the first half of last season, Bentley was one of Rhinos’ top players during their run to Old Trafford.

Smith said: “He has got great energy, good footy instincts, he is fit and a great competitor. He is everything we want to be as a team.

“If he is available, that’ll be good. If not, he will be closer for next week. We just want James to be himself and be the competitor he is.”

Bentley was sin-binned for a professional foul on his first return to TW Stadium last June, but Smith said he’d have no qualms about bringing the Ireland international back against his old side.

“He plays with the same intensity pretty much every week,” Smith noted. “He is there to win. I think he’d have fond memories of playing over there, but both times he played against them last year he played hard and played pretty well too.”

James McDonnell, an off-season signing from Wigan Warriors, is another option to replace Gannon.

He has yet to make his Super League debut for Rhinos and was due to play on dual-registration for Bradford Bulls last week, but was withdrawn following Gannon’s injury.

Smith said: “He has been close for a little while. He has had a few bumps and bruises and a bit of illness that set him back at the back end of pre-season. He is in the picture, in good shape and ready to go.”

Smith hailed McDonnell as a “tough and physical, out of that Wigan academy system that has brought through so many fierce competitors”.

“He added: “He has good leg speed and can break tackles in his own way as well; he’s not just a hole-running back-rower.

“He likes the ball in his hands early, he has got some good footwork and a good motor and he competes hard.”

Sam Walters, who has been converted from second-row to prop under Smith, is included in the initial 21 for the third successive week, having not featured against Warrington or Hull.

Smith said: “He had a solid pre-season, trained really well and played some good patches in the pre-season games.

“He had a little bit of illness and a couple of niggles that knocked him about at the back end of pre-season so the others got first opportunity, but Sam’s right in the picture.”

Winger Liam Tindall has been recalled to the 21 after a try-scoring appearance for Bulls in their win over Toulouse Olympique last Saturday.

“He took a nice finish and scored a try and did his job overall, I think, in a big win for the Bulls,” Smith stated.

Half-back Jack Sinfield has also been drafted into the squad for Friday , but is set to play for the reserves against Bradford at Stanningley on Thursday.

Smith is confident Gannon - who missed the Super League semi-final and title decider last year after suffering concussion in Rhinos’ play-off win at Catalans Dragons - will make a rapid recovery from the knock he took against Hull.

He was stood down for 12 days under the RFL’s concussion protocols after failing a head injury assessment during last week’s game, but Smith confirmed: “He felt fine [after the match], he has no symptoms or issues and he is going through the return to play process.”

The coach admitted the injury setback - Leeds’ first in a game this year - is “disappointing” for the 19-year-old, but added: “The nature of our sport is people get bumps of all different kinds at various stages so it’s inevitable people will miss games here or there.”