Ava Seumanufagai making giants strides towards a return to action for Leeds Rhinos

Seumanufagai was one of five senior players unavailable for last Sunday’s Betfred Super League round-one defeat by Hull.

The New Zealand-born prop, who has been a big hit for Rhinos since making his debut in May 2019, missed out owing to a knee injury suffered in Leeds’ final full-scale trial game at Wigan Warriors two weeks earlier.

Boss Richard Agar said: “We are confident, at this stage.

“Ava is back up and running so he will be in with a chance.”

Hurrell was hurt in the first half of the 30-4 loss to Hull and did not return from a head injury assessment.

The full week between games will give him an opportunity to prove his fitness ahead of the game at Huddersfield.

Agar said: “Konrad got knocked out so he has got to go through that protocol.

“He has started his return-to-play protocols already.”

Captain Stevie Ward also spent time off the field in the first half two days ago, but was able to return after the break.

“He got a really nasty gash on his face, but he managed to get that stitched up,” Agar reported.

“It took a fair bit of stitching, but he managed to get back on the field and he’ll be all right.”

Everyone else came through the opening game of the campaign unscathed, but none of Rhinos’ long-term casualties will be ready to face Giants, Agar added.

Winger Tom Briscoe suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in Leeds’ 44-0 win at Huddersfield six months ago.

He had knee reconstruction surgery last year and Agar revealed: “He is going really well. He is back running, change of direction and is probably six or seven weeks away.

“He is bang on track if not a little bit ahead.

“We don’t want to rush him, but Tommy is an experienced player and he went great for us last year. He’ll be welcome when he gets back.”

England Knights hooker Kruise Leeming, who joined Rhinos from Huddersfield last autumn, will have to wait for his debut. He suffered a freak knee injury in a training session two days before Christmas.

And Agar said: “He has responded really well to his treatment.

“His knee is feeling much better and we’re hoping, if all goes to plan on his re-hab’, he’ll be [fit to play in] another two or three weeks.”

After he had impressed in training, Agar attributed Leeming’s setback to “bad luck”.

“He’s never had a major injury in his life and there was nobody near him,” he said. “He just stepped off it awkwardly and felt it go.”

Prop Dom Crosby joined Rhinos from Warrington Wolves late in 2018 and made seven appearances, but did not play at all last year because of a knee problem. He had been hoping to be in contention at the start of this season, but Agar said: “It is a difficult one, he is coming on all right and we are gradually upping his training and trying to progress him to the next level with his re-hab’.

“We wouldn’t like to put a timescale on it, it’s how quickly he responds.”

Rhinos are also without centre/second-row Alex Sutcliffe who made one substitute appearance last year before scoring 16 tries in 18 games on dual-registration with Featherstone Rovers. He suffered a broken hand during the final training session on last month’s warm-weather camp in Spain, but will be clear to play when the cast is removed in two weeks’ time.

Agar confirmed Australian-born forward Rhyse Martin’s application for a Papua New Guinea passport, which would open a space on Rhinos’ overseas quota, is still being processed.