Coach issues 'no guarantees' warning as Leeds Rhinos 2025 squad numbers revealed

Rhinos today (Wednesday) announced a 30-strong full-time group for 2025, with 26 of them receiving a squad number. Six-time Grand Final-winning winger Ryan Hall, who has returned to Leeds from Hull KR, regains the number five shirt he wore from 2009-2018.

That means co-captain Ash Handley moves up a place to four, despite the logo for his testimonial year being designed around his previous number. Handley, formerly a winger, is expected to play at centre this year. Rhinos coach Brad Arthur delayed revealing his squad until after the opening pre-season game against Wakefield Trinity on Boxing Day.

He said: “The squad numbers system is something that was new to me from the NRL, but I understand it is part of the game in Super League. I think the selfless attitude of Ash Handley in changing his number in his testimonial year typifies where we are as a group. The players know the squad numbers don’t guarantee anything, but it does mark another step towards the start of the season.”

New signings Maika Sivo (two) and Keenan Palasia (10) are included in the top-13, with fellow recruits Cooper Jenkins and Jake Connor wearing 17 and 18 respectively. James McDonnell moves into number 12 following Rhyse Martin’s departure to Hull KR.

Tom Holroyd - who received the number 10 jersey ahead of last season, but made only six appearances because of two long-term concussions - drops to number 19. In a major vote of confidence, second-rower Morgan Gannon climbs from 20 to 16, despite not playing a competitive game in 2024, also because of concussion.

Centre Max Simpson, who has not played since suffering a major knee injury in the 2023 pre-season, is promoted from 28 to 26 ahead of an expected return to action in the new year. It is all change in jerseys 20-25 and four full-time players who have yet to make their senior debut - half-back Fergus McCormack, back-rower Presley Cassell, second-row Toby Warren and outside-back Jack Smith - will be awarded a number when called into the matchday squad.

Sporting director Ian Blease said: “We are pleased with the squad we have assembled for 2025 and I’m sure those younger members will aspire to gain their squad number this season too, especially those who did so well in the second half of the Wetherby Whaler Festive Challenge.”

Leeds Rhinos’ 2025 squad numbers: 1 Lachlan Miller, 2 Maika Sivo (last year David Fusitu’a) , 3 Harry Newman, 4 Ash Handley (Paul Momirovski), 5 Ryan Hall (Ash Handley), 6 Brodie Croft, 7 Matt Frawley, 8 Mikolaj Oledzki, 9 Andy Ackers, 10 Keenan Palasia (Tom Holroyd), 11 James Bentley, 12 James McDonnell (Rhyse Martin), 13 Cameron Smith, 14 Jarrod O’Connor, 15 Sam Lisone, 16 Morgan Gannon (James McDonnell), 17 Cooper Jenkins (Justin Sangare), 18 Jake Connor (Mickael Goudemand), 19 Tom Holroyd (Derrell Olpherts), 20 Jack Sinfield (Morgan Gannon), 21 Alfie Edgell (Jack Sinfield), 22 Tom Nicholson-Watton (Kieran Hudson), 23 Riley Lumb (Leon Ruan), 24 Ben Littlewood (Luis Roberts), 25 Ned McCormack (James Donaldson), 26 Max Simpson (Corey Johnson). Full-time squad members without a number: Fergus McCormack, Presley Cassell, Toby Warren, Jack Smith.