Huddersfield Giants v Leeds Rhinos: Injury problems mount for Huddersfield ahead of derby

TWO DEPLETED sides will meet at John Smith's Stadium tomorrow, but while Leeds Rhinos' injury situation is improving, Huddersfield Giants' has got worse.
Brad Dwyer.Brad Dwyer.
Brad Dwyer.

Brett Ferres, who has not played since Rhinos’ Betfred Super League Grand Final win over Castleford Tigers last October, could return to face his former club. He underwent knee surgery in the autumn and has been named in Rhinos’ initial 19-man squad for the first time this season.

Leeds Rhinos’ side will be selected from the 17 beaten by Castleford Tigers last week, plus the inclusions of Ferres and Brad Dwyer.

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Liam Sutcliffe (foot), Adam Cuthbertson (hand), Stevie Ward (calf), Mitch Garbutt (knee), Jimmy Keinhorst (knee) and Nathaniel Peteru (biceps) remain on the Rhinos’ casualty list.

Huddersfield's Jake Mamo.Huddersfield's Jake Mamo.
Huddersfield's Jake Mamo.

Jack Ormondroyd has been recalled from dual-registration club Featherstone Rovers and could feature against Salford Red Devils on Monday.

Ward, Sutcliffe and Keinhorst are all close to making a comeback. Cuthbertson is around two weeks away and Peteru is expected to return shortly after that.

Giants, meanwhile, are without Jermaine McGillvary (ankle), Lee Gaskell (elbow), Sam Wood (knee) and Dale Ferguson (calf), who were all injured in last week’s defeat at Wigan Warriors.

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Kruise Leeming also drops out as club medics “monitor his overall fitness after a gruelling month”.

Huddersfield's Jake Mamo.Huddersfield's Jake Mamo.
Huddersfield's Jake Mamo.

Still unavailable are Jake Mamo (hamstring), Leroy Cudjoe (knee) and Tom Symonds (knee).

Players in contention who did not feature last week are Sebastine Ikahihifo, Oliver Roberts, Darnell McIntosh, Tyler Dickinson, Jared Simpson, Sam Hewitt and Louis Senior.

Huddersfield Giants: from Turner, Murphy, Brough, Ikahihifo, Lawrence, Hinchcliffe, Rankin, Roberts, Ta’ai, Clough, D Smith, Walne, O’Brien, Mellor, McIntosh, Dickinson, Simpson, Hewitt, Senior.

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Leeds Rhinos: from Golding, Briscoe, Watkins, Hall, Moon, Myler, Parcell, Singleton, Jones-Buchanan, Ablett, Dwyer, Delaney, Mullally, Ferres, Handley, Walker, C Smith, Oledzki, Walters.

Referee: Jack Smith (Warrington).

Kick-off: Tomorrow, 3pm.