Huddersfield Giants v Leeds Rhinos latest team news & 21-man squads

The Ireland international second-rower has not played since failing a head injury assessment in Rhinos’ Easter win at Castleford Tigers on March 28. He was named in the initial squad for last Saturday’s visit of Hull KR, but Arthur instead opted for an outside-back, Alfie Edgell, among the replacements in his first game as boss.

“He’s back this week, it will be my first proper look at him off the bench,” Arthur stated. “I have heard all good reports around his aggression and his workrate.”

James McDonnell looks set to continue in the starting second-row, despite limping off midway through the first half of last week’s match. Arthur said: “He rolled an ankle. He was a possibility of maybe coming back on, but it just stiffened up and we didn’t want to put him out there and burn another change. He ran [yesterday] and he’s fine.”

Arthur revealed he is impressed by what he has seen from McDonnell so far. “I thought he started really well, the first 20 minutes,” he said of last week’s game. “He is someone, when I was watching our games previously, I was looking forward to coaching. I’d like to see how he goes for 80 minutes.”

Rhinos will be without winger David Fusitu’a who has a calf injury and could also miss the next two games. Ben Littlewood, a teenage forward has yet to make a first team appearance, is recalled to the initial squad and Jack Sinfield, Luis Roberts and Tom Nicholson-Watton retain their place after not being selected against Hull KR.

Giants’ squad includes the 17 who beat Salford Red Devils last Friday, plus Thomas Deakin, Jack Bibby, Jack Billington and Connor Carr.

Huddersfield Giants: from Connor, Naiqama, Jake Bibby, Lolohea, Clune, Hill, Milner, Golding, English, Rushton, Deakin, Wallis, Cudjoe, Russell, Halsall, Rogers, Salabrio, Jack Bibby, Billington, McGowan, Carr.

Leeds Rhinos: from Miller, Newman, Momirovski, Handley, Croft, Frawley, Oledzki, Ackers, Bentley, Martin, Smith, O'Connor, Lisone, McDonnell, Sinfield, Roberts, Donaldson, Edgell, Nicholson-Watton, Littlewood, Eseh.

Referee: Marcus Griffiths (Widnes). Kick-off: Thursday, 8pm.