'I'll make an impact when I get back' - injured Leeds Rhinos star Kruise Leeming

The off-season signing from Huddersfield Giants has had a desperately unlucky start to his Rhinos career and is yet to play for the club.

He was due to feature in the Boxing Day pre-season game against Wakefield Trinity, but was ruled out after suffering a knee injury in training two days before Christmas.

Initially expected to be ready for the start of the season and then in the early weeks of the campaign, Leeming’s damaged knee did not heal as planned and last week he was told he would need an operation, sidelining him for 12-16 weeks.

The hooker described that as a “major setback,” but at least now knows he is on the mend and has a date for when he will be fit to play.

“I was unlucky to get an injury at the time I did, but it would be optimistic to think I could go through my whole career without getting injured,” Leeming admitted.

“How I am feeling in myself, I feel loads better. It is weird, but I always thought I would be back in four weeks, three weeks, two weeks, but I never knew exactly when I’d be back.

“Now I have got a date and worst case scenario, I will be back playing on that pitch in 16 weeks. That is a bit of clarity for me and I suppose sometimes that uncertainty puts you in limbo and that’s what hurts more, not knowing.”

Leeming went under the knife at the end of last week and his repaired knee is in a brace. He said: “People were constantly asking me when I’d be back and I had to say ‘I don’t know’, it could be two weeks, could be three, could be four.

“When that didn’t work it could have been nine months, but at least now I have gone in, I’ve had the operation and it’s not the worst case scenario of six to nine months.

“I have four months to get my head down and I will be back for a big chunk of the season. I think I will play more games than I miss, which is good.”

The full 16 weeks would see Leeming return in the second half of June.

“Hopefully I can come back and give the team a bit of a boost,” he pledged. “There’ll be some tired bodies in that middle period, you start lagging a bit and hopefully I can keep us above water.”

Being unable to show fans and teammates what he is capable of is Leeming’s biggest frustration. He said: “It is killing me inside, that I have come to the club and had a full pre-season, I’ve felt the fittest and strongest I’ve ever been and I was ready to play in front of those crowds.

“The games I’ve missed have been sell-out crowds, twice. It is gutting and it kills me, but there’s nothing I can do about it.

“It is done, there’s no use crying over spilled milk.”

The 24-year-old England Knights man paid tribute to the way he has been looked after by Rhinos’ medical staff, insisting they “couldn’t do enough for me”.

He said: “I’ve got every piece of equipment I need and it’s all brand new stuff, out of the packet.

“They have looked after me unbelievably well. Alex Morrell, the head physio, came down to London for my op, stayed the night, made sure I got on the train and brought me back.

“He didn’t have to do that and I am forever grateful. I know I am in the best possible hands and the best position to come back fighting fit, so I am happy about that.”

Leeming is also confident Rhinos will be in a strong situation when he finally gets to pull on the jersey for his debut.

“It was a bit of a scrappy win, from what I have heard,” he said of Leeds’ 22-8 success at Salford Red Devils last Saturday.

“I couldn’t get to the game because I’d just had my operation, but I watched the highlights.

“We won and that’s what this part of the year is about. You want to play pretty rugby, but it is about getting the two points.

“You have to scrap it out. To go to Salford, away and get the two points, in that weather, you’ll take it all day, every day.”