Injury fears are put to bed by Leeds Rhinos' Stevie Ward

ENGLAND HOPEFUL Stevie Ward has played down fears of another injury.
Leeds Rhinos' Stevie Ward.Leeds Rhinos' Stevie Ward.
Leeds Rhinos' Stevie Ward.

Ward was substituted in the second half of Leeds Rhinos’ agonising 19-18 defeat at Hull last week, but confirmed he expects to be available when they visit Hull KR on Sunday.

Ward underwent shoulder surgery in the closed season and suffered a torn calf muscle two games into his comeback, but has played in Leeds’ last three games.

He said: “I am fine. It was more precautionary.

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“Cam Smith was itching to get on. It just came at the wrong time of the game for me, but I was fine.

“History tells us that I want to be playing a full season.

“I can play through stuff, but sometimes I have to rein myself in.”

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Hull FC's Albert Kelly is tackled by Leeds' Joel Moon and Stevie Ward.Hull FC's Albert Kelly is tackled by Leeds' Joel Moon and Stevie Ward.
Hull FC's Albert Kelly is tackled by Leeds' Joel Moon and Stevie Ward.

Rhinos’ players were given a few days off after the Hull game, which was their fifth in 21 days.

The long turnaround to Sunday has offered them the chance for a mid-season breather, and Ward said: “We’ve got a good break.

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“That’s needed after Easter, so we are sharp and ready to go again and get some points.”

Successive one-point defeats – for the first time in the club’s history – have dropped Rhinos to sixth in the Betfred Super League table and Ward admitted much of his time off has been spent mulling over what went wrong.

Leeds' Ash Handley and Cameron Smith.Leeds' Ash Handley and Cameron Smith.
Leeds' Ash Handley and Cameron Smith.

Rhinos have won only two of their last six league games and the forward described the latest reverse as “gutting”.

Leeds hit back from 14-0 down early in the second half to lead 18-14, but Hull rallied in the final 10 minutes to snatch their first home win over Rhinos in six matches

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“When you’re on the other side of the score you are looking at things, looking at personal things and at how the team could have gone better,” Ward said.

“You scrutinise it for a few days when you’re on the wrong end of a score.

Hull FC's Albert Kelly is tackled by Leeds' Joel Moon and Stevie Ward.Hull FC's Albert Kelly is tackled by Leeds' Joel Moon and Stevie Ward.
Hull FC's Albert Kelly is tackled by Leeds' Joel Moon and Stevie Ward.

“It is disappointing we fell short yet again, but I think we know what we need to work on, so we’re not looking for any answers.”

He added: “In some patches there we were brilliant, really good – we were running with some real venom.

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“I think we can take some real positives from it, it was just the first half, we made it too easy for Hull I think.”

Three of Rhinos’ four Betfred Super League defeats have been by a single point and Ward reckons it will not take much to turn things around.

“We are in the contest,” he pointed out. “There’s been times before when we’ve not been in contests. I remember as a young lad playing in teams and we’ve turned up and not been in the game.

“It’s good we’ve been able to put a show on, but we are still ruing those missed points and it’s two weeks in succession we’ve not managed to gain any.”

Meanwhile, Rhinos will find out their Ladbrokes Challenge Cup sixth-round opponents tomorrow morning. The draw will be conducted on the Chris Evans Breakfast show on BBC Radio 2, from 8.10am.