'I've not ruled myself out': Cameron Smith hands Leeds Rhinos huge boost ahead of Super League clash with Warrington Wolves

Smith suffered a compound dislocation - where the joint comes through the skin - in the first half of last Friday’s 28-20 win at Hull KR.

Speaking immediately after the game, Rhinos coach Rohan Smith indicated his namesake could need surgery that night, which would almost certainly have ended his season.

But the ball-handling loose-forward - and occasional stand-off - said the “best case scenario” has come true.

“I’m all good, everything’s okay,” Smith confirmed.

“I got the all-clear from the hospital, I just got stitched back up and we’ll see how we go for Friday.”

Rhinos’ initial 21-man squad for this week’s game will be named on Wednesday afternoon and Smith is hoping to be included, though he admitted a decision on whether he plays could be left until the last minute.

The 23-year-old has yet to train and added: “We’ll make a call later in the week.

“I haven’t ruled myself out, I’ll just keep talking with the doctors and the physio team.

“To be honest, when it happened I thought my season was done, but the best case scenario is what’s happened, so hopefully I won’t miss a game.”

The injury happened at the end of the first quarter of Rhinos’ fourth successive victory, just before Hull KR scored to go 14-4 ahead and Smith revealed he was hit by friendly fire.

“I clashed with Zak [Hardaker, Rhinos’ full-back] making a cover tackle on Matt Parcell,” he recalled.

“It was a compound dislocation, so quite severe, but luckily everything is intact - it was a clean dislocation, it has literally just come out and gone back in.”

Smith insisted the damage looked worse than it actually was.

“My joint had split the skin, it wasn’t nice,” he added.

“I went straight to A and E at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield for a check on the nerves and tendons and ligaments and they just stitched me back up when everything was okay.

“I’ve just got a big gash in my hand, that’s it.”

Centre Harry Newman (hamstring) and forward Bodene Thompson (ribs) were also injured at Hull KR, but half-back Aidan Sezer, props Matt Prior and Tom Holroyd and second-row Rhyse Martin are all now available after suspension.

Smith has played in 21 of Rhinos’ 24 competitive fixtures this year.

He was suspended for the home loss to Hull in March, missed the following month’s derby at his hometown club Castleford Tigers with a dead leg and was ruled out of the trip to St Helens in June due to a back problem.

“I want to be part of a team that’s in form,” he stressed.

“Personally, I am going all right and I am enjoying playing, which is the main thing, regardless of form.

“I am playing with a smile on my face, so I don’t want to miss any more games this season.

“Hopefully I’ll finish the year strong and hopefully we’ll get a play-off spot.”