Leeds Rhinos forward Brad Singleton set for Toronto Wolfpack switch

Toronto Wolfpack are understood to have completed the signing of Leeds Rhinos prop Brad Singleton.
Brad Singleton. Picture by Bruce Rollinson.Brad Singleton. Picture by Bruce Rollinson.
Brad Singleton. Picture by Bruce Rollinson.

The move has yet to be confirmed by either club, but Singleton has not been training with Rhinos, whose pre-season began this week and his transfer to the newly-promoted Canadian side is believed to be a done deal.

The 26-year-old made his Rhinos debut in 2011 and would have been the club’s longest-serving player, after veterans Jamie Jones-Buchanan and Carl Ablett both retired at the end of last season.

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His exit will mean Stevie Ward has been at Rhinos longer than any other member of the senior squad.

The move to Toronto will reunite Singleton with coach Brian McDermott who gave him his first Leeds appearance.The Cumbrian has played 178 times for Leeds - scoring 20 tries - and was a key member of their 2015 treble-winning squad, touching down in the record 50-0 Challenge Cup final rout of Hull KR.

He also featured in Leeds’ Grand Final win over Castleford Tigers two years ago and captained the team on a stand-in basis in 2018.

Singleton’s expected departure will continue an overhaul of Rhinos’ squad which began when Kevin Sinfield returned to the club as director of rugby in July, 2018.

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Of 31 players awarded a squad number before the 2018 season, Singleton will be the 19th to move on.

Prop Dom Crosby is now in training after not featuring at all during 2019, due to a knee injury and youngsters Mikolaj Oledzki and Thomas Holroyd will move up the pecking order.

The change of club will see Singleton pack down alongside dual-code superstar Sonny Bill Williams, who has joined Toronto on a multi-million pound contract.

Williams, who played for the All Blacks in the recent rugby union World Cup, began his career in league and starred for Canterbury Bulldogs against Rhinos in the 2005 World Club Challenge. He was also an NRL Grand Final winner with Sydney Roosters.

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Both players could make their Toronto debut at Emerald Headingley in the first round of the 2020 Betfred Super League campaign. Wolfpack will face Castleford Tigers on February 2 in the first part of a double-header also featuring Rhinos’ season-opener against Hull.