Leeds Rhinos injuries reveal reason for Ethan Clark-Wood signing

Rhinos created a surprise last week when Australian outside-back Ethan Clark-Wood joined them on a one-year contract. The 24-year-old has not featured in the southern hemisphere NRL, but trained with Gold Coast Titans and was expecting to play for Queensland Cup side Tweed Head Seagulls this season, before Leeds stepped in.

Rhinos were granted dispensation on their overseas quota to sign Clark-Wood after Fijian winger Maika Sivo was ruled out of the entire 2025 campaign because of an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury suffered last month. Fans may have expected them to use the space to bring in a forward, but coach Brad Arthur was keen to add more depth to the backs and it’s now clear why.

As revealed by the Yorkshire Evening Post on Monday, two of the young centres in Leeds’ full-time squad have suffered setbacks. Ned McCormack sustained a hamstring injury away to Warrington Wolves last July and hasn’t played since.

He has undergone surgery and is likely to miss the full season. Max Simpson had hoped to be on the field next month, for the first time since an ACL tear in January, 2023, but a hamstring problem picked up in training will keep him on the sidelines for an extra eight weeks.

Full-back Lachie Miller has a calf muscle injury and is around a month away from a comeback, so that leaves 20-year-old Alfie Edgell as the only cover with any Super League experience in Leeds’ outside-backs. Jack Smith, who had spells with Halifax Panthers and Bradford Bulls last year, is a member of the full-time squad, but Clark-Wood’s ability to play wing and full-back, as well as centre, could prove invaluable.