Leeds Rhinos: Nervous wait once again for pack man Delaney

Delaney has been troubled by a hamstring problem this season and accepts he might have rushed himself back too early, rather than allowing the injury to heal fully.

The three-time Grand Final winner played in Rhinos’ opening five games of the year, but has featured in only two of their last seven.

With Rhinos low on fit players and struggling for form, Delaney admitted he has been desperate to get back into the action.

He returned in last Friday’s 20-18 win over Hull, but had to leave the field due to a fresh injury, and he conceded: “It is frustrating.

“I can’t seem to get a break at the minute.

“I am probably pushing myself a bit too hard to get back, hence the reason why I re-did my hammy.

“I want to play and get back and help the boys out, but it has had the opposite effect, it has put me back.”

Explaining his injury woes, Delaney, who has had knee problems in the past, said: “At the start of the season I was fine, but I tweaked my hammy.

“I pushed that to come back, when, ideally, I should have had more time off. But I pushed it and re-did it the warm-up at Cas.

“I had another crack at training the next week, but I pulled up stiff again. I am just pushing it too hard.

“I hate watching, especially at times like this. It is tough having to watch the boys going through a hard time and I am probably my own worst enemy, just pushing myself too hard.

“I need to listen to my body more, not my head.”

Delaney returned as a substitute last week, but had to go off with an arm injury.

He said: “I hit a nerve in my elbow and it basically shut my arm off.

“I didn’t get the feeling back in my hand until Saturday. It is a bit of a weird one.

“My hammy was fine, it was just one of those things. I just seem to get caught up in the wrong places, I probably stick my head and my body in places I shouldn’t.

“During the game we thought it was my shoulder, but it was the elbow – there’s a nerve from the elbow runs all the way down to my hand.

“It took a while to get the feeling back, but I will do anything to play this week.”

Boss Brian McDermott was this afternoon due to name his initial 19-man squad for the trip to St Helens in two days’ time.

With Rhinos aiming for a second successive win, Delaney is hoping to prove his fitness in time to feature.

The tough-tackling back-rower said: “I will put my hand up. I am desperate to play. The boys had a decent win last Friday and it is a big one this week against Saints.

“I will be doing everything I can to play. I will strap it up and hopefully Mac will have faith in me and I get through some training this week and see how it goes.”