Leeds Rhinos news as star prop and highly-rated youngsters named in side for Bradford Bulls pre-season clash

Five of Rhinos’ top-20 squad numbers are included, led by England World Cup prop Mikolaj Oledzki. He missed Leeds’ Boxing Day win against Wakefield Trinity through illness, but Derrell Olpherts, Jarrod O’Connor, James McDonnell and Justin Sangare will all back up from the Christmas fixture.

Luis Roberts, Jack Sinfield, Corey Johnson, Tom Nicholson-Watton and James Donaldson are other members of Sunday’s squad who played in Betfred Super League last year. Second-rower Ben Hursey-Hord is the only member of the starting side not to have featured on Boxing Day. The former London Broncos academy player, who joined Leeds in 2022, played on dual-registration for Halifax Panthers in their defeat by Bradford at Odsal on Christmas Eve.

None of Rhinos’ off-season signings is included. Full-back Riley Lumb, centre Ned McCormack, winger Jack Smith and second-row Ben Littlewood - who don’t have a squad number - will all start after training with the full-time group.

Corey Johnson and Jack Sinfield will pair up in the halves. Sangare and Donaldson provide the experience on a youthful bench. The substitutes include 17 year olds Fergus McCormack (stand-off), Oliver Smart (centre/second-row) and Mason Corbett (hooker), along with full-back Dylan Proud and props Freddie Brennan-Jones, Leo Aliyu and Harrison Gilmore, who are all 19.

Leeds Rhinos (at Bradford Bulls): Lumb, Olpherts, N McCormack, Roberts, J Smith, Johnson, Sinfield, Oledzki, O’Connor, Nicholson-Watton, Littlewood, Hursey-Hord, McDonnell. Subs Sangare, Donaldson, Proud, F McCormack, Brennan-Jones, Corbett, Smart, Aliyu, Gilmore.

Referee: Aaron Moore (Wigan). Kick-off: Sunday, 3pm.