Leeds Rhinos news: key man steps up return from injury as teammate suffers operation blow

Full-back Lachie Miller is making good progress after damaging a hamstring at the end of last season, but teenage forward Ben Littlewood has undergone an operation to tackle a similar issue. Rhinos sporting director Ian Blease said: “Lachie is due to start running [today, Tuesday], which is good, but Ben has gone down with a hamstring injury and he has had an operation.”

Littlewood, 19, made his first team debut last season and is regarded by Rhinos’ management as among the club’s brightest young prospects. Blease reflected: “We have had a few hamstring injuries.

“We are looking into it medically, but each one is their own - there’s nothing that tells us we are doing anything wrong or we need to improve anything. We’ve bought a bit of machinery that’s going to test everybody now so we are trying to do stuff in advance, but hand on heart, we’ve got to say there’s nothing we could have done differently.”

Blease reported no other serious fitness concerns. “The squad have come back nice and fit,” he confirmed. “Everyone’s back in and Brad [Arthur, Rhinos’ coach] is putting them through their paces now. They are looking pretty lean and mean - though everyone always thinks they’ve had a good pre-season. The proof’s in the pudding.”

Rhinos’ 2025 squad will have a first runout when Wakefield Trinity visit AMT Headingley on Boxing Day. All five new signings - Ryan Hall, Keenan Palasia, Cooper Jenkins, Jake Connor and Maika Sivo - are set to feature.