Leeds Rhinos news: major boost as Harry Newman reveals timetable for return from injury

The 22-year-old says he is aiming for a return in full training by the end of this month and could be on the field within the first three rounds of the new campaign, which begins in five weeks’ time.

A series of hamstring injuries, plus a controversial suspension, limited Newman to only seven appearances last year and his return will be a huge boost to Rhinos’ hopes of winning silverware in 2023.

He was initially hurt in a pre-season game against Hull 12 months ago and suffered a recurrence on his comeback away to Wakefield Trinity in March.

Newman returned again in June, but sustained a new injury two months later which required surgery and brought his season to an end.

Providing an update on his injury status, Newman told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “I’m good, it has been a fair few months now since my injury and the operation and the road to recovery is going well.

“I am just building back up to 100 per cent sprinting. I have started change of direction work, which is going really well. I am ticking the boxes off day by day.”

Newman, who has two years left on his contract, is rated as one of the most exciting young backs in the European game and will add significantly to their attacking firepower.

Rhinos have three more first team trial matches before they visit Warrington Wolves in Betfred Super League round one on Thursday, February 16, but the player is taking a long-term view.

He confirmed: “I am hoping to be back in full training by the end of January, if everything goes according to plan.

“I probably won’t feature in pre-season, I’ll just make sure the body’s right and whenever we feel, as a collective, I am ready to go, then I’ll be ready to go.

“In my head, I won’t be pushing too hard. I want to make sure I am right and I last out the season, so I’d say it will probably be round one, two or three when I’m back.”

Rhinos have been without Newman for all 21 of their first team games since he suffered a broken leg in September, 2020.

That injury cost him a place in Rhinos’ Challenge Cup final winning squad the following month and he also missed last October’s title decider, as well as England’s World Cup campaign.

He added: “Once I am back I want to stay out there and help the team the best way I can. I just want to get back playing consistent rugby, which I thought I was doing when I got injured.

“It was very disappointing to miss the Grand Final and a chance to put myself forward for the World Cup, but it is a totally new season this year and I have been working really hard alongside some top-quality physios. I am raring to go when the opportunity comes.”

Reflecting on the past three years, Newman said: “It has been frustrating, ever since breaking my leg.

“I was out with that for just under a year, then I played the second half of that [2021] season, but these problems can happen; having a huge injury like that, other things suffer.

“Unfortunately that has been the case and every time I have got injured it has been gutting. That’s what I dream of doing, playing rugby. It has been testing at times, but I feel in a good position now and I am just slowly working towards getting back out there.”

Newman is excited about what coach Rohan Smith’s new-look squad could achieve this term.

“I’m looking forward to a big season,” he said. “We’ve got a great squad, great coaching staff, great backroom staff and pre-season is going really well.

“All the new lads have fitted in really well and it’s exciting times, on the back of last year. When Rohan came in we were sitting second-bottom, but we proved what we can do as a team.

“Having had a full pre-season under Rohan as a squad, you can only hope we are up there again this year.”

Sitting out two finals in the past three seasons has hurt, Newman admitted. He said: “If I was going to miss a Challenge Cup final, that was the one to miss - with no one there in a 90,000-seater stadium.

“On both occasions I was really happy for the team to be there, but personally, it was gutting - I was in tears after both those games, but that’s part of professional sport.

“It happens, but when I get my chance whether that’s round one, two or three, or whenever, I will be buzzing for that game.

“It is a long season and you don’t want to talk about those big games at the end of the year, but they are the ones any player wants to play in. That’s what you work hard, train hard, play and try your best for.”