Leeds Rhinos news: top player ruled out for 6 weeks as another to miss Castleford Tigers derby
Two Leeds Rhinos players have been ruled out of Sunday’s derby at Castleford Tigers and one of them is set for a six-week stint on the sidelines.
Foot injury victims prop Keenan Palasia and winger Ryan Hall both missed last Saturday’s 28-6 win away to Catalans Dragons and, speaking at his preview press conference today (Wednesday), coach Brad Arthur confirmed neither will be fit for this weekend. “Keenan definitely won’t play,” Arthur revealed. “He will probably miss six weeks I reckon at the moment with his foot injury and Hally won’t be right for another couple of weeks.”
Palasia has been in impressive form and the coach admitted his injury is a setback, but stressed: “It is an opportunity for other guys. It’s a blow more for Keenan because he was playing well and starting to really assert himself as one of the best front-rowers, if not the best, in the competition.
“He was really integral in terms of our starts. He and Mik [Oledzki] have been doing a really good job there. He is disappointed, but he will work hard and get himself ready to be right within that six-week timeframe.”
There is better news on another prop, Cooper Jenkins, after his game at Stade Gilbert Brutus was ended in the first half by an eye problem. He had treatment in France and Arthur stated: “He got some bleeding in behind his eye.
“He has had all the testing and everything and he is okay at the minute. He trained today and he will be right. It was just a burst blood vessel, but he had blurred vision. He had a couple of checks in France and he has been checked since we’ve been back and he has been given the all clear.”
Oledzki and scrum-half Jake Connor were two others who had to be replaced before the end of last week’s match, but Arthur is confident over their chances of featuring against Castleford, in a game refereed by Liam Rush. He said: “They trained today, they will be fine.
“Mikolaj is carrying a few little bumps. When you get close to round 20 these guys aren’t healthy or fit every week - they are always carrying something.
“Jake got a stinger on his shoulder, the nerve has been pinched up a few times from where he has got his head jammed up with his collision and Mik is the same. I was able to look after Mik on the weekend, he got us off to a good start and then I didn’t have to use him.
“Pres [Presley Cassell] got some good game time so we are fortunate we have got plenty of quality and we can look after some guys when they need it and also get good minutes into the other blokes.
Arthur will name a 21-man squad on Friday. He said: “We had a light run today and we’ve got more tomorrow so I probably won’t know more until then, but I can’t envisage too many major changes. There might be a tweak of who starts and who doesn’t again.”