Leeds Rhinos No 7 Caitlin Casey vows to do Rob Burrow proud in Challenge Cup final clash v St Helens

Casey will wear the iconic number for Leeds against St Helens in the Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup final, on a day when rugby league pays tribute to Rob Burrow. Leeds’ most famous number seven died last Sunday, four and a half years after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease.

There has been an outpouring of grief throughout the sport and Burrow will be remembered with a silence before all Saturday’s finals as well as applause in the seventh minutes of each game. It will be emotional, particularly for everyone associated with Rhinos and Casey pledged: “We will be playing for Rob and the badge and going out there and trying to get a win. We can’t think about it too much and put too much pressure on ourselves, but it is there and we do want to do him proud.”

Casey, from Rothwell, supported Castleford Tigers as a child, but added: “Rob Burrow was always somebody I looked up to. He did play the same position as me, he was a really good half-back and I don’t know anyone who has a bad word about Rob. It is a bit of pressure playing in the seven shirt, but it’s something I am taking in my stride and I want to do it justice.”

Victory would put smiles on faces at the end of a tough week for the Leeds club. Though Rhinos’ women have lost to Saints in each of the past two Cup finals, Casey insisted: “We have got a lot more depth this year, I think.

“We’ve signed well and [the new recruits] have fitted into the squad well. I am just excited to see how we go and hopefully we get to lift that trophy.”

One of those recruits, Shona Hoyle, was a try scorer for Saints last year. She operates on Casey’s side of the field and the scrum-half said: “You can’t ask for much more of a back-rower.

“She is a big character to have in the team and you know what you get with Shona; it’s 100 per cent effort, grit and that aggression some might say we were lacking last year. She has fitted in great and I am lucky to have her playing inside me and Caitlin Beevers outside me. I am pretty safe.”

Saints are the only team to beat Leeds this year, having won 12-6 in a Super League clash at TW Stadium two weeks ago. Both sides scored a converted try, but three penalty goals secured the points for the home side.

The two clubs have a history of hard-fought encounters, including last year’s Super League semi-final when Casey set up Sophie Robinson for the winning try in golden-point extra-time. She predicted: “It will always be a close game with Saints.

“We both raise our game when we play each other, but last time we played them we knew what we did wrong and where our attack wasn’t good enough. We’ve been working on that for the last few weeks and we think if we put that into place we should be all right.”

On a personal note, Casey is preparing for her second Wembley appearance, despite not turning 20 until October. She had just come out of the academy last year and feels “better prepared” for the Wembley experience this time. Casey said: “I’m a little bit more settled because I kind of know what to expect, but it’s still a really big game. There’s obviously nerves, but we are all getting excited about it and we can’t wait for the weekend.

“I am nervous before every game, no matter whether it’s Barrow [who Leeds beat 68-0 last Saturday] or the Challenge Cup final, but there’s a bit more at stake because it’s knockout rugby and there’s a trophy to lift. I am looking forward to it and [staging the game at the national stadium] shows how well the women’s game is growing and the growth and support the RFL are giving it at the minute.

"So many young girls have seen us play at Wembley, we have seen a spike in the youth. I do some work with the Foundation at Leeds and at Halifax as well and there’s loads of talented young girls coming through who in the next few years will be pushing for the first team and England spots.”