Leeds Rhinos options examined after Ryan Hall injury blow

Rhinos have struggled to get through a game this season without a player being hurt and veteran winger Ryan Hall was the latest victim when he suffered ankle damage early in last Friday’s 20-14 home loss to Hull KR. Rhinos are waiting for the result of a scan, but it is likely Hall will be out of action for several weeks.

Adding more depth to the outside backs was one of Arthur’s priorities in the off-season, but the three players brought in - Maika Sivo, Ethan Clarke-Wood and Hall - are now all injured. Winger Sivo won’t play this year after rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament (acl) in Ash Handley’s pre-season testimonial game three months ago.

Clarke-Wood stepped in when a rib injury kept Hall out of Rhinos’ visit to Catalans Dragons in March, but the Aussie - who can play centre or wing - hasn’t played since sustaining an ankle syndesmosis playing for the reserves against St Helens on March 27. He was given an outside chance of being available for Magic Weekend, but Leeds then have a 13-day gap until the home clash with Hull FC in Betfred Super League round 11 and may opt to allow his ankle an extra two weeks to recover.

Of the other potential replacements for Hall outside Rhinos’ top-20 squad, both Max Simpson and Ned McCormack are on the long-term casualty list. Simpson hasn’t played since tearing an acl in the 2023 pre-season and McCormack could miss the whole of this year with a hamstring injury picked up last July.

Jack Smith is another outside-back in the full-time group. He can play wing or centre and has been included in several 21-man squads, but is yet to make his first team debut. Stand-off Brodie Croft (hamstring) and loose-forward Cameron Smith (ankle) are also expected to be back in contention in round 11 or 12, which would give Arthur the option to rejig his back division.

Jake Connor, who has been highly influential at full-back and stand-off/scrum-half this year, could switch to centre, though Arthur would be reluctant to lose his creativity in the halves. Also, Kallum Watkins had a strong game at centre against Hull KR, with Harry Newman moving to a wing, following Hall’s injury. Centre was Watkins’ position during his first spell with Leeds, but Rhinos’ management now see him as a forward in all but emergency circumstances.

Handley was a winger before this season, but Arthur has made it clear he sees his future at centre and the captain remained in his starting role after Hall’s injury last week. The most likely scenario - if Hall is ruled out - is a call up for Alfie Edgell, a specialist full-back who did a good job as a makeshift winger last term.

He has been on the bench twice this year, having scored six tries in 16 games during 2024, including four in one game - as a winger - against Hull FC. Rhinos can be confident he won’t let the side down and the 20-year-old will be keen to impress after a frustrating start to the season.