Leeds Rhinos: Promising duo Bailey Aldridge and Jake Higgins sign first professional deal

Aldridge, a hooker, played for Batley Boys and Kippax before joining Leeds and prop Higgins is a product of the Castleford Panthers club.

Both teenagers had been on an amateur contract and the academy deal will run for the duration of their time in the under-18s, expiring at the end of next season.

One of five Kippax players selected for Rhinos’ scholarship, Aldridge captained Leeds’ under-17s to three wins in as many matches last year and has played five times for the academy and reserves this season, scoring two tries.

He described signing professional terms as “quite surreal”.

Aldridge said: “It has been a dream of mine since I was five or six years old so I’m really proud to have got to this point, but there’s plenty more to go yet.

“My community club Kippax are proud too. It just shows how much of a great club they are because there’s loads of us from Kippax here.”

“It’s one step closer to the first team,” he said. “I’m just aiming to keep building on it.”

The pair will continue to play for the under-18s and reserves, along with the likes of Kai Morgan, Alfie Edgell, Jack Johnson and Riley Lumb who signed academy contracts last October.

Rhinos’ head of academy recruitment and operations Simon Bell said: “They’ve both had different pathways to get to this point.

“Bailey has been with us since he was 14 and has shown some real resilience to earn his contract, while Jake only started with us in December after we’d seen him playing for Castleford Panthers under-18s.

“Signing Jake shows the door is always open and there is always a pathway, no matter what level you’re playing at.

“They’ve both really earned their professional contracts and it’s just a starting point for them to kick on.

“Hopefully there will be more to follow, because the kids at under-18s are really performing well and improving.”