Leeds Rhinos rookies aim to end Hunslet dominance in Harry Jepson OBE Memorial Trophy derby

Rhinos’ squad is made up largely of second year academy players, though full-timers Riley Lumb, Joe Gibbons and Oli Field are included.

They all featured during Rhinos’ first team pre-season campaign, along with Kai Morgan, Tom Nicholson-Watton and Bailey Aldridge.

Ten of Rhinos’ squad for Sunday were involved in last year’s academy Grand Final which they won at league leaders St Helens with a try in golden-point extra-time.

The derby will be Tony Smith’s first game since joining Rhinos as academy coach in the off-season.

“It is a great opportunity for our young lads to put into play what they’ve been practising for the last 10-12 weeks,” Smith said.

“It’s against a quality side in Hunslet, who have recruited really well. It’s against men and it’s good, coming towards the end of pre-season, to be able to give these young guys a test.

“They are at the start of their journey and there’ll be some seasoned professionals in Hunslet’s side.”

Smith coached Wakefield Trinity in Super League two decades ago, had a long spell in charge of Castleford Tigers’ academy and joined Leeds in the off-season after a stint as assistant-boss at Dewsbury Rams.

Sunday is his first chance to see Rhinos’ youngsters in action after a long pre-season. He said: “Everybody has got their own rate of development and I think it would be unfair to single anyone out.

“We’ve got a good group of professional young men who want to work hard and want to be rugby players.

“It’s a bit different [to first team pre-season], it’s not like saying they are a couple of weeks away, with these lads it is a continual development.

“These lads are a few years off where they need to be, but it is a natural progression and they will be full of energy and enthusiasm. It’s the same for me - I am looking forward to it.”

Rhinos under-18s begin their league campaign against Wakefield Trinity at Stanningley on Thursday, March 9.

Smith said: “I have been impressed with a lot of the first year academy players who have stepped up from the scholarship this year, but they won’t be playing [on Sunday] - I don’t want to play 16/17-year-old lads against grown men. It is mainly second year academy players, with a handful of reserves.”

Rhinos are aiming to break a four-match losing run in the annual pre-season derby.

Ash Handley bagged a brace of tries and Cory Aston and Josh Walters also crossed in Leeds’ last win over Hunslet, in January, 2017.

Rhinos’ side that day included Sam Hallas, Josh Jordan-Roberts and Harvey Whiteley, who are all in Hunslet’s squad for this weekend’s rematch.

Since then, Hunslet have held the upper hand with four successive victories, including a 34-6 win last year.

Leeds Rhinos (at Hunslet): from Touhey, Balback, Proud, Johnson, Lumb, K Morgan, Shaw, Nicholson-Watton, Aldridge, Brennan-Jones, Gibbons, Littlewood, Field, McSwiney, Gibson, Robinson, Aliyu. Gilmore, B Morgan, Peacock, Tchamambe.

Referee: Kevin Moore (Wakefield).

Kick-off: Sunday, 3pm.