Leeds Rhinos signing Ethan O'Neill's 'tough' situation explained as injury-free run continues

All Leeds’ first-choice players are fit and available and - barring injuries at training - Arthur plans to field an unchanged 17 for the fifth successive game in Friday’s home derby against Wakefield Trinity, with Presley Cassell again on 18th man duty.

Four of Rhinos’ full-time squad are now on loan at other Betfred Super League clubs in a bid to gain top-level game time. Tom Nicholson-Watton today joined Castleford Tigers on an initial one-week deal, centre Harry Newman and front-rower Jeremiah Mata’utia will remain with Hull FC for at least one more match and forward Ben Littlewood’s week-by-week arrangement at York Knights has also been extended.

However, an unchanged 17 will mean no rugby this weekend for second-rower O’Neill, who joined Rhinos in pre-season from Leigh Leopards. He has played only four times for Leeds, his most recent appearance being against Castleford Tigers on March 8 and Arthur admitted it is “hard” for players not in the team.

Speaking at his weekly preview press conference today (Tuesday), he said: “All they can do - and I have had to have several of these conversations - is control their attitude to the choices they make, be positive and work hard and any games they play, whether on loan or reserve grade, put their best foot forward with their performance. They have no control over team selection, only I do. It is about their response and their attitude and being a team-first player will get them an opportunity further down the track.”

Newman, Mata’utia, Littlewood and now Nicholson-Watton are at least getting Super League game time, but O’Neill has had to settle for reserve team rugby. Arthur said: “It’s tough because different clubs need different positions.

“It’s just fortunate at the minute that Hull needed a middle and a centre, Tom has been able to go as a middle to Cas and Ben is getting an opportunity at York. At the moment it is a week-to-week proposition, we have tried to get Ethan [a loan deal], but no one’s really looking for a back-rower at present.

“He played against a physical London Broncos side last weekend in reserve grade and that’s all he can do. All the decisions are out of his hands. What’s in his hands is his attitude towards his training and his performance.”

However, Arthur insisted: “I want to make sure this is a positive for us, not a negative. We are in a strong position as a team and a club and we should be embracing it. If we had 20 injuries everyone would be getting stuck into us that we can’t get anyone on the park.

“We are fortunate, we are helping out other teams, we are getting benefit out of it as well and I hope it goes on for the rest of the year. I hope I have to make tough decisions around selection, that’s what I get paid to do. I am proud of the position we are in and grateful. I see it as only positives, not negatives.”