Leeds Rhinos star could make shock return v Warrington Wolves at Magic Weekend

Coach Brad Arthur says Ash Handley hasn’t given up hope of figuring in Saturday’s Magic Weekend showdown with Warrington Wolves at Elland Road, after missing last Saturday’s 30-4 victory over Wigan Warriors because of a hand injury. The winger, Leeds’ top try scorer this term, needs surgery on a wrist, but has yet to be given a date for the operation and Arthur said: “He is still going to try for this week.

"We’ll see how he goes on Wednesday. We can’t get him in for another week or two so we are just going to take it a week at a time and see how it goes.”

Forward James Donaldson didn’t play against Wigan, but Arthur said he is “close” for this week. “He had a bit of a trot [on Monday],” he revealed. “He has done his job for us the last couple of weeks, so if he’s right he’ll come back in somewhere. He got banged up in his ankle in a tackle and he’s had some fluid in his knee. It just didn’t settle in time.”

Prop Mikolaj Oledzki also sat out the Wigan game with damaged ribs. He had another scan yesterday (Monday), but Arthur said he’ll be out “another couple of weeks, he is pretty banged up”.

The coach confirmed Rhinos came through last Saturday’s game with no major new injury concerns. Winger David Fusitu’a was replaced late in the second half of his return from a two-game layoff with a calf muscle injury, but the coach said: “He was getting a few cramps.

“There was only six or seven minutes to go and - no disrespect to the opposition - the game was done. It was a good opportunity to get Ben [Littlewood, who made his debut off the bench] out there as well. I was trying to work out how do I get him on, so that opened that up for us.”