Leeds Rhinos star pledges no holding back in final match before Wembley showdown v St Helens

The match comes six days before Rhinos meet St Helens in the first Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup final staged at Wembley.

Rhinos have already lost two players, Keara Bennett and Kaiya Glynn, to suspension and Ruby Enright was injured in the Cup semi-final win over Wigan Warriors two weeks ago.

Coach Lois Forsell has included several new faces in an 18-player squad, but Lockwood insisted Rhinos will be giving their all.

“I think this is a building block for us,” Lockwood, who played in Rhinos’ first game five years ago, said.

“It is a chance for us to practise and build on what we do for Wembley. Rather than it being in the back of our minds in a worried way, I think it will help us build towards lifting the trophy at Wembley.”

Lockwood insisted Rhinos won’t alter their approach against Giants. She added: “We can’t change too much.

“We have games week after week so [Wembley] is not something we can dwell on. We have got to look to Sunday’s game and put in a strong performance and take that into Wembley. I think that is the way to look at it.”

The Wembley build up will begin when the final whistle blows on Sunday. Lockwood conceded: “Obviously, we are going to be excited.

“We are making history, most of the girls won’t have played in a stadium anything like it, but we have to try as a team to channel that.”

Rhinos have beaten Giants twice already this year, 52-0 in the Challenge Cup and 80-0 in Betfred Women’s Super League.

“I don’t think you can ever count another team out, or count on past experiences,” Lockwood said.

“Huddersfield are a relentless side, they will be coming at us so we have got to be able to control the game and play our game.”

Hooker Bennett and prop Glynn both featured in the 16-4 win over Wigan which took Leeds to Wembley, but will begin a two-match ban this weekend.

Their suspension, from a league game at York Valkyrie, was upheld on appeal and Lockwood - who did not play in the semi-final - stressed: “It’s a really tough hit for the team, but we are behind them, we support them. If we could have them playing, we would.

“I think it is a really tough call, but we have got strength across the park and we’ll still have a good team out, but it would be nicer to have them with us.”

Rhinos lost two of their first three Super League games this year, but are unbeaten since and Lockwood reckons they are heading in the right direction with a new-look side.

She said: “We had a lot of new players come in and younger players come into pivotal positions as well.

“Keara is one of our dominant nines, but I have got full confidence in the whole team. We are only getting stronger and we are going to keep building that way.”

Four players from Rhinos' academy are set for their Super League debut and Bella Sykes will make her first Leeds appearance against her former club.

Oulton Raidettes' Abby Briggs and Alice Costello have been included in the squad alongside Methley's Tilly Jae Brown and Illingworth player Angel Bentley. Sophie Nuttall and Elle Frain are both back in the squad after injury.

Leeds Rhinos women (v Huddersfield): from Robinson, Nuttall, Hulme, Anderson, Cudjoe, Lockwood, Gaines, Northrop, Frain, Moxon, Hayward, Greening, Murray, Sykes, Brown, Costello, Bentley, Briggs.