Leeds Rhinos star reveals drama behind the scenes after Covid-19 test scare ahead of Super League showdown with Huddersfield Giants

The former Huddersfield forward was among seven players stood down by Rhinos after a family member of one of them showed signs of coronavirus.

The player and family member were tested by the NHS and - with Rhinos hoping to receive the results before naming their side - Mellor and the others travelled to St Helens separately from their team-mates.

Negative results would have allowed them to be part of the side but notification did not arrive in time and Mellor, and his fellow isolating players, had to drive back without setting foot in the stadium.

“I was set to be 18th man,” Mellor confirmed. “We had to drive over and then sit in our cars to wait for an all-clear.

“When it didn’t come we had to drive home. We had to isolate until they found out [the results] and they didn’t find out until the morning after, so the night before we had to drive on our own, not see anyone and be in a little bubble, basically.

“The results were still inconclusive when the game was about to take place so we weren’t allowed in the building, we just had to drive straight home.”

With the player and his family member both having been cleared of the illness, Mellor and the others who were stood down are now back in training with the rest of the squad.

“Everything’s fine and everyone’s back to normal now,” Mellor said. “We don’t have to isolate, whereas if [the family member] had tested positive we’d have had to isolate for a number of days, because of track and trace.

“I think it’s if you have more than 15 minutes in a week in training, within a metre.”

Rhinos’ 17 was named 90 minutes before the 8.15pm kick-off, at which point Mellor got back on the road.

“I just got home for kick-off,” he recalled.

“I saw the golden point in the Hull KR game [on Sky TV] and then watched our game. It was nice to get back and be able to watch it. It was a very scrappy game, but a good win.”

Rhinos’ rejigged side - also missing Matt Prior, Rhyse Martin, Callum McLelland, Tom Holroyd and Luke Briscoe from the initial 21 - trailed 10-0 at half-time, but battled back to win 13-12.

They are now up to fourth in Betfred Super League and Mellor said: “You look back at the end of the season and you don’t really remember a performance, you just remember a win.

“To grind it out, especially in those conditions when we went 10-0 down, there’s a lot of character there.

“Everyone’s willing to put the team first and grind out these tough battles we are in - that’s a good trait to have.”

Mellor is now off the casualty list after recovering from a knee injury suffered against St Helens last month and is in contention for Friday’s Coral Challenge Cup derby against Hull KR, to be played at TW Stadium.

“I feel good, I am raring to go,” he said. “A bit of time on the sideline makes you more desperate to play.

“I am fully fit and up for selection, it’s just a case of trying to earn my spot back now.

“The boys have been playing well so it’s a case of fighting for my position. It’s the quarter-final of the Challenge Cup and, if you can’t get motivated for that, what can you get motivated for?

“It’s a big event, a big game and I am going to do everything I can to be back playing.”

Hull KR are bottom of Super League, but beat Wigan Warriors two weeks ago before being level with Saints after 80 minutes last Friday.

Mellor said: “I’ve watched their last couple of games and they’ve been fantastic to watch. It is like underdogs springing themselves off the canvas at boxing and coming out throwing punches, they don’t go down without a fight and what a fantastic spectacle it is to watch them.”

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Laura Collins