WATCH - Leeds Rhinos: Jack Walker on standby for Magic Weekend return

Walker damaged a hamstring late in Rhinos’ 28-24 home win over Hull KR on April 28 and has missed their last three matches, but is on course to feature in Sunday’s showdown at Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium.

He was Leeds’ representative at a Magic Weekend media preview at Anfield yesterday and confirmed: “I did a bit of running last week, some sprinting and stuff last week and over the weekend and I’ll do a bit more this evening. I am travelling back over and doing a bit more training. It is really good, it’s feeling well and hopefully it’s going to be all right this week and I’ll be okay for the weekend.”

Walker missed yesterday’s team session because of his media duty, but trained on his own later. That underlined his desire to get back into the action.

“It is frustrating watching from the sidelines, especially when we are getting beaten most weeks,” he reflected. “The loss against Bradford in the Challenge Cup was frustrating; just being sat there watching when you want to get on, but I am really looking forward to getting out there this weekend.

“I have no idea what it is [that’s causing Rhinos’ poor form], maybe a lack of confidence, because we have shown this season we are a really good side and we are going to be a tough side to beat if we can just click and start to gel.

“We will go 20 points up and they will get one try back – just one try – and our heads will go down. That’s when they get a roll on. We make it difficult for ourselves and we are just not nailing that 80-minute performance.”

With Rhinos third from bottom, two places above London on points difference, Sunday’s clash has unexpectedly become the most important game of the Magic Weekend.

“It is massive for both teams,” Walker admitted. “I feel like if we can nail the full-80 performance and get our gameplan right – and it’s a great occasion to do so – it will kick-start our season and we will start to win some games and build our way back up the table.”

London won 18-16 at Emerald Headingley two months ago when Leeds collapsed in the final five minutes and Walker recalled: “I think they scored three tries from kicks. If we can just sustain a good performance, instead of having 20 minutes good and 10 minutes bad – have a full 80 minutes when we are on it and we are really good – I think we should blow them away.”

Sunday will be Richard Agar’s third as interim coach. Walker said: “I feel like he is coaching one-to-one, which Dave [Furner, the previous boss] did as well, to be fair. He is picking out certain areas we need to improve on, majorly improve on. Our defence has not been great so he has been working on that as well. He is trying to pick out little things we need and nail them.”

Walker will be in direct competition with namesake Alex, London’s highly-rated full-back.

“It’s the battle of the Walkers,” the Leeds man said. “He is a great player. I watched him last year in the million pound game and he was outstanding.

“I am really looking forward to playing against him and seeing who comes out on top.”