Wembley on back burner as Leeds Rhinos prepare for Super League clash v Challenge Cup final foes St Helens

The Betfred Women’s Super League clash comes 15 days before the teams meet in their third successive Challenge Cup final, but Rhinos captain Hanna Butcher insists it is a case of first things first. Leeds have an unbeaten record to protect and, after beating champions York Valkyrie in their previous Super League fixture and a win at Saints would lift them clear at the top of the table.

Rhinos booked their Wembley place with a 34-20 semi-final defeat of Wigan Warriors at Saints’ TW Stadium last Sunday and Butcher noted: “It is a quick turnaround, but the staff will look after us and make sure we are good to go. I think it will be a really good contest.

“I watched Saints’ game against York [in the first Cup semi-final] and was really impressed, I thought it was a very professional performance and really consistent so we know we are going to have to turn up and give it our best shot.”

Read more: Leeds Rhinos boss hails Wembley return, targets St Helens revenge after Challenge Cup win v Wigan Warriors

Wins over the women’s game’s three other big guns - York, Wigan and Saints - in consecutive matches would confirm Rhinos as the form team at this early stage in the campaign. Butcher stressed: “It would be massive and I do think it’s possible, we can do that. We have got it in us, but it’s what happens on the day.

“Obviously with it being a Friday game we will have a lot of girls doing half a day at work or at uni’ so in games like that there’s a lot of other factors that may hinder performance. We have got to make sure we are switched on; it is going to be another slog of a game and we have got to be really patient and turn up with the right attitude, stick together and get the job done.”

Saints are tough opponents so soon after a hard-fought clash against Wigan played in sweltering conditions, but Butcher insisted that’s what Rhinos prefer. “We are really enjoying these types of games, the competitive games - that’s what we want to play in,” she added. “I think it’s great for the fans as well so we want more of them.”

The skipper reckons Leeds will need to play better on Friday than they did in the semi-final, when they trailed three times. “It was a bit nervy,” Butcher admitted. “Wigan really brought it to us and it was a really good performance from them. It shows how far they have come and it was a real slog for us. At half-time we knew we needed to bring some more energy to the second half because we looked poor.”

Rhinos will travel to Saints without full-back Ruby Enright who sustained a foot injury during her player of the match performance in the semi-final. Tilly-Jae Brown has been drafted into the initial squad and Beth Lockwood, Orla McCallion, Tara Moxon and Elychia Watson are also vying for a call up to the matchday 17.

Leeds Rhinos women (at St Helens): from Beevers, Bennett, Brown, Butcher, Casey, Cousins, Dainton, Donnelly, Field, Greening, Hardcastle, Hornby, Lockwood, McCallion, Moxon, Murray, Northrop, Robinson, Sykes, Watson, Whitehead.

Kick-off: Friday, 5.30pm.