Leeds Rhinos set for key call on star as major team change made for St Helens clash

Leeds Rhinos will be boosted by the long-awaited return of hooker Andy Ackers in Friday night’s game against St Helens, head coach Brad Arthur has confirmed.

Ackers has been out of first-team action since mid-March courtesy of a hamstring tear, with his last appearance coincidentally coming in the Rhinos’ Challenge Cup defeat at St Helens.

The two-time England international arrived at Headingley alongside Brodie Croft ahead of 2024, with the pair joining from fellow Super League outfit Salford Red Devils.

He has so far featured 31 times across all competitions in a Rhinos shirt, and it’s now been confirmed that his 32nd game for the club will come on Friday evening.

Ackers has been named in head coach Arthur‘s initial 21-man squad, just as he was for the last few weeks – but he has had to settle for game-time in the reserves.

But having missed out on matchday for the first-team at Craven Park, Arthur has revealed that Ackers’ return will come against Saints.

Speaking during Thursday morning’s pre-match press conference, the Australian detailed: “(Andy) Ackers will come into the team.

“He’s been out for a while, so it’s a good opportunity for him. It’s good for Andy, because he’s had to wait.”

In the 31-year-old’s absence, Jarrod O’Connor has shone at nine and plenty were shocked he wasn’t named in the England squad selected by Shaun Wane earlier this month.

Arthur continued: “We’ve got a little bit of back-up for Jarrod as he’s burning the candles at both ends.

“I’ve said all the way through that I’m pretty keen with having an 80-minute hooker to help with your forward rotation, but for this week, it’s a good idea to have him (Ackers) involved to look after Jarrod.

“On a five-day turnaround, running for 9km, that’s big numbers. We’re just looking after him.”

Young pair Ethan Clark-Wood and Ben Littlewood have both been drafted into the 21, with Jack Sinfield and Tom Holroyd dropping out. Holroyd’s absence is due to suspension, but Arthur has confirmed that Sinfield’s is injury-related.

Explaining that he aggravated an ankle injury during a reserves clash against KR, the Rhinos chief explained: “He’s been carrying an ankle complaint for a while, and he’s been tough, probably too tough for his own good.

“We’ve just made the decision for him to have a week off his feet and then reassess it next week. It’s nothing major, but he keeps aggravating it from the start of the season.

“He’s probably just been too tough for his own good and kept playing through it. We’re at the stage where we don’t really need him to do that now either.”

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