Leeds Rhinos dealt major injury blow as star ruled out for season

Leeds Rhinos co-captain Cameron Smith has been ruled out for the rest of the season through a back injury, head coach Brad Arthur has confirmed. 

The loose forward has been out of the side since their 42-6 win over Salford Red Devils back in July through a mystery issue, but Arthur has now detailed that he has a bulging disc in his back and will play no further part in their hunt for silverware.

Smith has had a frustrating season with injuries to date, suffering an ankle injury just three games into the year, and has been limited to just 12 appearances in all competitions for the Rhinos.

‘He won’t play this season’

“Cam Smith is done for the season,” Arthur told members of the media ahead of Leeds’ clash with Huddersfield Giants this weekend. “We’ve still got to get some final results and some decisions made, but he’s got a pretty nasty disc bulge.

“We need to look at what the long-term fix for that is, so they’re just working that out. He won’t play this season.

“He’s disappointed; he just wants to be playing at full health rather than carrying an injury into a game. He’s probably had that lingering for a long part of his career, so it’ll help prolong his career and put him in a good place for next year.”

The academy graduate is part of an ever-growing list of injury concerns at Headingley heading into the final part of the season, with Arthur also listing a further four players who will likely play no further part this season.

“We’ve probably got four or five guys who are done for the season. Going all the way back to Maika (Sivo), I think Alfie (Edgell) is done for the season, Cam is done for the season and I’m not sure about Tom Nicholson-Watton.”

Elsewhere, they will be without Max Simpson and Keenan Palasia for the visit to the Giants, while Tom Holroyd is still a week away from making a return to action.

‘Everyone that’s come into the team has stepped up and done their job’

But, Leeds have already shown they are able to make like-for-like switches within their squad to replace injuries.

Presley Cassell has emerged as a key part of the Leeds Rhinos pack in the absence of Smith, Tom Holroyd and previously Mikolaj Oledzki, with the 18-year-old starting three games in a row against Castleford Tigers, Hull KR and Hull FC, while Ben Littlewood has also been given good minutes in the first team recently.

“Everyone that’s come into the team has stepped up and done their job,” Arthur said. “That’s what we need.

“There are numerous reasons for that. There’s a good squad together and there’s good consistency with coaching right through the ranks. The high-performance guys have done a great job at making sure everyone is physically ready, and the coaches have also made sure that the guys who are in the team week-to-week are mentally prepared and have clarity about what their jobs are.

“When I arrived, the team wanted clarity around expectations and standards. We set those, and now they drive them. It’s easy for them to manage, so when someone steps into the team they’re really clear on what their expectations are or they don’t stay in the team. That’s a credit to the players.”

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