Leeds Rhinos’ spine crisis takes deeper turn as impact on performance outlined

It never rains, but it certainly pours for Brad Arthur and Leeds Rhinos at present.

The Rhinos‘ worst fears were confirmed on Tuesdsay with the news that Andy Ackers will be missing for several months with a hamstring injury sustained during Friday’s defeat to St Helens.

It is the latest blow Leeds have had in their spine dating all the way back to before they had even kicked a ball in 2025, with Lachie Miller forced out of the start of the new campaign.

And with co-captain Cameron Smith also currently out for a prolonged period, Arthur and Leeds are facing a near-weekly shuffle in their spine that can’t be doing them any good.

A quick glance over how Leeds have performed in attack so far this season underlines the problem, and how big an impact it is having, too.

There was an element of consistency in their spine in the early stages of 2025, with Jake Connor at fullback, Brodie Croft and Matt Frawley in the halves, Ackers at hooker and Smith at loose-forward.

But it was midway through their win at Salford in Round 2 when things began to turn. Croft and Frawley were both forced off in that game, and Smith also picked up the injury that has ruled him out in that game too.

And since Round 2, Leeds simply haven’t been able to name the same five players in their 1-6-7-9-13 spine due to mounting injury problems which have taken yet another turn with Ackers’ setback.

Arthur has rotated Keenan Palasia and James Bentley at 13 thus far, but it is clear neither can fill the gap vacated by Smith.

Miller’s return from injury in the cup last week saw Jake Connor go to half-back to accommodate the Australian, but there’s no doubting Connor is of more use to Leeds at fullback.

And Arthur now has to reshuffle yet again with Wigan Warriors on the horizon this weekend. Who goes to 13 remains to be seen, but there will definitely have to be a change at nine with no Ackers. Jarrod O’Connor will likely go in there, with Jack Sinfield on the bench again.

But having to change your spine every week – and coping with that in training – cannot be helping Leeds. They went almost 150 minutes without scoring a try before Ash Handley touched down at St Helens; that is a result of the lack of continuity the Rhinos are enduring on the training ground.

Of course, it’s not a unique story: and shouldn’t be seen as sympathetic towards Leeds. But it’s clear that as Leeds face weekly reshuffling of their key attacking pivots, their attack isn’t going to be as strong as it perhaps might be when the big guns return.

But that date now seems a fair way off after news of Ackers’ setback.

Leeds Rhinos’ spine selections in 2025

Cup: Jake Connor, Brodie Croft, Matt Frawley, Jack Sinfield, Cameron Smith
Round 1: Jake Connor, Brodie Croft, Matt Frawley, Andy Ackers, Cameron Smith
Round 2: Jake Connor, Brodie Croft, Matt Frawley, Andy Ackers, Cameron Smith
Round 3: Jake Connor, Morgan Gannon, Jack Sinfield, Andy Ackers, Keenan Palasia
Round 4: Jake Connor, Brodie Croft, Matt Frawley, Andy Ackers, James Bentley
Cup: Lachie Miller, Brodie Croft, Jake Connor, Andy Ackers, Keenan Palasia