Predicting how Leigh Leopards and Leeds Rhinos could line-up for round one

Louis Chapman Coombe 13 Jan 2026 8:00 AM

A two panel image of Umyla Hanley and Jake Connor — Umyla Hanley (left) and Jake Connor (right) will likely be in action when Leigh Leopards face Leeds Rhinos

With the 2026 Super League season around the corner, Love Rugby League takes a look at how each team could line up in round one. First up, it’s Leigh Leopards v Leeds Rhinos.

Both sides come into the new season with high hopes. Leigh once again reached new heights in 2025, finishing third at the end of the regular season and making it to the play-off semi-finals, while Leeds also secured a top-six finish for the first time since 2022, before losing to St Helens in the opening round of the play-offs.

However, this round one clash between the sides gives them a huge chance to not only get their season off to a big start, but also lay down a marker for the rest of the division as they once again hunt for a play-off spot.

Without further ado, here is how we think both sides will line up in round one.

Leigh Leopards line-up

Adrian Lam faces a couple of big selection calls heading into this opening fixture at the Leigh Sports Village.

With David Armstrong unlikely to be back in action until March, Bailey Hodgson will likely continue at full-back, given his impressive form towards the back-end of last season. Around that, Keenan Brand, Innes Senior, Josh Charnley and AJ Towse will be fighting for wing shirts this season, but we just have Brand and Senior ahead at the minute.

Lam has also confirmed new recruit Adam Cook will line up alongside Lachlan Lam in the halves this season, with Gareth O’Brien taking up more of a mentor role within the squad, but the experienced back could be used as the 18th man.

Star recruit Jacob Alick-Wiencke should come straight into the Leopards’ back-row, with Owen Trout also likely to move here full-time this season too. The starting middle unit should have a familiar feel to it this season, with Joe Ofahengaue, Robbie Mulhern and Isaac Liu all set to keep their spots.

The bench is a little bit more of a headache for Lam this year, given he has a tad more versatility among his starting group. You would think new recruit Liam Horne is a certainty to come onto the bench, given he brings some good Super League experience and covers hooker and loose forward, while Aaron Pene is also set to feature here after returning from a lengthy injury lay-off. Around them, though, it’s almost horses-for-courses, but Jack Hughes and Matt Davis seem the likeliest candidates to feature.

Likely Leigh Leopards starting line-up:

1 Bailey Hodgson
2 Keenan Brand
3 Tesi Niu
4 Umyla Hanley
5 Innes Senior
6 Adam Cook
7 Lachlan Lam
8 Joe Ofahengaue
9 Edwin Ipape
10 Robbie Mulhern
11 Jacob Alick-Wiencke
12 Owen Trout
13 Isaac Liu
Bench:
14 Liam Horne
15 Aaron Pene
16 Jack Hughes
17 Matt Davis

18th man: Gareth O’Brien

Leeds Rhinos line-up

The Rhinos have already given a clue as to their ‘preferred’ line-up ahead of this opening round clash, with Brad Arthur dropping his squad numbers for the new season.

Maika Sivo’s return to fitness after a full season out should see him come straight into the starting group, but around that there should be some continuity across the backline with Lachie Miller, Harry Newman, Ash Handley and Ryan Hall expected to start. You would also assume Brodie Croft and reigning Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel Jake Connor will start in the halves once more.

The starting pack is where the focus will lie, though, given that Arthur has changed a lot of the squad numbers around here. Tom Holroyd’s promotion up the ranks suggests he is primed for a starting role alongside Mikolaj Oledzki and Jarrod O’Connor – who also takes a starting shirt after establishing himself as the first-choice nine last season – in the front-row.

Keenan Palasia is also likely to slot in at loose forward, with him donning the number 13 shirt this season after a string of impressive displays there last season. Elsewhere, Kallum Watkins also looks set to be deployed in the back-row this year, after dotting across the pack upon his arrival at Headingley last season.

That in turn gives the bench a slightly different look, too. Arthur has already spoken about his deployment of three middles on the bench, and again seems likely to do that in 2026. Cooper Jenkins enjoyed a strong start to life in Super League last year, so seems set to feature off the bench once more, while Presley Cassell could also become a regular feature in the intial 17 after his impressive performances last year too. Cameron Smith will also likely feature off the bench, in a move that then sees a tad more rotation between the initial starting group.

Danny Levi and Chris Hankinson will likely fight it out for the remaining spot, but given Arthur’s desire for an 80-minute hooker, utility back Hankinson just sneaks into our line-up.

Likely Leeds Rhinos starting line-up:

1 Lachie Miller
2 Maika Sivo
3 Harry Newman
4 Ash Handley
5 Ryan Hall
6 Brodie Croft
7 Jake Connor
8 Mikolaj Oledzki
9 Jarrod O’Connor
10 Tom Holroyd
11 Kallum Watkins
12 James McDonnell
13 Keenan Palasia
Bench:
14 Chris Hankinson
15 Cooper Jenkins
16 Presley Cassell
17 Cameron Smith