Shock change likely as Leeds Rhinos’ centre options for Huddersfield clash ranked

Leeds Rhinos head coach Brad Arthur has teased four potential options to come into the centres for his side’s clash against Huddersfield Giants, with Max Simpson ruled out.

The 21-year-old was stretchered off in his side’s 34-0 win over Hull FC on Saturday, and despite getting the all-clear, will still miss this weekend’s visit to the Accu Stadium due to head injury protocols.

“He’s just going through his concussion protocols, so he should be right to return against Catalans, hopefully. It was probably a bit of a scare for everyone, but for his own safety and health, he’s good to go.”

‘We have a couple of options’

But, that again leaves the Rhinos with a gaping hole in their backline, with regular centre and club co-captain Ash Handley also ruled out for a minimum of two weeks, if not longer.

Leeds do have options to come into the starting 13, though. Kallum Watkins is also more than capable in the centres, having spent the bulk of his career here, while Morgan Gannon could also shift out to the centres if needed.

Youngster Ned McCormack could also come straight into the starting line-up, after again cracking the wider 21-man match-day squad, and it seems he is leading the charge to occupy that spot at the moment.

“We have a couple of options. Ned did a bit of training there today, and we still have the option of Kallum and Morgan Gannon. The good thing is we have flexibility within our squad.

“I’ve been excited about giving young blokes some opportunities. I’ll sit down and work it out tomorrow, but at this stage, Ned’s likely going to get a chance.

McCormack has impressed in his senior appearances for Leeds in his young career to date, scoring one try in his three Super League appearances for the club, but has not featured at all in 2025.

Throwing a young player into the starting side with limited minutes under his belt could be a challenge, but Arthur insists McCormack is feeling good about a potential return to the squad.

“He knows what it’s about. It’s about making sure he’s right physically; he’s not played a lot of footie this year, and I had a good chat with him today about his mindset and where his headspace is at, and he’s confident that he can get the job done.

“You’re also putting him in a good team and a pretty good edge as well, and that helps those young guys when they’ve got senior players around them to guide them through the game.”

Elsewhere, new recruit Chris Hankinson could also be an option to move into the centres, with the former Salford star also having some good experience in that position across his career, which could also see the returning Riley Lumb drafted back into the starting 13 on the wing.

“It could be one of the options,” he said when asked about the potential of this move.

Crucially, though, McCormack is also the only currently fit out-and-out centre within the squad, and Arthur admitted he likes to bring players into their natural positions rather than moving them about to fit a dynamic.

“If a centre goes down, I like to replace him with a centre; otherwise, we’re moving around,” he said. “We have a squad for a reason, so what’s the point in us putting a squad together if every time we get an injury in that position, I don’t put any trust in the guys who are in here in the squad for that purpose.”

Leeds Rhinos centre options ranked

4: Morgan Gannon

It’s not the most obvious option in the world, but Morgan Gannon shifting out to the centres would ensure some continuity on Leeds’ left edge. Gannon is also quietly one of the better ball-players within Leeds’ current side, skills which have seen him moved into the halves on occasion, and that could be perfect in sending Hankinson flying down the wing. It does seem the least likely of the lot, given he’s not had much, if any, gametime in the centres, but it is still an option for Arthur, given he was namechecked.

3: Chris Hankinson

While he has spent most of his Leeds career to date on the wing, Hankinson has spent the bulk of his career as a centre. To date, Hankinson has made 95 career appearances as a starting centre, with the most recent coming against the Rhinos this season, and that experience here could prompt Arthur to shift him back in one spot.

The return of Riley Lumb to the wider 21-man squad also suggests this is an option the head coach is considering, and Arthur also detailed during the press conference that it was one of his possible ideas.

2: Kallum Watkins

There’s something a bit nostalgic about Kallum Watkins being named in the centres for Leeds Rhinos, especially with Ryan Hall also in the starting 13 too, but could it be about to happen this weekend?

Watkins has spent the bulk of his career to date in the centres, dazzling for Leeds during their golden era here and helping the club win six Grand Finals, two Challenge Cups and one World Club Challenge in that position, and that could tempt Arthur into returning him here.

The former club captain has also become a key part of this Rhinos attack, but his role seems more through the middle now as a loose forward rather than off the edge. He did impress during his brief cameo here against Hull FC, though.

1: Ned McCormack 

By Arthur’s own admission, it seems McCormack is the most likely option to come straight into the starting line-up, which would be in keeping with a trend emerging at Leeds right now.

As the head coach has previously discussed, there is a proper conveyor belt of young talent pushing through the ranks and into the senior side now, with Presley Cassell, Riley Lumb, Alfie Edgell and Ben Littlewood the ones leading the charge, but McCormack is certainly in that group too.

The rugby union convert is a really nippy player, who backs his ability to see space with genuine pace too, but it’s his quick-feet just at the point of contact that also allows him to mix it with the bigger men on the pitch too.

With Simpson and Handley both out, this also seems a really good time to give him a proper crack in the side. Leeds are also in good attacking form, led by Jake Connor, and that could play into his hands really nicely, too.

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