SL Preview: Leeds v Hull KR (Thurs)
Harry Sunderland Trophy winner Danny McGuire makes an immediate return to Leeds with his new Hull KR team-mates for Thursday night’s Sky Sports televised clash.
After 426 appearances and 16 major trophies, McGuire’s first Super League away game for the Robins comes against the Rhinos, who will host the game at Elland Road due to the ongoing developments at Headingley.
It is the first time they have played a home Super League game away from Headingley, though they are familiar with Elland Road having hosted four of their World Club Challenge matches there, including wins over Canterbury in 2005 and Melbourne in 2008.
It’s not the first time these two teams have met at Elland Road though – Hull KR beat Leeds 17-0 in the 1985/86 Challenge Cup.
Hull KR will be keen for a response to their opening day home defeat to Wakefield.
Coach Tim Sheens has named an unchanged 19-man squad from last week, but has already stated that Chris Atkin will make his Super League debut at half-back.
Leeds welcome back Stevie Ward in to their squad, but new signing Nathaniel Peteru has been ruled out with a bicep injury, joining Keith Galoway and Brett Ferres on the sidelines.
Leeds 19-man squad: Golding, Briscoe, Watkins, Sutcliffe, Hall, Moon, Myler, Cuthbertson, Parcell, Singleton, Jones-Buchanan, Ablett, Ward, Dwyer, Delaney, Mullally, Garbutt, Ormondroyd, Walker.
Hull KR 19-man squad: Quinlan, Minns, Heffernan, Shaw, McGuire, Lunt, Masoe, Blair, Greenwood, Kavanagh, Jewitt, Clarkson, Lee, Marsh, Mulhern, Salter, Atkin, Walne, Carney.
Last ten meetings:
Leeds 22, Hull KR 18 (S8-QR2, 12/8/16)
Hull KR 20, Leeds 24 (SLR23, 21/7/16)
Leeds 10, Hull KR 30 (SLR9, 1/4/16)
Hull KR 0, Leeds 50 (CCF, 29/8/15)(at Wembley Stadium)
Leeds 36, Hull KR 16 (SLR15, 22/5/15)
Hull KR 30, Leeds 40 (SLR1, 8/2/15)
Leeds 30, Hull KR 6 (SLR20, 11/7/14)
Hull KR 6, Leeds 34 (SLR1, 16/2/14)
Leeds 12, Hull KR 16 (SLR25, 16/8/13)
Hull KR 10, Leeds 44 (SLR13, 28/4/13)
Super League summary:
Leeds won 16 (includes win in 2009 play-offs)
Hull KR won 6
Leeds highest score: 44-8 (H, 2009 QPO); 44-14 (H, 2011); 44-10 (A, 2013) (Widest margin: 44-8, H, 2009 QPO)
Hull KR highest score: 38-28 (H, 2011) (Widest margin: 30-10, A, 2016)