ESL ESL Leeds - News, Views and Rumours

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Leeds Rhinos have awarded academy graduate Max Simpson a four-year professional contract.

The 17-year-old centre has been drafted into the Rhinos Super League squad for next season.

 

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Leeds Rhinos prop Tom Holroyd has signed a new four-year deal to remain with the Super League side until the end of the 2025 season.

The 20-year-old has made 29 appearances for the club since 2018 and gone on to play for England Knights.

 

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Harry Newman has agreed a new three-year contract with Leeds Rhinos, keeping him at Headingley until 2024.

The 21-year-old centre, who suffered a double leg fracture last term, pondered a switch to rugby union or the NRL.

He was called up to England's squad for October's match against France but withdrew with a leg injury.

 

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Leeds Rhinos will play all their 2022 Women's Super League matches at Headingley, with some fixtures scheduled to be double headers with the club's men's Super League games.

The move is part of a plan to continue the development of the women's team, with extra investment and support.

The squad will also share the Rhinos' Kirkstall training ground.

 

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Head coach Richard Agar is quietly excited by the promise within his Leeds Rhinos side for 2022, going into their Super League opener against Warrington.

Rhinos kick-off their season at home to the Wire on Saturday, the first match shown on terrestrial TV by Channel 4.

 

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Leeds Rhinos centre Harry Newman has been ruled out for 12 weeks after undergoing hamstring surgery.

The 22-year-old suffered the injury on 3 March, his only appearance this season.

 

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Betfred Super League
Leeds (12) 20
Tries: Sutcliffe, Martin, Gannon Goals: Martin 4
Huddersfield (4) 20
Tries: McGillvary, Leutele, Yates, Senior Goals: Lolohea 2

Huddersfield Giants produced a stunning comeback to draw at lowly Leeds Rhinos.

Jermaine McGillvary gave the Giants the lead before Liam Sutcliffe and Rhyse Martin touched down for the hosts.

Ricky Leutele brought the visitors within four but Morgan Gannon's converted try helped Leeds re-establish a 10-point lead.

That looked to be it but Luke Yates and Innes Senior scored in the final two minutes to improbably send the game to golden point extra-time.


Neither side could find what would have been a match-winning drop-goal, meaning that, for the first time this season, a Super League match ended in a tie.

 

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Incoming Leeds Rhinos head coach Rohan Smith says he does not intend to bring his uncle Tony Smith on to his coaching staff.

 

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Betfred Super League
Leeds (12) 25
Tries: Dwyer 2, Donaldson, Briscoe Goals: Martin 4 Drop-goal: Leeming
Toulouse (6) 14
Tries: Marcon, Russell, Vaivai Goal: Gigot

Leeds Rhinos won for only the second time in Super League this season as they outscored Toulouse four tries to three in the battle of the bottom two.

Brad Dwyer scored two of their tries, while James Donaldson and Tom Briscoe also crossed the whitewash.

Toulouse trailed 12-6 at the break despite a converted try by Paul Marcon.

The promoted French side scored two more tries after the turn-round from Matty Russell and Junior Vaivai - but it was not enough.

And they are now the only side in Super League with only a single victory to their name this campaign.

 

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Leeds Rhinos have re-signed England back and former Man of Steel full-back Zak Hardaker until the end of the season.

 

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Betfred Super League
Leeds (12) 24
Tries: Bentley 2, Austin, Fusitu'a Goals: Martin 4
Wakefield (6) 6
Try: Whitbread Goal: Lino

James Bentley's try double helped Leeds beat Wakefield at Headingley to give head coach Rohan Smith his first win.

Bentley crossed twice to put Leeds 12-0 up, but was then sin-binned and Wakefield responded through Jai Whitbread to trail 12-6 at half-time.

The visitors improved in a tight second half, but Rhyse Martin's penalty nudged the Rhinos further ahead.

Blake Austin then crossed before David Fusitu'a's last-gasp try capped a third win in four matches for Leeds.

A comfortable third straight victory at Headingley moved the 10th-placed Rhinos closer to mid-table, but Trinity remain just two points above bottom side Toulouse after a sixth straight Super League defeat.

 

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Betfred Super League
Warrington (4) 4
Try: Ashton
Leeds (20) 40
Tries: Fusitu'a 2, Leeming, Hardaker, Donaldson, Handley 2, Thompson Goals: Martin 4

Leeds Rhinos blew away a disappointing Warrington Wolves to continue their Super League revival under Rohan Smith with a fourth win in five games.

Tries from David Fusitu'a, Kruise Leeming, Zak Hardaker and James Donaldson gave Leeds half-time control, with Matty Ashton's try in reply.

Rhys Martin's goals added to the Rhinos tally, and Ash Handley's score out wide was too easy against a slack defence.

Bodene Thompson, Fusitu'a and Handley tries outlined Leeds' dominance.

This loss puts more pressure on Warrington boss Daryl Powell, who was brought in to rebuild the club but has struggled to implement his overhaul - and they have now lost their last four games.


Home fans who had stayed made their feelings known at the end, and senior players Ben Currie and Mike Cooper both made their way into the stands after the hooter to speak with disgruntled spectators.

 

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Papua New Guinea international Rhyse Martin has signed a two-year contract extension with Leeds Rhinos, to run to the end of the 2024 season.

The 29-year-old, who joined the Rhinos from Australian NRL side Canterbury Bulldogs during the 2018 season, has 14 tries and 236 goals in 68 Rhinos games.

Back-rower Martin has 11 caps for the Kumuls national side, for whom he is expected to feature at the World Cup.

 

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Leeds Rhinos centre Harry Newman is set to miss the rest of the season.

The 22-year-old has only featured seven times in Super League this season after suffering a hamstring injury earlier in the campaign.

Coach Rohan Smith said: "He's most likely done for the season with a different injury to before.

 

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Betfred Super League
Leeds (6) 18
Tries: Martin, Myler, Austin Goals: Martin 3
Huddersfield (8) 14
Tries: Leutele, Senior, Cudjoe Goal: Russell

Blake Austin's late try settled a thrilling seesaw derby as in-form Leeds boosted their Super League play-off hopes by beating Huddersfield.

Rhyse Martin's early score put Rhinos ahead but Giants fought back to lead 8-6 at half-time via tries from Ricky Leutele and Louis Senior.

Leeds regained the lead through Richie Myler before Leroy Cudjoe levelled and Olly Russell kicked Giants in front.

But Chris Hill's sin-binning proved costly as Austin leapt over to win it.

 

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Leeds Rhinos will be no strangers to the pressures of the play-offs having had to play 'knockout' rugby to get into the top six over the past two months, says boss Rohan Smith.

The Rhinos reward for a 'winner-takes-all' win over Castleford last weekend is a trip to Catalans Dragons.

Smith's side won nine of their past 11 games to sneak into the play-off spots.

 

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Betfred Super League play-off eliminator: Catalans v Leeds
Catalans Dragons (4) 10
Try: Whare Goals: Tomkins 3
Leeds Rhinos (12) 20
Tries: Sutcliffe 3 Goals: Hardaker 4

A hat-trick from Liam Sutcliffe saw Leeds Rhinos beat Catalans Dragons in the Super League play-off eliminator.

Two tries from Sutcliffe gave the Rhinos a 12-4 lead at the break.

Dean Whare crossed for the home side soon after the restart but Hull FC-bound Sutcliffe then completed his treble.

The French side ended the match with 11 men after Gil Dudson was sent off for putting his head in on Aidan Sezer and Mitchell Pearce was sin-binned.

The Rhinos will face either St Helens or Wigan Warriors in the semi-finals next week.

 

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Betfred Super League semi-final
Wigan (4) 8
Tries: Marshall, Powell
Leeds (2) 20
Tries: O'Connor, Bentley 2 Goals: Hardaker 4

Leeds took advantage of a resilient first-half defensive display to beat Wigan 20-8 and reach their first Super League Grand Final since 2017.

Liam Marshall gave Wigan an early lead but despite dominating possession and territory, they could not score again.

Leeds turned the game around with quick tries after the break from Jarrod O'Connor and James Bentley, before Wigan had John Bateman sent off.

Bentley scored again to seal the win before Sam Powell's late consolation.

The Rhinos will play either reigning champions St Helens or Salford Red Devils, who meet in Saturday's second semi-final, at Old Trafford on 24 September.

 

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Betfred Super League
Leeds (18) 34
Tries: McDonnell, Handley 2, Holroyd, Oledzki, Martin Goals: Martin 5
Hull FC (0) 10
Tries: Tuimavave, Litten Goal: McNamara

Leeds Rhinos handed Hull FC a seventh consecutive Super League loss with a convincing win and a disappointing return to Headingley for Tony Smith.

The first half was a cruise for Leeds, who crossed through James McDonnell, Ash Handley and Tom Holroyd.

Handley's second made it 24 unanswered points for the Rhinos, before Hull responded with Carlos Tuimavave's try.

Mikolaj Oledzki and Rhyse Martin scored either side of Davy Litten's score to cap an important home success.

 

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Leeds Rhinos will wear a special kit in tribute to Doddie Weir in their Magic Weekend game against Castleford in Newcastle next month.

Rhinos legend Rob Burrow was diagnosed with MND in 2019 and the club say Weir became a "mentor" to him.

Weir, who won 61 rugby union caps for Scotland, won the Premiership title with Newcastle Falcons 25 years ago.