Leeds Rhinos entertain Wakefield Trinity at Headingley Carnegie at 11.30am today at Headingley in the Tetley’s Festive Challenge with new signing Adam Cuthbertson set to make his debut, and with former Leeds prop forward Ian Kirke on the bench for the Wildcats.
Cuthbertson, who arrived at the club earlier this month from NRL side Newcastle Knights, will start in the front row alongside Kylie Leuluai and Paul Aiton.
Danny McGuire and Liam Sutcliffe will start the game together at halfback for Leeds, while England Academy stars Ashton Golding, Ash Handley and Robbie Ward are also including, alongside Jamie Jones-Buchanan and Tom Briscoe, while Andy Yates will get the chance to play for Leeds for the first time after an injury run that has delayed his debut for a year since he joined the Rhinos from Hunslet Hawks.
Wakefield will give debuts to Jacob Miller, Mickael Simon, Lopini Paea, Nathan Ashurst, and Ian Kirke, and they will be led by captain Danny Kirmond, who is hoping to put an injury disrupted 2014 season behind him.
Leeds Rhinos squad: 1 Ashton Golding, 2 Ash Hanley, 3 Jimmy Keinhorst, 4 Tom Briscoe, 5 James Duckworth, 6 Liam Sutcliffe, 7 Danny McGuire, 8 Kylie Leuluai, 9 Paul Aiton, 10 Adam Cuthbertson, 11 Jamie Jones-Buchanan, 12 Mitch Achurch, 13 Stevie Ward. Interchanges: 14 Brad Singleton, 15 Andy Yates, 16 Josh Walters, 17 Robbie Mulhern, 18 Robbie Ward, 19 Jordan Lilley
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats squad: Craig Hall, Tom Johnstone, Matt Ryan, Danny Washbrook, Richard Owen, Jacob Miller, Tim Smith, Mickael Simon, Paul McShane, Lopini Paea, Danny Kirmond (C), Nathan Ashurst, Daniel Smith. Interchanges: Chris Riley, Ian Kirke, Chris Annakin, Pita Godinet, Jordan Crowther, Max Jowitt, Bradley Moules, Harry Swan, Jon Molloy.