LEEDS RHINOS forward James Donaldson is free to carry on his build-up to the season uninterrupted after escaping a ban for his Boxing Day sinbinning against Wakefield Trinity.
The 31-year-old received an early yellow card from referee Ben Thaler for a challenge on Trinity centre Oliver Pratt, but rather than a suspension for his dangerous throw, was handed a £250 fine.
That followed a number of disciplinary rule changes, with grade B offences, which previously resulted in a ban of one or two games, depending on a player’s previous record, now bringing either a fine, one-match suspension, or both (in the past, a fine only resulted if the case went before a disciplinary hearing).
Grade A offences, which could previously have resulted in a player having to sit out one match, now result in a caution or a fine.
Cumbrian backrower Donaldson is going into his fifth season at Leeds, who signed him from Hull KR.
The former Bradford man played 23 times in 2022, starting at loose-forward in all three play-off games, which brought wins over Catalans Dragons in France, then at Wigan, before the Grand Final defeat by St Helens at Old Trafford.
Meanwhile Harry Newman and fellow centre Nene Macdonald, who is newly signed from Leigh, have been pictured in training as they work on their return from hamstring and thigh problems respectively.
Injury-plagued Newman, who will be 23 next month, had a highly frustrating 2022 campaign, making only seven appearances (with four tries) before going in for surgery.
His 2020 season was cut short by a broken leg, which contributed to him being restricted to 14 outings (four tries) in 2021.
Macdonald, 28, who notched 27 tries in as many matches as Leigh won both promotion to Super League and the 1895 Cup last year, damaged a quad muscle while playing for Papua New Guinea in their World Cup quarter-final defeat by England.
Having been beaten 38-20 by Wakefield, Leeds head to Leigh a week on Saturday, January 21 (3pm).
They have other pre-season games at home to Bradford and at Hull KR and Hunslet.
