CAMERON SMITH and Maika Sivo are on course to start the 2026 season, Leeds Rhinos head coach Brad Arthur has revealed.
Smith has undergone surgery on a back issue whilst Sivo missed the entirety of the 2025 campaign with an ACL injury.
However, both men are raring to go – though neither will play in the Boxing Day friendly against Wakefield Trinity.
“Touch wood, we have had a good pre-season and that’s a credit to our performance staff,” said Arthur.
“As it is looking right now, I will have a full squad to choose from but you never know what might happen between now and the start of the season.
“Cameron has been training really well. He’s not available for Boxing Day but he will be available for his testimonial.
“Maika is tracking really well, and if everything goes to plan he should be fit for round one.
“It’s exciting because the boys were excited about what they had seen from him in pre-season last year and how physical and hard he was to handle in the contact room.
“He got 40 minutes on Boxing Day and got some time against Wigan, showed some good signs but unfortunately got injured.
“Everyone is happy for Maika to get back out on the field. You move to the other side of the world and get injured, you can become lonesome but he has done a great job in rehabbing himself.”