LEEDS RHINOS will host Warrington Wolves at AMT Headingley on Friday night in the first of the Super League semi-finals.
Leeds will have had a fortnight off come Friday after going down 18-12 to Hull FC in their last fixture of the regular league campaign.
Warrington, however, go into this clash with just a six-day rest after fending off Hull KR at the Halliwell Jones Stadium last Saturday.
The Rhinos will be without key men Lachlan Miller, Ash Handley and Jack Bird due to hamstring, bulging disc and hamstring injuries respectively as youngsters Ned and Fergus McCormack come in, alongside halfback George Brown who makes the 21-man squad for the first time since March following a knee injury.
James McDonnell (pec) also returns for Leeds in a timely manner.
For Warrington, it is business as usual in terms of their squad with head coach Sam Burgess naming an unchanged 21-man from the one that overcame Hull KR.
SQUADS
Rhinos: 2 Maika Sivo, 3 Harry Newman, 5 Ryan Hall, 6 Brodie Croft, 7 Jake Connor, 8 Mikolaj Oledzki, 9 Jarrod O’Connor, 10 Tom Holroyd, 11 Kallum Watkins, 12 James McDonnell, 13 Keenan Palasia, 14 Chris Hankinson, 15 Cooper Jenkins, 17 Cameron Smith, 20 Presley Cassell, 22 Riley Lumb, 24 Ned McCormack, 27 George Brown, 28 Fergus McCormack, 30 Zak Lloyd, 31 Matt Lodge
Outs: 4 Ash Handley, 26 Tom Nicholson-Watton, 33 Jack Bird
Ins: 12 James McDonnell, 24 Ned McCormack, 27 George Brown
Wolves: 1 Cai Taylor-Wray, 2 Josh Thewlis, 3 Toby King, 4 Albert Hopoate, 5 Matty Ashton, 6 George Williams, 8 Luke Yates, 9 Danny Walker, 10 James Harrison, 12 Sam Stone, 13 Ben Currie, 14 Sam Powell, 16 Liam Byrne, 18 Ewan Irwin, 19 Leon Hayes, 20 James Bentley, 22 Joe Philbin, 23 Arron Lindop, 25 Max Wood, 26 Josh Smith, 34 Kelepi Tanginoa
Referee: Chris Kendall
STATS
Leeds’ BRODIE CROFT has scored a try in each of the Rhinos’ last three meetings with Warrington.
Last ten meetings:
Warrington 6, Leeds 34 (SLR15, 18/6/26)
Leeds 26, Warrington 22 (SLR6, 29/3/26)
Leeds 36, Warrington 12 (SLR14, 14/6/25)
Warrington 16, Leeds 14 (SLR6, 28/3/25)
Leeds 6, Warrington 24 (SLR22, 17/8/24)
(at Elland Road, Leeds)
Warrington 30, Leeds 18 (SLR17, 11/7/24)
Leeds 8, Warrington 34 (SLR7, 5/4/24)
Leeds 24, Warrington 22 (SLR22, 20/8/23)
Warrington 6, Leeds 22 (SLR17, 29/6/23)
Warrington 42, Leeds 10 (SLR1, 16/2/23)
Super League summary
Leeds won 43 (includes win in 2012 Grand Final & 2011 play-offs)
Warrington won 30 (includes wins in 2006 and 2013 play-offs)
1 draw
Leeds highest score: 54-16 (H, 2006) (Widest margin: 52-10, A, 2007)
Warrington highest score: 52-18 (H, 2016) (Widest margin: 42-6, A, 2011)
Leeds’ RYAN HALL needs one try to draw level with NEIL FOX into joint 17th place in the list of all-time scorers in the British game.
16 Barney Hudson 372
17 Neil Fox 358
18 Ryan Hall 357
19 Paul Newlove 347
20 Josh Charnley 345
MATTY ASHTON needs three tries to reach 150 for his career.
– 111 for Warrington Wolves (2020-2026)
– 30 for Swinton Lions (2019)
– 6 for England (2023-2024)
GEORGE WILLIAMS needs one point to reach 500 (Super League).
– 166 for Warrington Wolves (2021-2026)
– 333 for Wigan Warriors (2013-2019)
(including play-offs & Super League Super 8s)