Key players absent for Salford ahead of Leeds test

Salford Red Devils will be without Lee Mossop, Kevin Brown and Dan Sarginson for Saturday’s clash with Leeds Rhinos.

Brown will start a two-match suspension while Mossop and Sarginson have also been ruled out in what is a triple blow for Ian Watson.

Josh Johnson is also out, though the Red Devils are boosted by the return of Sebastine Ikahihifo, who is back after being ineligible to play parent club, Huddersfield, while fellow Giant loanee Ollie Roberts is in contention to make his debut. Elliot Kear and Jack Ormondroyd are also in the squad.

As for the Rhinos, they’ve named an unchanged 21-man squad with captain Stevie Ward missing out through concussion for a second consecutive week.

Rhinos: Walker, Newman, Hurrell, Handley, Lui, Gale, Seumanufagai, Prior, Mellor, Martin, Dwyer, Sutcliffe, Myler, Cuthbertson, Oledzki, Evans, Smith, McLelland, L Briscoe, Donaldson, Holroyd.

Red Devils: Evalds, Welham, Sarginson, Inu, Lolohea, Brown, Mossop, Lussick, Dudson, Lannon, Pauli, McCarthy, Burke, Yates, Atkin, Flanagan, Johnson, Greenwood, Williams, Sio, Jones.