LEEDS RHINOS come to the Magic Weekend on the crest of a wave, after their 34-8 demolition of Hull KR at Headingley saw them sitting pretty at the top of the Super League table.

One of the advantages enjoyed by Leeds coach Brad Arthur is a relative absence of serious injury problems and once more he is able to name an unchanged squad for Sunday’s game.

The Bulls will be missing injury victims Will Gardiner and Phoenix Steinwede and they recall Mitch Souter while also adding Alfie Leake and Cameron Bate to their squad.

The Rhinos will be the overwhelming favourites to overwhelm their neighbours, adding to the Bulls dismal Magic Weekend record, having lost seven of their eight Magic Weekend games so far, while losing on all four occasions when they have faced the Rhinos at the Magic Weekend.

SQUADS

Rhinos: 1 Lachie Miller, 2 Maika Sivo, 3 Harry Newman, 4 Ash Handley, 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, 23 Daniel Levi, 26 Tom Nicholson-Watton, 33 Jack Bird

Outs: None
Ins: None

Bulls: 1 Caleb Aekins, 4 Waqa Blake, 5 Ethan Ryan, 6 Jayden Nikorima, 8 Ryan Sutton, 9 Andy Ackers, 11 Dan Russell, 13 Joe Mellor, 14 Mitch Souter, 15 Eribe Doro, 16 Ebon Scurr, 22 Luke Hooley, 23 Connor Wynne, 24 Guy Armitage, 25 Eliot Peposhi, 27 Alfie Leake, 29 Cameron Bate, 30 Leon Ruan, 32 Chris Atkin, 33 Jack Ornondroyd, 36 Riley Dean

Outs: 19 Will Gardiner, 34 Phoenix Steinwede,
Ins: 14 Mitch Souter, 27 Alfie Leake, 29 Cameron Bate,

Referee: Tom Grant

STATS

Magic Weekend summary
Leeds: Won 10, Lost 8 (55.55%)
Bradford: Won 1, Lost 7 (12.50%)
(Head-to-head: Leeds 4, Bradford 0)

Last ten meetings:
Bradford 12, Leeds 24 (SLR7, 3/4/26)
Bradford 24, Leeds 22 (CCR6, 11/5/19)
Leeds 14, Bradford 20 (SLR23, 1/8/14)
Bradford 6, Leeds 46 (SLR9, 17/4/14)
Bradford 22, Leeds 42 (SLR14, 3/5/13)
Leeds 18, Bradford 18 (SLR9, 28/3/13)
Leeds 34, Bradford 16 (SLR21, 20/7/12)
Bradford 22, Leeds 37 (SLR15, 27/5/12)
(at Etihad Stadium, Manchester)
Bradford 12, Leeds 4 (SLR10, 6/4/12)
Leeds 12, Bradford 18 (SLR19, 24/6/11)

Super League summary
Leeds won 27 (includes win in 2004 Grand Final)
Bradford won 29 (includes win in 2005 Grand Final & wins in 2000, 2003 and 2004 play-offs)
3 draws
Leeds highest score: 46-6 (A, 2014) (Widest margin: 44-2, H, 2008)
Bradford highest score: 62-18 (H, 2001) (Widest margin: 54-8, H, 1996)

ASH HANDLEY needs one try to reach 150 for his career.
– 138 for Leeds Rhinos (2014-2026)
– 6 for Featherstone Rovers (2016-2018, loan/dual-registration)
– 5 for England (2021, 2023-2024)
(0 for England Knights, 2018)

ETHAN RYAN needs two tries to reach 100 for Bradford Bulls.
​- (114 appearances, 2016-2019, 2026)

WAQA BLAKE needs three tries to reach 100 for his career.
– 21 for Bradford Bulls (2025-2026)
– 11 for St Helens (2024)
– 28 for Parramatta Eels (2019-2023)
– 34 for Penrith Panthers (2015-2019)
– 3 for Fiji (2017, 2022-2024)
(0 for NSW City (2015)