Leeds Rhinos have announced their squad numbers for the 2022 Betfred Super League season and over half of the numbers have been changed for the upcoming campaign.
The Rhinos have brought in four new signings and promoted five players from the club’s Academy ranks. There is a new halfback pairing in the number 6 and 7 shirts with Rob Lui and Luke Gale being replaced by Blake Austin and Aiden Sezer respectively.
Jack Walker retains the number one shirt, despite missing the whole of last season with injury, meaning that Richie Myler, who played at fullback during the 2021 season, retains the number 16 shirt.
Ireland international James Bentley has joined his hometown club from Champions St Helens and he has been given the number eleven shirt whilst Tongan international David Fusitu’a will have the number two shirt.
Tom Briscoe, who had worn number two since 2015, reverts to the number 20 shirt he wore in his first season at the club in 2014 as he celebrates his testimonial this season and Alex Mellor, who had worn 11, moves to 15.
Liam Sutcliffe moves from 15 to the number four shirt he last wore in 2018, before the arrival of Konrad Hurrell, whilst Bodene Thompson moves up one place to the number 19 shirt vacated by King Vuniyayawa.
Teenager Morgan Gannon is rewarded for an outstanding debut season last year with the number 21 shirt, whilst Jack Broadbent and Jarrod O’Connor both move up the squad numbers.
Hooker Corey Johnson, who returned to the professional game last season out of retirement, is awarded number 26, whilst prop Muizz Mustapha, who spent last season on loan at Hull KR, is back at Headingley and will wear 27.
There are two new faces in the squad from the Academy and both players have familiar names. Oli Fields (number 31) is the son of former Leeds and Wakefield prop Jamie Field whilst Jack Sinfield is the son of former Leeds captain Kevin Sinfield. Jack Sinfield’s first squad number is 32, the same number his father wore in his debut first-team season back in 1997.
Leeds Rhinos’ 2022 squad numbers: 1 Jack Walker, 2 David Fusitu’a (last season Tom Briscoe), 3 Harry Newman, 4 Liam Sutcliffe (Konrad Hurrell), 5 Ash Handley, 6 Blake Austin (Rob Lui), 7 Aidan Sezer (Luke Gale), 8 Mikolaj Oledzki, 9 Kruise Leeming, 10 Matt Prior, 11 James Bentley (Alex Mellor), 12 Rhyse Martin, 13 Zane Tetevano, 14 Brad Dwyer, 15 Alex Mellor (Liam Sutcliffe), 16 Richie Myler, 17 Cameron Smith, 18 Tom Holroyd, 19 Bodene Thompson (King Vuniyayawa), 20 Tom Briscoe (Bodene Thompson), 21 Morgan Gannon (Alex Sutcliffe), 22 Sam Walters, 23 Jack Broadbent (Callum McLelland), 24 Jarrod O’Connor (Luke Briscoe), 25 James Donaldson, 26 Corey Johnson (Jarrod O’Connor), 27 Muizz Mustapha (Jack Broadbent), 28 Corey Hall, 29 Liam Tindall, 30 Levi Edwards, 31 Oli Field (Morgan Gannon), 32 Jack Sinfield (Corey Johnson).
