Crusaders v Rhinos: Teams
Celtic Crusaders are set to give debuts to three Welsh youngsters when they host in-form Leeds on Saturday.
Last Updated: 22/08/09 1:05pm
Celtic Crusaders are set to give debuts to three Welsh youngsters following the decision by the UK Border Agency to deport six first-team regulars because of visa irregularities.
The Welsh side must dip further into their youth side after club captain Jace Van Dijk and his fellow Australian team-mates Tony Duggan, Damien Quinn, Josh Hannay, Darren Mapp and Mark Dalle-Court had their contracts terminated this week.
Crusaders are also without Luke Dyer, Lincoln Withers, Adam Peek, Peter Lupton and Aled James through injury.
Elliot Kear, 20, and 19-year-olds Gil Dudson and Ashley Bateman are the new faces in the squad.
Lewis Mills, who made his debut in last week's defeat to Wakefield, takes the number of Welsh-born players in the squad to seven.
"There will be some young players who are not quite ready for Super League yet," admitted Crusaders head of performance Anthony Seibold.
"But they have been training hard and are some of the best youngsters that we have on our books but only in year one or year two of playing rugby league.
"We know that it's going to be a massive challenge for us with our long injury list as well as the six boys who have to go back to Australia."
Bailey back
Leeds could welcome back Ryan Bailey after he was named by in coach Brian McClennan's squad for the first time since June.
The forward has been sidelined with a leg injury since the Rhinos' 33-20 victory over rivals Bradford at Headingley Carnegie.
Bailey takes the place of Carl Ablett, who suffered an ankle injury during last Friday's 76-12 result against the Castleford Tigers.
Despite running in 14 tries in that victory, Leeds still find themselves sitting behind St Helens in the table on points difference.
Celtic Crusaders squad: Kear, Tyrer, Chalk, Chan, Blackwood, White, Smith, O'Hara, Budworth, J. James, Flower, Bryant, Beasley, Tangata-Toa, Davies, Mills, Dudson, Bateman, Lennon.
Leeds squad: Webb, Donald, Smith, Senior, Hall, McGuire, Burrow, Leuluai, Peacock, Jones-Buchanan, Lauitiiti, Sinfield, Diskin, Bailey, Burgess, Worrall, Watkins, Manning, Ratu.