Super League match preview: Leeds Rhinos v St Helens
Leeds Rhinos will be without both Jamie Peacock and Carl Ablett for the visit of St Helens on Monday night.
Last Updated: 20/05/13 7:32pm
Prop Peacock and centre Ablett are facing up to eight weeks on the sidelines after sustaining knee and hand injuries respectively.
However, there is better news of another centre, Brett Delaney, who has overcome a shoulder problem sustained in the Challenge Cup defeat to Huddersfield last week to make Brian McDermott's squad for the Saints clash.
Also in the 19-man squad is teenager Liam Sutcliffe who could get the chance to make his Rhinos debut, but Stevie Ward and Ben Jones-Bishop remain unavailable.
"There's a couple of chances for young fellas to come in and stake a claim, but the team that takes the field on Monday will be more than capable," stated McDermott.
Wilkin back for Saints
St Helens welcome back Jon Wilkin and Sia Soliola from suspension and injury respectively for the trip to Headingley.
Having had last week off having already been knocked out of the Challenge Cup, Saints coach Nathan Brown insists his team and fresh and raring to ahead of Monday's game.
"The players have come back energetic. We have been able to train together and do things as a squad. We haven't been able to do that for a long time and now we can as we have people healthy enough to do things," stated Brown, whose team will be looking to snap a run of five straight defeats in all competitions.
"We don't want to be out of the cup but you have to try and take the positives. To freshen players up who have played a lot of footy and get players back is a good thing and now we can look at the second half of the season."
Leeds squad: 1. Zak Hardaker 3. Kallum Watkins 4. Joel Moon 5. Ryan Hall 6. Danny McGuire 7. Rob Burrow 8. Kylie Leuluai 9. Paul McShane 11. Jamie Jones-Buchanan 13. Kevin Sinfield (c) 15. Brett Delaney 16. Ryan Bailey 17. Ian Kirke 18. Chris Clarkson 19. Mitch Achurch 21. Richard Moore 23.Brad Singleton 25. Joe Vickery 26. Liam Sutcliffe
St Helens squad: 1. Paul Wellens, 2. Ade Gardner, 3. Jordan Turner, 4. Sia Soliola, 6. Lance Hohaia, 8. Josh Perry, 10. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, 11. Tony Puletua, 12. Jon Wilkin, 13. Willie Manu, 14. Anthony Laffranchi, 19. Josh Jones, 21. Tom Makinson, 23. Nathan Ashe, 24. Joe Greenwood, 25. Alex Walmsley, 30. Mark Percival, 33. Luke Thompson, 36. Stuart Howarth
