Lauitiiti to miss cup semi final

Leeds Rhinos will be without second-row Ali Lauitiiti for the Carnegie Challenge Cup semi final against St Helens.

Lauitiiti suffered a recurrence of a calf injury in Friday’s engage Super League defeat by Wigan; the same injury had ruled him out of Leeds’s quarter-final win against the Warriors.

However, the Rhinos could give scrum-half Rob Burrow his first start since the beginning of May.

Lauitiiti’s injury is a serious blow to Leeds, as fellow second-row forwards Ian Kirke and Greg Eastwood are also sidelined for the semi-final encounter.

Matters could get worse if Carl Ablett receives a suspension from the RFL Disciplinary Committee later today.

Burrow, who suffered knee-ligament damage in the win over Wakefield at the Magic Weekend, is now thought to be fully fit and could be in the Rhinos’ starting thirteen.

The half-back initially make his return from the bench against Hull KR at the start of July but injured his knee once again; coming from the bench against Wigan on Friday he was named as Leeds Man of the Match.

Matt Diskin may also make a return to action against Saints after two months out with a groin injury.