Leeds Rhinos boss provides pre-season injury update as forward suffers setback

Ben Olawumi
Brad Arthur

Leeds Rhinos head coach Brad Arthur

Leeds Rhinos head coach Brad Arthur has issued an injury update, revealing that Morgan Gannon will miss their Boxing Day clash with Wakefield Trinity due to a fresh Achilles problem.

21-year-old Gannon hasn’t taken to the field since a pre-season clash with Hull KR at the start of 2024.

Having suffered a head knock in that game, it was decided that the forward would miss the entirety of the 2024 campaign due to the number of concussion-related injuries he’d suffered in a short space of time.

The youngster had been ready and raring to go heading into 2025, but Arthur has now detailed a fresh issue for him to contend with.

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Leeds Rhinos boss provides pre-season injury update as forward suffers setback

Leeds take on Wakefield every Boxing Day in an annual pre-season ‘Wetherby Whaler’ challenge.

It was already known that full-back Lachie Miller would be missing for the Rhinos having suffered a serious hamstring injury.

But speaking to BBC Radio Sport West Yorkshire ahead of the Boxing Day clash with Trinity, boss Arthur explained: “It’s mainly Lachie in terms of the regular players from last year that won’t be available.

“The other one who’s not quite ready yet is Morgan Gannon. He was on-track, training reasonably well and getting himself ready, but his Achilles has just flared up a little bit.

“We’ll just take precautionary (measures) there and rest him because he hasn’t played for a little while.”

Australian Arthur also confirmed that all five of his new recruits would be on show in the friendly, with Keenan Palasia, Cooper Jenkins and Maika Sivo to get their first taste of the British game.

Jake Connor will make his Rhinos debut after his arrival from Huddersfield Giants, while veteran winger Ryan Hall will don a Leeds shirt for the first time since August 2018 having returned to the club from Hull KR.

The Rhinos chief detailed: “I think they’re excited. It’ll be good for them to get a feel for the competition here, playing in different weather and temperature.

“It’s going to be a big learning for those guys and they’re looking forward to having that experience in a game where… it’s important, but it’s not worth two points, so they can get a good feel for the style of footy and the environment that they’re going to have to play in.”

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