Leeds Rhinos coach details injuries which forced duo off in Huddersfield Giants defeat

Leeds Rhinos look set to be without David Fusitu’a for another extended period, while Harry Newman has also picked up a fresh injury from tonight’s defeat to Huddersfield Giants at Headingley.

Following surgery in the off-season, winger Fusitu’a returned to the Rhinos squad for the first time this year and scored their second try of the night just after the half-hour mark.

But having played circa 10 minutes in the second half, he – along with Newman – was forced off, and neither returned to the field.

Leeds scored two quickfire tries following the pair’s withdrawal and had looked on course for a win until a late Giants comeback, with the visitors ending up 30-24 winners, earning their first victory at Headingley in circa six years.

And post-match, a ‘heartbroken’ Rhinos head coach Rohan Smith detailed how costly the defeat had been for his side with both Fusitu’a and Newman now sidelined.

Leeds Rhinos coach details injuries which forced duo off in Huddersfield Giants defeat

Speaking to Sky Sports’ touchline reporter Jenna Brooks, Australian Smith said: “Fus has got a knee injury.

“It’s a different knee injury on the other leg to the one (which had kept him out at the start of the season). I feel really sad for him, really heartbroken.

“He’s put so much hard work in and he’s in real good shape, so for him to come back in his first game and get hurt again is really sad for him.

“(Harry) Newman got hit in the back very early in the piece, and he battled through with back spasms there but he just wasn’t able to keep going.

“It’s heartbreaking in the end because we put a lot of good work in and for a large part of that game, we were the better team.

“Losing a centre and a winger at the same time made it really difficult – we had people playing out of position against a team that have been stringing their plays together for a long period of time.

“They really challenged and stretched us. We didn’t make enough of our domination in the first half points wise, but certainly to lose them both… it hurt us.”