Mikolaj Oledzki: helping Ukraine means a lot

Leeds forward Mikolaj Oledzki has said it means a lot to him that he can help with the ongoing situation in the Ukraine.

The country has been invaded by Russian forces, and fighting has been going on for the last eight days.

Oledzki grew up in nearby Poland and wore a special shirt with a Ukrainian flag on it. After the match against Wakefield, which would be auctioned to the British Red Cross.

He told Sky Sports after Leeds’ win over Wakefield: “Ukraine is close to where I was born, close to home. What they are going through is really tough at the moment.

“But they are tough people, and people all over the world are doing all they can to help them.

“At the Rhinos, we always try and help people when they need it. Our media manager had a great idea, and I always jump on board with stuff like this really quickly.

“This jersey will hopefully raise a good amount of money. There’s an auction on eBay, so if you can, look for something to put in and I am sure the people in Ukraine will appreciate the help they get.

“It means a lot that we can help.”

Oledzki hails important win

Leeds got off the mark with a 34-18 win over Wakefield on Thursday night, where Oledzki was named Man of the Match.

He believes that performance had been coming from the Rhinos.

Oledzki added: “It was important for us. We felt as though we had been building well in pre-season.

“The first three games were tough results. We put a lot of effort in against Warrington we were off against Wigan. And against Catalans, we were able to give it a really good go.

“We were a bit frustrated, but today we had a dig and managed to get off the mark. Hopefully it will start a good run for us.”

Read More: Wakefield 18-34 Leeds: Rhinos off the mark at Wakefield- talking points