Youngsters step up for the Rhinos

Brian McDermott paid tribute to his young guns after seeing Leeds battle to a 24-22 victory over St Helens on Thursday.

The Rhinos were without seven senior squad members for the game, but rising stars Jack Walker and Jordan Lilley were amongst the players to step in and fill the gaps.

“He was good,” McDermott said of Walker. “He took some challenging high balls and looks okay with the ball in his hands.

“It was a big game for him and his development will be better for it.

“We’ve had to overcome a little bit of adversity with bans and injuries but overall I’m very pleased. We were really challenged by a determined Saints.

“We got put on the back foot a couple of times, we needed to have some fight about us.”