Rhinos Suffer Defeat Against Catalans Dragons in France
On Saturday, it was another challenging night for the Leeds Rhinos as they suffered a 26-0 defeat against the Catalans Dragons in the South of France. Despite the young Rhinos side staying within eight points of the Dragons for much of the contest in Perpignan, they eventually succumbed in the final quarter.
Leeds head coach Rohan Smith had to field a number of inexperienced players in his starting 17, with multiple injuries in his squad forcing his hand. Alfie Edgell, Jack Sinfield, and Leon Ruan, with just eight Super League appearances between them prior to kick-off, were among those named in the lineup. Corey Johnson, the 23-year-old hooker with 18 appearances last season, was also included on the bench.
“Corey’s had a tough time recently with the injury and the signing of Andy Ackers, which has pushed him down the pecking order. I’m really proud of Corey, the way he’s stuck at it, and I wanted to give him a couple of minutes at the end to acknowledge that.”
Responding to rumors about a potential loan move to the Halifax Panthers, Smith remained coy, stating that he would address the situation once an announcement was made. However, the coach was definitive in his response when asked about the possibility of Johnson returning to the Bradford Bulls, stating that “he won’t be going back to Bradford.”
With the Rhinos’ next game scheduled against St Helens in a week’s time and teams not involved in the Challenge Cup having a break, Leeds may use this opportunity to reset and potentially explore transfer options as they enter the second third of the Super League season.
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