Rhinos v Giants: Teams
Luke Burgess and Kylie Leuluai return from injury to bolster Rhinos for Friday's West Yorkshire derby against Huddersfield.
Last Updated: 14/04/11 4:23pm
Luke Burgess and Kylie Leuluai return from injury to bolster Leeds Rhinos for Friday's West Yorkshire derby against Huddersfield Giants.
The Rhinos suffered a 38-28 reverse at Hull KR last time out to fall five points adrift of the engage Super League pacesetters - Castleford and Huddersfield.
Burgess is back after a minor knee operation and fellow prop Leuluai has recovered from a hamstring strain.
Lee Smith has been included despite leaving the Rovers defeat due to a tight hamstring.
Carl Ablett has not been named in the squad but could be added if his appeal against a one-match suspension, which will be heard on Thursday, is successful.
History
The Giants have front rower Darrell Griffin back to replace Andy
Raleigh, who is out with an eye injury, in the only change to the side that beat
Warrington - their third straight win - last Friday.
Second rower David Fa'alogo remains sidelined with a leg problem and Australian Jamie Simpson is again preferred to wing David Hodgson.
Huddersfield are bidding to end a 50-year winless drought at Headingley, having thrown away the chance of victory in last season's corresponding fixture.
On that occasion the Giants led 20-14 with seven minutes left but Danny McGuire's converted try and a late Kevin Sinfield drop goal gave Leeds a 21-10 success.
"I'm not interested in statistics," said Huddersfield coach Nathan Brown. "It doesn't really faze me to be honest and I certainly don't think the players focus on things like that in the build-up to a game.
"What happened 50 years ago will have no influence whatsoever on the events at Headingley on Friday night.
"The big thing for us is to back up last week's performance. It's good sitting where we are in the table but, if you want to stay there, you've got to play good week in week out."
Improved
On last season's heartbreaking loss, he added: "Last year we were closer than the year before and, if we get a bit closer this year, it should work out well.
"We are probably better equipped this year than we were last year."
Leeds have won just once at home in four matches this season and coach Brian McDermott is exepecting a tough encounter.
"They will certainly come into this game full of confidence," he said. "They are the form team in the league and have shown that they have plenty of threats on attack."
Leeds squad: Webb, Smith, Delaney, Senior, Hall, Burrow, Leuluai, Buderus, Jones-Buchanan, Sinfield, Cross, Bailey, Kirke, Burgess, Watkins, Hauraki, Clarkson, Pitts, McShane
Huddersfield squad: Grix, Lawrence, Cudjoe, Gilmour, Hodgson, Brown, Brough, Crabtree, Robinson, Griffin, O'Donnell, Faiumu, Lunt, Kirmond, Patrick, Horne, McGillvary, Simpson, Ferguson