Leeds Rhinos' Rohan Smith makes round 1 admission, previews 'important' James Donaldson testimonial v Hull KR

Smith will use all his available first team players against Hull KR in James Donaldson’s testimonial game on Sunday. Aside from celebrating Donaldson’s career, which is entering its 16th season, the home clash is Smith’s last chance to see his players in match action before the visit of Salford Red Devils in Betfred Super League 12 days later.

Though he has named a 21-man squad for this weekend, the coach admitted he “basically” knows his lineup for the first competitive fixture. He said: “There’s a few injury situations to work through, but if you take injuries out of the equation, it is reasonably established what our one-13 is.

“The competition for back-up positions is there and the future starting 13 may well be in the building as well. It’s up to those guys who are back-up players or emerging young players to fight their way through and it’s up to the first-choice 13 to hold it and make it their own and take the jersey forward.”

While the result this weekend isn’t Smith’s priority, he insisted: “It’s an important day. There’s a bit of extra motivation and emotion attached to it with it being Donno’s testimonial. It’s not round one, but it’s a really important day for us as a group to take a step forward, play some decent footy and celebrate Donno’s career.”

Rhinos visit Hull KR in Super League round two, on Thursday, February 22, but Smith isn’t concerned about giving secrets away. The testimonial game was agreed before the fixtures were published and Smith said: “We will use it as a hit out and put some of what we’ve been doing at training into practice, but it’s certainly not a real game yet. It is just a taster of what’s ahead.

“We’ll worry about round two when it comes to it. We’ll learn what they show us and they’ll learn what we show them, I guess, but the majority of your performance on a week to week basis is the same. It’s just little tweaks you’re looking at from one opposition to another.”

Forward Donaldson joined Leeds in 2019 after previous spells with Bradford Bulls and Hull KR. Paying tribute to the 32-year-old, Smith said: “All players want to be known as that guy people want to play with and Donno is certainly that. The players hold him in very high regard and us as coaching staff really believe in Donno’s whole-hearted commitment every week, no matter what the circumstances or situation.”

Rhinos are without centre Paul Momirovski who is on personal leave in Australia, but due back at Leeds next week. Tom Holroyd, James Bentley, Sam Lisone, James McDonnell, Mickael Goudemand and Kieran Hudson remain on the casualty list. Lisone has already been ruled out of round one, but the other injuries are not long-term.

Leeds Rhinos: from Miller, Fusitu’a, Newman, Handley, Croft, Frawley, Oledzki, Ackers, Littlewood, Martin, Smith, O’Connor, Sangare, Olpherts, Gannon, Sinfield, Ruan, Roberts, Donaldson, Johnson, Nicholson-Watton.

HullKR: from Hiku, Evalds, Opacic, Gildart, R Hall, Lewis, Sue, Litten, King, Hadley, Batchelor, Minchella, Parcell, Whitbread, Storton, Aydin, C Hall, Senior, Butterworth, May, Fishwick, Gorman, Tennison.

Referee: Chris Kendall (Huddersfield). Kick-off: Sunday, 2.30pm.