Latest St Helens v Leeds Rhinos team news and 21-man squads
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The 31-year-old forward joined Rhinos ahead of the 2019 season and has played 99 games for the club.
He is back in contention for tonight’s Friday) game at St Helens and Smith said: “Donno is a great club and team man.
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Hide Ad“He puts the team first, that’s the way he plays. He is happy to do the hard work and go unnoticed at times, but he is very well respected and appreciated throughout our group. The players and coaching staff all appreciate the work he does.”
Donaldson, who is out of contract in November, missed Rhinos’ last game - against Hull KR 14 days ago - after a head injury at Salford the previous week.
“He has trained really well and gone through all the concussions protocols pretty well, step by step all the way,” Smith said. “He has done a bunch of training with the extra week off, so he is in good shape.”
Luke Hooley, who has been playing on dual-registration with Batley Bulldogs, has also been drafted into Leeds’ initial squad. Luis Roberts and Leon Ruan retain their place after not featuring in the previous game.
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Hide AdSmith said stand-off Blake Austin, who failed a head injury assessment against Hull KR, is “in good shape and ready to go”, so Rhinos could be unchanged.
Saints are without five of the 17 beaten by Leigh Leopards in last Saturday’s Betfred Challenge Cup semi-final, all of them forwards.
Joey Lussick has left the club to join Parramatta Eels, Sione Mata’utia is suspended and Alex Walmsley, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook and Agnatius Paasi drop out because of injury.
Another pack man, Morgan Knowles, is in doubt, but James Roby and Mark Percival are back in contention after injury and Moses Mbye, signed from St George-Illawarra Dragons, could make his debut.
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Hide AdDan Norman, Sam Royle, Lewis Baxter, Matthew Foster, Taylor Pemberton and Wesley Bruines are other players in contention for a call into the 17.
St Helens: from Welsby, Makinson, Hopoate, Percival, Lomax, Dodd, Roby, Lees, Knowles, Bell, Norman, Davies, Royle, Hurrell, Baxter, Ritson, Foster, Pemberton, Delaney, Bruines, Mbye.
Leeds Rhinos: from Myler, Fusitu'a, Macdonald, Handley, Austin, Sezer, Oledzki, Bentley, Martin, Smith, O’Connor, Lisone, Sangare, Holroyd, McDonnell, Hooley, Walters, Roberts, Donaldson, Johnson, Ruan.
Referee: Liam Moore (Wigan). Kick-off: Friday, 8pm.