As the Under-16s Scholarship sides move into the second half of their season, Mark Butterill's Leeds Rhinos host Huddersfield Giants at Stanningley on Thursday night, kick off 7pm.

The Rhinos couldn't have asked for a better first half of the season as they came away with wins against Hull FC, Castleford, Wakefield and Bradford; including a 68-6 win over the Bulls in their most recent game at the start of May. Overall, they have recorded 182 points across the four games, which has been led by back rowers Zak Lloyd and Jacob Hardy who have scored 34 and 46 points individually, and almost every player on the 38-man roster has featured in matches so far.

Lloyd looks to keep up his scoring record after scoring six tries in the first half of the year, plus first year's Jack Smith and Bailey Hardy have led the try scoring among the younger members of the team with two each.

Thursday's game against the Giants will be one that Butterill and the Rhinos coaching staff will want a result from ahead of a test against St Helens later in the month. They then round out the year against Hull KR and Warrington Wolves who have only lost one game between them this year.

Unlike Leeds, the Giants come into their fifth game of the season looking to win their second match of 2024 after a rough start to the campaign. Opening with back-to-back home losses at home to both Hull KR and Hull FC in the space of a fortnight, Steve Fox's side got their first win of the year on the road against Wigan in a 20-16 win.

Before the midseason break from matches, Huddersfield lost out 56-24 to Castleford Tigers, but look to get back to winning ways with fixtures against Leeds, Wakefield, St Helens and Bradford in the pipeline.

Team News

After a 42-day wait to be back in action for the Scholarship, Mark Butterill has made 12 changes to the side that beat Bradford at the start of last month.

Changes across the field sees Cobi Ellis, Luke Fagan, Kai Irvine, Will Mathers, Sam Oldroyd, Mason Peach, Caleb Rhodes, Tom Richardson, James Rowney, Logan Staveley-Carr, Daniel Stelfox and Brennan Townend all come into the team. Irvine partners Jack Mears, who makes his first start in the halves, and Mason Peach returns at full back. 

Mathers, Rhodes, Rowney, Stelfox and Townend are named amongst the substitutes to provide power to the forward pack, whilst Zak Lloyd, Jacob Hardy, Dacx Jones-Buchanan and Harvey Butterworth continue their run of appearing in every Scholarship match this season.

The team is:

1. Mason Peach sponsored by Morley Ventilation

2. Luke Fagan sponsored by Tudor International Freight

3. Jacob Tooala sponsored by iGlass Services

4. Tom Richardson sponsored by Hebask

5. Sam Oldroyd sponsored by Pro-Tech Automotive

6. Jack Mears - Available to Sponsor

7. Kai Irvine - Available to Sponsor

8. Dacx Jones-Buchanan - Available to Sponsor

9. Harvey Butterworth sponsored by Travis Perkins

10. Logan Staveley-Carr - Available to Sponsor

11. Cobi Ellis sponsored by Beau Occasion

12. Zak Lloyd - Available to Sponsor

13. Jacob Hardy sponsored by Bennetts Butchers

14. Will Mathers sponsored by Barhale

15. Daniel Stelfox - Available to Sponsor

16. James Rowney sponsored by Aspect Building Solutions

17. Harry Thompson sponsored by Roscoe

18. Caleb Rhodes - Available to Sponsor

19. Will Hunter - Available to Sponsor

20. Brennan Townend - Available to Sponsor

To sponsor an Academy, Scholarship, Reserves or Women's Academy player, contact sales@therhinos.co.uk

More Information

Entry to Stanningley is £5 for adults and £3 for concessions. 

If you're unable to get to Stanningley, keep up to date with the scorers on our socials.