After four months and seven matches, Leeds Rhinos Scholarship's season comes to close on Wednesday night as Mark Butterill's side heads to Victoria Park to take on Warrington Wolves, kick off 7pm.

With one game to go, it has been a spotless season for the young Rhinos as they've beaten every side they've faced in 2024. Kicking off with a closely contested win on the road against Hull FC back in March, the side got firing quickly with high scoring home wins against Castleford and Wakefield, before they scored 13 tries passed Bradford Bulls in one of the most resounding results of the campaign. Huddersfield and Hull KR were also beaten on home soil, as well as St Helens in a much tighter 16-6 score line, to get the young Rhinos to within one win of an unbeaten season.

As with every Scholarship season, Butterill and his staff have given players the opportunity to develop on the pitch, and all 20 players that were signed in November last year played their first games in blue and amber across the season. Amongst the older players, Zak Lloyd led on the scoring front as he scored seven tries across four games, whilst Jacob Hardy has been handy at try scoring and goal kicking.

Warrington have also had a strong season, winning five matches, drawing once and losing once. The Wolves beat Bradford and St Helens in their first two games before losing out 22-8 to Hull KR in April. 

The side have been on an unbeaten run since, defeating Wigan and Castleford before drawing with Hull FC in a 24-24 home clash. Last time out, they needed a drop goal to beat Wakefield Trinity, but back at Victoria Park, they aim to inflict a first defeat on the young Rhinos.

Team News

For his final game of the season, head coach Butterill makes seven changes to the side that beat Hull KR at AMT Headingley. 

Cobi Ellis, Daniel Stelfox and Will Wilkinson, who makes his first appearance since the away win over Bradford, all come in to make their final appearances for the Scholarship as they move into the Under-17s bracket next season. Will Hunter, Tom Richardson, Wade White, Dacx Jones-Buchanan, and two of the side's top performers this season Jacob Hardy and Zak Lloyd also play their final games as Under-16s players. Lloyd, Jones-Buchanan and Hardy are also the only player to appear in every Scholarship game in 2024.

A new spine sees Jack Mears and Seth Marchant start alongside each other, plus Connor Lawrie gets his first minutes since the Wakefield game back in March. 

The team in full is: 

1. Wade White - Available to Sponsor

2. Jack Smith - Available to Sponsor

3. Jacob Tooala sponsored by iGlass Services

4. Sonny Hetherington sponsored by Butterfield Builders

5. Tom Richardson sponsored by Hebask

6. Jack Mears sponsored by The Safety Consultants Company

7. Seth Marchant sponsored by Oak Electrical

8. Robin Smith sponsored by Yorkshire Will Writers

9. Noah Lunn - Available to Sponsor

10. Daniel Stelfox - Available to Sponsor

11. Zak Lloyd - Available to Sponsor

12. Cobi Ellis sponsored by Beau Occasion

13. Jacob Hardy sponsored by Bennetts Butchers

14. Will Wilkinson sponsored by KSW

15. Brennan Townend - Available to Sponsor

16. Connor Lawrie - Available to Sponsor

17. Dacx Jones-Buchanan - Available to Sponsor

18. Ryan Hosier - Available to Sponsor

19. Sam Oldroyd sponsored by Pro-Tech Automotive

20. Will Hunter - Available to Sponsor

Last Meeting

Watch last year's meeting between the Rhinos and Wolves as Leeds took home a 30-14 win thanks to tries from Joe Butterfield, Dylan Hutchinson, Harley Thomas and three from Marcus Qareqare.

More Information

More information regarding entry prices will be available in due course.