Rhinos Academy get 2025 underway with pre-season win

Leeds Rhinos Under-18s made a winning start to the 2025 season as they defeated Hull FC Under-18s 18-6 in a pre-season match at Stanningley.

For the first outing of the year, which turned out to be a cold affair, Leeds named a squad mixed with players who were featuring in their first Academy game as well as familiar names from 2024. Zak Lloyd was the sole first-year Under-18s player named in the side as the Siddal product featured in the back row, whilst Wade White, Jacob Hardy, Daniel Stelfox and Dacx Jones-Buchanan also played their first minutes since moving up from the Scholarship.

A quick start for the Rhinos saw Joe Diskin dart his way over from dummy half to get the opening score, before Jacob Stead bounded onto a flat ball to give the home side an eight point advantage.

Hull FC were limited in their yardage as they were forced to come away from their own try line and struggled to make inroad into the Leeds half. The Rhinos on the other hand continued to dominate the game as Zak Lloyd crossed the try line before the break to make the score 12-0 at half time.

With the wind in their sails after a confident first half, Leeds were quick to start the second half scoring; Jacob Stead touching down before the ball went over the dead ball line to make the score 18-0. Whilst Leeds couldn't push on with more tries, rolling subs and resolute defence from Hull FC meant that the full Rhinos got a test against Richard Tate and Francis Cummins' side.

Entering the fourth quarter of the contest, Hull’s Zak Nelson-Hewitt managed to break the visitors’ duck to make sure they left with points on the board, but it was the Rhinos that were victorious at full time; the final score 18-6.

Teams:

Rhinos

1. Dylan Hutchinson, 2. Callum Webster, 3. Dax Millington, 4. Harley Thomas, 5. Sam Johnson, 6. George Brown, 7. Harry Smith, 8. Lore Jones-Buchanan, 9. Joe Diskin, 10. Joe Butterfield, 11. Jacob Stead, 12. Zak Lloyd, 13. Presley Cassell

Subs: 14. Wade White, 15. Evan Jones, 16. Jacob Hardy, 17. Oscar Brown, 18. Elliott Fox, 19. Alex Cowley, 20. Dacx Jones-Buchanan, 21. Daniel Stelfox, 22. Noah Whittingham, 24. Tom Richardson

Tries: Diskin (10), Stead (18, 43), Lloyd (39)

Goals: Thomas 0/3, Lloyd 1/1

Hull FC

1. Lloyd Kemp, 2. Zak Nelson-Hewitt, 3. Leon Hayward, 4. Preston Ward, 5. Elliot Middlemas, 6. Joe Thompson, 7. Ellis Chapman, 8. Jonathan Turner, 9. Alistair Swyer, 10. Callum Smith, 11. Rio Kassim, 12. Kieran Calvert, 13. Matthew Shepherdson

Subs: 14. George Power, 15. Thomas Cheshire, 16. Alfie Baxter, 17. Jack Brown, 18. Finlay Davies, 19. Finley Wilson, 20. Vincent Donnachie, 21. Alexander Krygier

Tries: Nelson-Hewitt (62)

Goals: Chapman 1/1