Rhinos Academy in focus: Joe Butterfield

Ahead of every Rhinos Academy game this year, an Under-18s player will share more about themselves and their journey so far in Rugby League, their development in Chev Walker's team, and offer insight into the Rhinos camp.

As the side prepares for the biggest game of their season yet against Warrington Wolves tomorrow afternoon, Joe Butterfield is next up to talk about his 2025 season so far:

In what has been a thrilling Academy season so far in 2025, the competition's two leading sides Leeds Rhinos and Warrington Wolves go head to head at Victoria Park, knowing that one club's unbeaten record will fall by the end of the 80 minutes. Chev Walker's Leeds side has spent 12 weeks as the league leaders on points difference after enjoying big wins over Salford, Wakefield, St Helens and Bradford twice, but the Wolves have matched the young Rhinos by also keeping their winning record alive 

Joe Butterfield got a chance to preview the Wolves in a tough outing on the road in 2024, but the former Lock Lane prop said that the Rhinos are looking forward to going to battle against Richard Marshall's side in the standout game of the Academy season so far. "I'm looking forward to it a lot and I think the whole team is," he said. "We've had a few challenges this year, I'm looking forward to this big challenge. They're a tough side to play against but we're looking for a strong win and show what we're about. 

"We've been working hard up to this point, but we're still looking to improve our game. We have quite a tight brotherhood, in a way. We all get along, we're all good mates. There's a competitive environment to it, but in a manner that we're friends and we work well together. That's helped us get the results we have this season and hopefully a win on Saturday will secure a top two spot and put us in good stead for the next few games."

Butterfield is one of the leading players in Walker's side and is a player who leads by example with his strong carries and work effort in attack and defence. As one of the players locked in for years to come, as he is in the second of a four-year deal, he spoke about he has developed from learning in the first team environment too and how he hopes to emulate team mate Presley Cassell, who made his club debut earlier this month. 

"Seeing Pres make his debut, it's motivation for me and everybody else to see one of your lads make it into the first team. We're all really proud of him, we're all behind him, but that is a motivational point to go and get that for myself. Training with first team has helped. It's always a challenge whenever you do train with them, but I've seen my defensive game improving and my transition around the pitch too. I think my attacking game and my carries are really strong and up to standard."

This week also brought an updated Yorkshire lineup for next week's second Academy Origin match at Hull KR's Sewell Group Craven Park. Having already beaten Lancashire as part of Rob Nickolay's side in the first game of the series, Butterfield is relishing the opportunity to wear the white rose again.

"Yorkshire Academy is a really high standard. All the players there that we are playing with are the best of the best in our competition. Same with the Lancashire boys, they're the best in their region. It's good to see what it's like to play alongside people with different play styles and it's nice to have different leaders as well. Having Rob and Luke (Gale) too, it's nice to see coaching from a different viewpoint. They coach differently but they're both good people. It's nice to chat with them and feel what it's like to play with other players, even though the squad is mostly us Rhinos boys."

The Rhinos take on Warrington at 1pm at Victoria Park on Saturday, and fans can follow all the action across the club's official channels. The upcoming Academy Origin match is also on Saturday 2nd August (KO 12pm) and will be played as a double header with the Women's Origin match at Sewell Group Craven Park.