A convincing performance from Leeds Rhinos Reserves saw Marcus Qareqare lead a nine-try victory for Chev Walker’s side as they ran out 46-6 victors at Stanningley in their pre-season friendly.

A week after the two club’s Under-18s Academy sides went head to head in a friendly at the same venue, Chev Walker was able to field ten players who featured in his Academy side’s win. Rising stars Alfie Edgell, Jack Smith and Tom Nicholson-Watton got the opportunity to play minutes too in the starting side, as well as the club’s new signing Ethan Clark-Wood, who pulled on a Rhinos shirt for the first time in 2025.

Hull FC named seven members of their Under-18s squad that lost out a week ago as they prepared for the start of their Reserves season against Bradford in a fortnight’s time.

The home side made a fast start when a half break by Jacob Stead led to Marcus Qareqare scoring in the corner after five minutes, before the winger turned from try scorer to try assister as he managed to evade three tacklers and offload inside for Shane Tuohey to score beside the posts. Thomas converted one of two conversions to make the score 10-0.

A Leeds error from kick off led to Hull FC scoring their only points of the day as Callum Barfield scored straight from the scrum to get the away side back in the contest, but Jack Smith made sure Leeds’ lead was restored as he took Harry Smith’s pass and forced his way over from 10 metres out. Qareqare’s second of the game after good work from Ethan Clark-Wood and Alfie Edgell further extended the lead to make the score 20-4 as half approached its climax, and Thomas put the cherry on the top of a good first half performance from the Rhinos as he dived in at the corner to take Leeds’ lead to 24-6 at half time.

The start of the second half saw the Rhinos move out of sight of their opposition, thanks to Qareqare. Tuohey kept the ball alive on the last tackle before feeding the Leeds winger down the sideline for his hat trick try two minutes into the new half, before back to back penalties proved to be the undoing of the black and whites as Qareqare once again punished them on the scoreboard to make the score 34-4 with 25 minutes left.

With Walker rolling the substitutes on, the Rhinos kept up their intensity and try scoring. A slick move posted Lore Jones-Buchanan through a hole for the Academy forward to take the Leeds score to 40 points, and Harry Smith also got in on the try scoring as he supported a break from Harley Thomas to add his name to the growing list of scorers.

Hull’s best chance of the half came towards the end of the contest when Elliot Middlemas caught a chip kick for the corner, but good defence from the Rhinos prevented the substitute from coming within scoring range as he was taken over the sidelines to end the contest; Leeds walking away with a 46-6 win.

Teams:

Leeds Rhinos Reserves

1. Alfie Edgell, 2. Harley Thomas, 3. Jack Smith, 4. Ethan Clark-Wood, 5. Marcus Qareqare, 6. Shane Tuohey, 7. Harry Smith, 8. Toby Warren, 9. Joe Diskin, 10. Tom Nicholson-Watton, 11. Jacob Stead, 12. Oliver Smart, 13. Presley Cassell

Subs: 14. Alex Cowley, 15. Lore Jones-Buchanan, 16. Zak Lloyd, 17. Noah Whittingham, 18. Callum Webster

Tries: Qareqare (5, 27, 42, 54), Tuohey (16), J.Smith (22), Thomas (39), Jones-Buchanan (62), H.Smith (67)

Goals: Thomas 5/9

Hull FC Reserves

1. Lloyd Kemp, 2. Joe Ward, 3. Leon Stewart, 4. Deusjes Nzage, 5. Callum Barfield, 6. Ben Johnson, 7. Joe Thompson, 8. Callum Smith, 9. Alistair Swyer, 10. William Wilson, 11. Zach Jebson, 12. Lennon Clark, 13. Owen Haldenby

Subs: 14. Elliot Middlemas, 15. Finlay Davies, 16. Edward Nolan, 17. Reece Hudson, 18. Matthew Shepherdson.

Tries: Barfield (20)

Goals: Thompson 1/1