By Cameron Hogwood
The John Smith’s Stadium will play stage to a highly-anticipated Super League meeting between the Huddersfield Giants and the Leeds Rhinos in what promises to be a fiery Yorkshire derby.
Leeds will be boosted by the return of back rower Jamie Jones-Buchanan following his three-match spell out of action.
The Rhinos currently sit in fourth place in the Super League thanks to four wins and two losses as they look to improve on last year’s shock ninth-place finish.
Huddersfield enter the contest having lost three, won two and drawn one of their opening six games, with their recent clash with the Wigan Warriors ending 16-16.
Rhinos loose forward Stevie Ward will again be missing as the injury-stricken star remains sidelined as a result of a hamstring problem.
All eyes will be on Rhinos prop Anthony Mullally as he returns to face his former team Huddersfield having made the move over to Headingley in 2015.
Speaking about his own performances after a difficult start to life at Leeds, he told the Yorkshire Post: “I feel comfortable now. Not comfortable as in complacent, but in how I am playing and the environment I am in.”
“I am enjoying it more and that’s helping me improve. I am trying to build some consistency in my game. That’s where I am at at the moment, just focusing on the areas I need to work on.”
The travelling Rhinos will be looking for their fifth win of the campaign, coming into the match-up off the back of a 38-14 win over Wakefield.