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Young Rhino Harry hopes to push for first-team spot

By Finley Cowperthwaite

“Whoever Leeds bring in this year I’m just hoping to kick on and push for a first-team starting spot.”

Young Leeds Rhinos winger Harry Newman is hoping to build on his experience he gained last season by securing a starting spot in the Leeds first team.

Newman started last season by signing a three-year deal with the club, to which he described as “a great achievement.” His debut came later on in the year in a 34-0 thrashing against eventual Super League winners Wigan Warriors.

He then went on to make a further three first team appearances before being sent out on loan to Championship side Featherstone Rovers.

Harry said: “Playing in the Championship was great as I got to gain experience by playing against men week in week out which is important as it got me used to the physicality.”

Newman impressed whilst on loan at the Colliers, scoring 15 tries in 11 games, helping them to a fifth-place finish. This led to him being nominated for Championship young player of the year, however he missed out on the award, saying: “I’m disappointed I didn’t quite win it.”

His incredible season didn’t go without reward though, as he earned a first ever call-up to the England under-19 squad.

He said: “We’ve been training in a national camp all year and I got an email to say I’d made the 22-man squad. It’s a great achievement and I’ve been working hard all year so it’s great to get the England call-up going into a test series against the Aussies.”

England U19’s training camp in Horsforth

The 18 year-old sounded pleasantly surprised about his call-up, having now been given the chance to play with the lion crest on his chest for the first time in his life, but it is certainly deserved after such an impressive campaign. “I had my end of season review and it was really positive.”

Newman now hopes to push on and try and get back into the Rhinos first team, hopefully building on his previous four appearances. He doesn’t seem phased by the possibility of Leeds Rhinos signing new players to play in his position, and believes he can stake a claim to start week-in week-out for the senior team.

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