Leeds Rhinos Make a Giant Move: Jeremiah Mata’utia to Star in Brad Singleton Testimonial Match Against Castleford Tigers
The Leeds Rhinos have announced a significant addition to their squad for the upcoming Brad Singleton testimonial match against the Castleford Tigers. The star of the show will be Jeremiah Mata’utia, a formidable recruit signed from the North Queensland Cowboys. Mata’utia is set to take the field in the front-row, and he's one of just three players in Leeds' 22 with a squad number for this season. Coach Brad Arthur shared his thoughts on the matter, stating, 'Jerry’s going to play to get some minutes, along with Tom Nicholson-Watton and Ben Littlewood. Outside of that, it’s the kids.'
The Rhinos' reserves boss, Chev Walker, will be coaching the team, using this match as an opportunity to assess the players' physical development. Arthur highlighted that Mata’utia, Nicholson-Watton, and Littlewood have something to prove, aiming to secure more game time with the main team. He explained, 'There’s a few things they have got to show me, and it’s a good opportunity for them to get some conditioning in.'
Mata’utia made his debut for Leeds in their Boxing Day victory over Wakefield Trinity, where he impressed with his ball-handling skills. Arthur praised his performance, noting that he still needs to work on defensive aspects to align with the team's strategies. He compared Mata’utia's journey to that of Cooper Jenkins, who has also shown significant improvement over time. Arthur expressed confidence that Mata’utia will follow a similar path to becoming a key player.
The starting lineup includes Littlewood, Nicholson-Watton, and several other players, while George Brown and Zak Lloyd, who stood out in the Christmas game, are notably absent, suggesting they will be part of a full-strength team for the upcoming match against the Bradford Bulls in Cameron Smith's testimonial.
The Leeds Rhinos team for the match is as follows: Thomas, Richardson, Hardy, O Brown, Qareqare, Hutchinson, H Smith, Stead, Diskin, Mata’utia, Littlewood, Smart, Nicholson-Watton. The substitutes are Fox, Butterfield, Tinkler, Jones-Buchanan, Butterworth, R Smith, White, Tooala, and Hetherington.
The match will be refereed by Tom Grant, and it's set to kick off at 3 pm on Sunday. This game promises to be an exciting showcase of the Rhinos' potential, with Mata’utia's presence adding a significant element of intrigue.
