Leeds Rhinos are set to hand 20-year-old Fergus McCormack a significant opportunity in the full-back position following the suspension of first-choice player Lachie Miller. Miller, an Australian international, was handed a three-match ban, which Leeds unsuccessfully appealed, ruling him out of upcoming fixtures.

Head coach Brad Arthur announced McCormack’s promotion ahead of Leeds’ match against Huddersfield, with further key Super League encounters against St Helens and Toulouse on the horizon. Arthur emphasized the club’s confidence in their squad depth, noting the decision to back McCormack rather than reshuffle the lineup by moving Chris Hankinson into the full-back role.

“We’ll give young Fergus an opportunity to play full-back,” Arthur said. “We could have made the move of making changes and putting Chris Hankinson there. But we said at the start of the year we’ve got good depth and we need to back that. All these guys want to make sure they do their jobs to help him do his job.”

In related news, Warrington Wolves have announced the signing of Leeds’ halfback Brodie Croft on a three-year contract, effective from the 2027 season. The transfer adds a new dynamic to Warrington’s squad planning for the coming years.