Wellington Albert set for Leeds
3 Apr 2019
Rhinos coach Dave Furner has named an 18-man squad for the Betfred Super League round nine fixture as the club await a visa for 24-year-old Albert, a prop forward who joined them on trial at the start of the week following his departure from Widnes Vikings.
Albert trained with Leeds for the first time on Tuesday and, with Tom Holroyd ruled out of Thursday’s game with an ankle injury, could get an early opportunity to impress.
“First and foremost it’s about getting the paperwork done,?? Furner said at his weekly press conference at Headingley. “We’re looking to get him signed on a short-term basis.
“We’ve got five forwards on the sidelines and it has weakened the squad in numbers, particularly in the middle.
“Having Wellington in the mix is quite good. There’s a few things got to tick off with the club and hopefully that should be done very soon.??
Albert played in all three matches against the Rhinos in 2018.
Furner added: “I’ve seen enough of Wellington when he played for Widnes to know what he can bring for this team. It’s about adding value to the squad and I certainly think he can.
“Wellington has got a bit of different skill set to some of the players we’ve got there and that’s important because you want to look at the balance of what you’ve got and what you need.
“He’s a big body, he’s got a really good skill-set in attack and he’s nice and aggressive.??
Furner will be forced to make at least one more change to the side that beat Castleford Tigers last Thursday, with scrum-half Richie Myler serving a one-match ban for a dangerous tackle.
Tongan international half-back Tui Lolohea could make his return after being dropped for the last two matches but Furner could also call Callum McClelland, a Pontefract-born 19-year-old who returned to the 13-man code in the close season following a brief spell in union with Edinburgh.
“He’s getting close,?? Furner said of the former Castleford academy player. “He’s certainly come into consideration not only from the coaches but also the players around him.??
Leeds, who are still bottom of the table, are almost certain to face former team-mates Danny McGuire and Rob Mulhern, who are both poised to make their return from injury.
