Sport : Rugby League

Duo return for Rhinos

13th July 2012, 04:50pm

Kevin Sinfield: Rhinos are in upbeat mood

Kevin Sinfield: Rhinos are in upbeat mood

Leeds head coach Brian McDermott will welcome back prop Kylie Leuluai and second row Jamie Jones-Buchanan for the Challenge Cup semi-final against Wigan.

The pair were rested for the win over Hull last week but are likely to take their places in the starting line-up, with Richard Moore missing out.

McDermott is able to name 15 of the 19 players involved in last year's 28-18 Cup final defeat to the Warriors, and captain Kevin Sinfield insists the players are in the mood for revenge after hitting form at the right time.

"I must say the lads are buoyant at the minute," he said. "They're bouncing around the training ground and looking forward to this one.

"It's a different feel to where we were at five or six weeks ago so we're ready for this. In my mind, I don't think there was any question that we would turn it around.

"There was always the belief and, if you look around the group, with quality of player and the character we've got, you knew that we'd get it together soon.

"We need to lift in intensity, we're aware of that. Wigan are running number one at the minute, they're the best team in the comp."

Wigan defeated the Rhinos 50-8 at Headingley just six weeks ago and will go into the game confident of victory with winger Josh Charnley, hooker Michael McIlorum and props Jeff Lima and Paul Prescott fresh after sitting out last week's win at Wakefield.

Matty Smith and Iain Thornley are ineligible and Logan Tomkins drops out of the 19.

"They're a good team," Warriors head coach Shaun Wane said of Leeds. "Everything went well for us the last time we played them. They were ordinary that night but it won't give me anything for this weekend's game.

"They've added a bit to how they attack since then, with (Zak) Hardaker being at full-back, and I've shown my players lots of clips of him.

"This is a game I badly want to win. It would be the best moment of my life to lead this team out at Wembley."

Leeds: Jones-Bishop, Watkins, Hardaker, Hall, McGuire, Burrow, Leuluai, Peacock, Jones-Buchanan, Ablett, Sinfield, Delaney, Bailey, Kirke, Clarkson, Hauraki, Griffin, Ward, Lunt.

Wigan: S. Tomkins, Charnley, Goulding, Carmont, Finch, Prescott, McIlorum, Mossop, Hansen, Hock, O'Loughlin, Lima, Farrell, Tuson, Lauaki, Flower, Gelling, Hughes, Crosby.

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