Key Points
- Leeds Rhinos have made two changes to their 21-man squad for Friday’s home match against Huddersfield Giants at Headingley
- Full-back Lachie Miller begins a three-match suspension after his appeal against the ban was unsuccessful at an independent tribunal
- Miller received 18 penalty points for a Grade E charge involving unnecessary contact with injured Wigan player Oliver Partington during Friday’s 24–4 loss to Wigan Warriors
- The tribunal upheld the three-match ban and added five extra penalty points plus a £1,000 fine to Miller’s punishment
- Miller will also miss upcoming games against St Helens and Toulouse Olympique in June
- Prop Tom Holroyd is ruled out due to a back injury, ending his availability for Friday’s fixture
- Youngster Zak Lloyd replaces Miller in coach Brad Arthur’s initial squad; the back-rover has yet to make his Rhinos debut
- Lloyd previously featured in a 21-man squad and played on loan for Hunslet in the Betfred Championship earlier this season
- Loose-forward Jacob Hardy is the second replacement, marking his first-ever nomination in a Super League 21-man squad
- Hardy signed his first professional contract with Leeds Rhinos Under-18s in September 2024 and is from Kippax
- Head Coach Brad Arthur confirmed the squad changes and backed club’s depth to cover Miller’s absence
Leeds Rhinos (The Leeds Times) May 20, 2026, by All Out Rugby League, Lachie Miller has been handed a three-match suspension after an independent tribunal upheld Leeds Rhinos’ unsuccessful appeal. Miller was charged with a Grade E offence for making unnecessary contact with a player who was injured or may have been injured during the Rhinos’ clash with Wigan Warriors at the Brick Community Stadium.
The charge specifically related to Miller’s contact with Wigan’s Oliver Partington during the contest. The disciplinary panel awarded Miller 18 penalty points and imposed a three-match ban. Leeds appealed the decision, as head coach Brad Arthur confirmed in his press conference earlier on Tuesday, but the tribunal rejected the appeal.
In addition to the suspension, Miller received five additional penalty points and a £1,000 fine. The decision aligns with precedent set in April when Wigan Warriors’ Harry Smith received the same punishment for making contact with injured Jazz Tevaga during a Challenge Cup quarter-final.
“The decision means Leeds will be without Miller for Friday night’s game against Huddersfield Giants at Headingley,”
All Out Rugby League reported. The full-back will also miss the Rhinos’ games against St Helens and Toulouse Olympique in June.
Why Is Tom Holroyd Ruled Out?
Prop Tom Holroyd has been ruled out of Friday’s match due to a back injury, as confirmed in the original squad announcement from Yorkshire Evening Post. Holroyd, an England international prop, has previously suffered from concussion and scaphoid (wrist) injuries in earlier seasons.
The club has not disclosed the severity of the current back injury, but Holroyd is unavailable for selection for the Huddersfield Giants fixture.
What Do We Know About Zak Lloyd?
Zak Lloyd, a back-rower, replaces Lachie Miller in coach Brad Arthur’s initial 21-man group. Lloyd has yet to make his Leeds Rhinos debut in Super League but has previously been included in a 21-man squad .
Earlier this season, Lloyd played on loan for Hunslet in the Betfred Championship, gaining valuable first-team experience away from Headingley.
According to Serious About Rugby League, Lloyd is described as a “rangy and powerful back-rower” who is “hotly tipped by Leeds fans to go on and be a star, in a similar way that Presley Cassell did in 2025”.
Lloyd returned to Leeds for his second appearance for Parksiders (Hunslet) this season, coming off the bench during the Championship outing. He was also part of Leeds’ reserves Grand Final winning squad.
What Is Significant About Jacob Hardy’s Inclusion?
Jacob Hardy, a loose-forward, is the second youngster added to the squad, replacing Tom Holroyd.
This marks the first time Hardy has been named in a 21-man squad for a Super League match.
Hardy signed his first professional deal with Leeds Rhinos Under-18s in September 2024, moving into theRhinos Under-18s from Kippax.
He has been part of the Rhinos’ youth setup and has featured in reserve matches, including scoring a try in Leeds’ Reserves’ 24–12 victory at Hull KR alongside Jacob Hardy, George Brown, Zak Lloyd, and Presley Cassell.
In the Rhinos’ Scholars team, Hardy has been a standout performer alongside Zak Lloyd; the pair led the team in scoring with 34 points across four games. Hardy leads conversions with 15, while Lloyd has scored seven tries.
How Has Brad Arthur Responded to the Squad Changes?
As reported by All Out Rugby League, Brad Arthur confirmed the squad changes and expressed confidence in the club’s depth.
“We’ll give young Fergus McCormack an opportunity to play full-back,”
the Leeds boss said on Tuesday, though the eventual squad includes Zak Lloyd and Jacob Hardy instead.
Arthur added:
“We could have made the move of making changes, and putting Chris Hankinson there, but we said at the start of the year that we’ve got good depth and we need to back that”.
Arthur, who signed a new contract extension with Leeds Rhinos in August 2025 to remain as head coach through 2026 and beyond, has consistently backed youth development at the club.
When and Where Will Leeds Rhinos Face Huddersfield Giants?
The match will take place on Friday, May 22, 2026, at 8:00pm at AMT Headingley Rugby Stadium in Leeds. This is a home fixture for Leeds Rhinos against Huddersfield Giants in the Betfred Super League.
Tickets for the game can be purchased online via the official Leeds Rhinos ticketing website.
Background: How Did This Development Occur?
This squad announcement follows Leeds Rhinos’ 24–4 defeat to Wigan Warriors at the Brick Community Stadium on Friday, May 15, 2026, during which Lachie Miller committed a foul resulting in a Grade E charge. The Independent Rugby Football League Disciplinary Tribunal heard Leeds’ appeal on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, and rejected it, upholding the three-match ban.
Meanwhile, Tom Holroyd’s back injury emerged during the week’s training sessions, prompting coach Brad Arthur to remove him from the squad.
Holroyd has a history of injury setbacks, including concussion in 2024 and a scaphoid wrist injury in June 2024 that kept him out for ten weeks.
The inclusion of Zak Lloyd and Jacob Hardy reflects Arthur’s strategy of developing youth talent, consistent with previous selections of Presley Cassell and George Brown, both of whom made successful debuts in 2025 and 2026.
Prediction:
Leeds Rhinos supporters can expect increased opportunities for youth players to feature in Super League matches during Miller’s three-game absence. Zak Lloyd and Jacob Hardy’s inclusion signals Brad Arthur’s willingness to trust academy graduates when senior players are unavailable.
