Leeds Rhinos head coach Brad Arthur feels teenage sensation Presley Cassell is not far away from making his Super League debut for the club, after cracking the wider 21-man match-day squad again this weekend.
Cassell, who was promoted to the first team this off-season after playing in the u18s, has impressed for the club’s reserves and has been in and out of the first team throughout the 2025 season.
Brad Arthur lauds emerging starlet
His selection in the larger 21-man squad suggested he could be in line for a top-flight debut, especially given Morgan Gannon’s six-week sabbatical, but Arthur confirmed he would be the Rhinos’ 18th man for the forthcoming game against Leigh Leopards.
“He is not on the team this week; he will be 18th. Before you toss him in, get him training with the boys and going through the gameday routine to calm his anxieties so that when he gets his first opportunity, it is not unfamiliar to him.
But, while that shot may not come this weekend, Arthur feels he’s getting closer to cracking the 17. “We’re preparing him for a potential opportunity in the future. “He’s getting closer, though.”
Arthur also stated that if given the opportunity, Cassell would perform admirably for Leeds.
“I would be confident because of his surroundings. I wouldn’t throw him to the wolves because we’d surround him with players who understand their roles, standards, and expectations, which will only assist him transition.
When is the right time?
Cassell is one of Headingley’s most promising prospects, alongside Fergus and Ned McCormack, Ben Littlewood, and Jack Smith, and Arthur outlined the crucial procedure for preparing them for first-team minutes.
“We have a lot of young guys training now that they have completed their studies. I’m a big believer in training because it’s how young players improve, but it gets to the point where the only way to give them experience is to put them out there. There is just so much training you can do before they are ready to play.
“There’s no actual formula to it. Where they’re traveling and how the team is traveling, how they’ve trained, their confidence levels, how they’ve performed in the levels below, the confidence of other players in the squad, and which team you’re assigning them to. Once all of those boxes are checked, it’s simply a matter of when it happens.”
“All of the young boys are working hard right now, but you never know when their requirements will be met. Their main focus is on training on a daily and weekly basis, and they are looking forward to a full pre-season to prepare for next season.”
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