Rhinos decide to leave out Lauitiiti

Dave Hadfield
Thursday 31 March 2005 00:00 BST
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Leeds will still be without their New Zealand second-rower, Ali Lauitiiti, for their Powergen Challenge Cup tie against Warrington this Saturday.

Leeds will still be without their New Zealand second-rower, Ali Lauitiiti, for their Powergen Challenge Cup tie against Warrington this Saturday.

Lauitiiti missed the defeat by Wakefield on Monday - Leeds' first in any competition since October - because of a family bereavement. The Kiwi international had flown home following the death of his grand-mother. He is due back in this country tomorrow, but will not be considered for the fourth-round match the following day. The Rhinos' coach, Tony Smith, will have three other players back, however.

Andrew Dunemann and Danny Ward are back in Leeds' 20-man squad after missing the Wakefield game with knocks, while Jamie Jones-Buchanan is also ready to return ahead of schedule.

Warrington, already boosted by their emphatic 44-12 win over relegation rivals, Widnes, on Tuesday night, will also have key players back in contention. Their scrum-half, Nathan Wood, is in line to play for the first time since damaging his knee in February, while his fellow Australian, Chris Leikvoll, is available to play again after a calf injury sustained in training.

Coaches are to get their wish when they have a meeting with referees and Rugby League officials next month. St Helens' Ian Millward has been at the forefront of calls for such a meeting, following a series of complaints about refereeing standards this season. It is to be held on 14 April, by which time the League's director of match officials, Stuart Cummings, will have been back at work for two weeks after illness.

Leigh's former Bradford and London Broncos prop, Richard Moore, has been given the heaviest suspension of the Super League season so far, being banned for five matches for two separate offences in the same match. Moore has been given a three match ban for illegal use of a forearm and another two for raising his knee in a tackle, both during Leigh's first win on the season, over London on Monday.

Wakefield's David Solomona has been suspended for two matches for punching in his side's defeat by Huddersfield on Good Friday. Solomona is already ruled out for the next two months with a broken hand.

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