Leeds Rhinos vs Hull KR

RHINOS
VS HULL KR
JAMES DONALDSON'S
TESTIMONIAL
AMT HEADINGLEY STADIUM
04.02.24, KO 3PM
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2 | RHINOS VS HULL KR
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THANK YOU
Firstly, I would to say a massive thank you to you for coming out to
support me at today’s testimonial game. I am particularly grateful to
the RFL for granting me a testimonial for services to the game and
for the Leeds Board of Directors for allowing me to put on this match.
I would like to thank Hull KR, especially Head Coach Willie Peters, for
agreeing to come to AMT Headingley for this clash as we build up to
a massive season for both clubs. I am fortunate and grateful to both
coaching teams for fielding such strong squads, I am sure the fans will
get to enjoy a great contest.
Looking back over my career, it seems fitting that I start at the
beginning with Wath Brow Hornets. They were the club that made
me the player that I am and supported me from 6 years old to this
present day! I will always be a Hornet!
I would like to thank Bradford Bulls, Hull Kingston Rovers and
Leeds Rhinos for their integral part in my journey as a rugby
league player! I have experienced some things that I only
dreamed of as a kid playing in two Challenge Cup finals and
one Grand Final. I have also experienced some of the toughest
times a professional sportsman can go through, the injuries,
relegations and administrations but I wouldn’t change a thing
that I have been through and the lessons that they have taught
me. I will be forever grateful to these clubs.
Next, I would like to thank my teammates and staff for their
support on and off the field. My family and I have made friends
for life.
The sponsors who have supported my testimonial and myself
throughout my career have been wonderful. I’ve made many great
connections and people that will stay friends for life.
I would personally like to thank Gary Hetherington for
supporting me throughout this testimonial. I don’t think Gary
gets the credit he truly deserves for what he has done for this
club and its players. Myself and my family can’t thank you
enough for this Gary.
I would like to thank the staff at Leeds Rhinos for supporting
me throughout this testimonial. Special mentions to Gary
Hetherington, Rob Oates, JJB, Rohan, Sian Jones, Emma
Beech, Millie Oates, Phil Daly and the rest of the staff at
AMT Headingley.
I will always be grateful to my friends and family for their
continuous support throughout my career. I hope I’ve made
you proud and put a smile on your face in some tough
times as a family. Especially my mum who has travelled
far and wide to support me.
Finally, to Georgia, Tobias and Miller. I wouldn’t be
where I am today without your unwavering love and
support. I hope I have set a great example for our two
boys. I love you lots.
Enjoy the game
3 | RHINOS VS HULL KR
Donno

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DONNO’S
DREAM TEAM
Throughout his career with Bradford Bulls, Hull KR and Leeds
Rhinos, James Donaldson has played with some of the greatest
players in the Super League era. We asked the Rhinos forward
to do the difficult job of picking his ultimate Dream Team.
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1 - BRETT
KEARNEY
I never saw Brett have
many bad games. He
was fearless under the
high ball and you could
always count on him. He
joined the Bulls in 2010
from Cronulla and was a
great servant to the club.
2 - ASH HANDLEY
A great friend as well as team
mate. He is Mr Dependable,
who is one of the key men
in our squad. When things
get tough, Ash is always
there lining up the carries.
Very much appreciated
by his team mates and
someone who loves playing
for his home town club.
3 - HARRY
NEWMAN
Mad Baz! Harry lives and
breathes Rugby League.
He can come up with some
magic out of nothing
and I would never hear
the end of it if he wasn’t
included in this team.
4 - KALLUM
WATKINS
Unfortunately I did not get
long to play with Kallum at
Leeds but he was always a
tough guy to play against.
On his day one of the best
centres in the world.

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8 | RHINOS VS HULL KR
5 - TOM BRISCOE
Despite being responsible
for one of the toughest
days in my career at
Wembley, Tom had freaky
strength, never gets put on
his back. Always gets your
set off to strong start!
6 - DANNY
McGUIRE
One of the best I’ve
played with. Danny
always came up with a
special play when your
back was against the
wall. A true leader!
7 - LUKE GALE
One of my best mates in the
game, his family lived with us
when they were having some
work done to their house. He
thrives off pressure and a big
game player! I played with him
at the start of my career at the
Bulls and it was great to team
up with him again at Leeds when
we won the Challenge. Cup.
9 - TERRY NEWTON
As a young lad coming through at
Bradford, Terry was an experienced
veteran who had done it all with
Wigan and Leeds by that stage.
He was tough and nasty and
never took a backwards step.
Because of the physical side of
the game people probably under
estimated that he was a smart
footballer who lead from the front.
8 - MATTY PRIOR
The war horse as I
called him. He didn’t
talk much but he
led by his actions.

10 - SAM BURGESS
In my opinion one of the best
to have played the game. Sam
took me under his wing at 16,
hard to believe that he was
only 19 himself but he had an
old head on young shoulders
having already achieved so
much at a young age. He
taught me some key lessons
as a young professional.
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11 - STEVE
MENZIES
GOAT! Never known a
player read the game like
the Beaver. Whatever
he did he was always
the best at it, it was
so valuable to me,
especially in my position,
to spend time around
him in my early years.
12 - ELLIOTT
WHITEHEAD
You only need to look how
long he has been playing at
the top of the game in the
NRL to see how much ability
Elliott has. He gets through a
mountain of work and would
always be on the end of
every play, he especially loved
getting on the end of kicks.
13 - JAMIE
LANGLEY
Another good mate of
mine. He was a hard
grafter and the most
professional player I’ve
come across. You can
always count on and trust
Langers to be there with
you. Some set of arms too!

THANK YOU TO…

DONNO'S CAREER IN PHOTOS
11 | RHINOS VS HULL KR

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TEAMMATES
PAY TRIBUTE
TO DONALDSON
The history of Rugby League
contains a list of players
whose true value is only really
appreciated by the players
who line up alongside them
in the trenches. Their work,
in the heat of battle, sets a
platform for the star men
to add the finishing touches
but without their efforts,
victory can never be secured.
James Donaldson is a member
of that hard working group
of players and we caught
up with three of his current
team mates to find out
what makes him such a key
member of the Rhinos squad.
Rhyse Martin told us, “James
was the first bloke that I
met when I came here, he
introduced himself straight
away. And then ever since
that day, he's always looked
after me and my family. We've
probably gone through very
similar stages in our lives
where we've had kids at the
same time, both our kids are
couple of months apart. He's
always been really hospitable
and always took the overseas
players in and cooked us feeds.
“We enjoy coffee and hanging
out, he's definitely been one
of the greatest guys I’ve
got to know through Rugby
League and he's legendary
for his cooking. His Yorkies
are the best, he is very good
at making Yorkshire puddings
but the bad thing is he makes
about 30 of them so you end
up eating about six or seven!
“He got his work ethic by the
way he grew up watching
his parents and what they
did. And his dad worked very
hard on the farm too, to give
them everything that they've
got and the support his mum
gives him, he comes from a
great family,” added Martin.
Rhinos skipper Cameron Smith

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added, “Dono epitomizes our
culture, he leads by example.
He leads with his actions off
the field. He's always the first
guy to reach out. He puts
a lot of work into building
connections with everyone,
he's just an all around top
bloke. It is going to be a very
special day for him on Sunday.
15 | RHINOS VS HULL KR
“If you ask every guy that he's
played with or played against
even, they'll all say the same
thing. How much of a top bloke
is and it deserves this. I said
to him the other day that I’ll
probably be wiping some tears
when he's walking the squad
out with his boys. He'll say
that it's not about him and
he'll want it just to be normal
but I think it's important
that we recognize him.”
Ash Handley echoed those
sentiments, adding, "James
is a good friend as much as
is just a team mate and I
really get along with them. He
looks after everyone and is a
really caring person. He is very
generous, he'll do anything for
you. He's a real competitor
and brings his teammates
along with him. He's going to
do all the hard things for his
team and be very selfless as
a person and a player. And
you can always depend on
him. He'll always stick his neck
out for a friend, especially
in the tackle and get us a
penalty when we need one!"

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IN HIS OWN WORDS
JAMES
DONALDSON
James Donaldson has faced challenges on and off the field during
his career, each has helped shape him into the person he is today.
Here James explains to us how each of those events has spurred
him on to the next level.

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Leeds is my home now. Since
I've come to the club, it's
changed my life in so many
ways, whether it's on the field
or off the field as well. I've
got so much to be grateful to
this club for. I still feel like I've
got a lot of experience that I
can bring to the club, to help
players within the squad to
grow, whether it's in training
and pushing the standards or in
the team. The team mentality
is something I try and
encourage around the players
as well and I am over the moon
to get a testimonial here.
I think it's really a reward
for myself. During my career,
I've always tried to let my
hard work do the talking. I
moved away from home at
16, dedicated all my life to
rugby. I'm really proud that
I stuck in there and feel like
I'm getting the rewards from
that on the back of it.
I was let go by Hull KR in a
tough way. I thought that
I had a contract there and
things were going to be
positive after we were safe
from relegation. And things
soon changed with our stance,
which left me in a tough place.
I didn't have an agent, I was
looking for clubs myself and
I decided to text every Super
League coach myself. I still
had something to offer.
I had some really nice replies,
some clubs had already filled
their salary cap but as time
went by, it was getting tougher
and tougher. My contract
had run out with Hull KR and
I didn’t have a wage coming
in. It got to the middle of
December and I put myself
through my own pre-season
at the local gym. I still knew I
had that fire burning inside of
me to play in Super League.
I didn’t want to just accept
that my journey was ending

19 | RHINOS VS HULL KR
and I was heading for a
Championship club. I had
some nice offers from
Championship clubs and they
were very understanding
when I said that I would keep
in touch if things changed.
With no offers coming in
I actually applied for a job
working for Parcelforce
delivering parcels over
Christmas, which I thought
would give me that little bit of
money to keep myself afloat.
I've been pretty sensible with
money over my career, but
I had to start planning for
the worst case scenario. The
strange thing was when I
actually got an interview for
Parcelforce, the next morning
I woke up at 9:00 and I took a
call off Kevin Sinfield. He said
the Rhinos would like me to
come down for a weeks trial.
I was over the moon to get
that call because I probably
wasn't in a good place at the
time. I was beginning to think
that my career was probably
over and then a couple of hours
later, Huddersfield Giants rang
me and wanted to offer me
a trial as well, but I said I had
already given Kev my word.
I turned up the next day and
things started to go pretty well
in training. Leeds understood
what I'm about as a person
and a player; more hard work
than probably talent but
they liked what they saw.
Then Leeds offered me a one
year contract, which was
to me probably a kind of
extended trial. It was great for
me after all I've been through
in my career, with injuries,
relegations, all the tough
times, to be actually ending
up getting an opportunity
to play for a club like Leeds,
it was something I never
dreamed about again.
My dad is a farmer and that's
what his life revolves around.
He's worked hard and given
us all the life that we've got
now, which is brilliant, but
that all just comes off the
back of his hard work.
We're third-generation
farmers now. His dad and his
granddad were both farmers.
I said to a few lads I've never
ever heard my dad say, I don't
want to go to work tomorrow.
I've never heard those words
ever come out of his mouth.
When that alarm goes
off, he’s straight out in the
milking parlour and there's no
complaining and no moaning
whatever the weather, he
is out there grafting and I

20 | RHINOS VS HULL KR

suppose that's where all my
family get their motivation
for their hard work from.
We had an accident on our
family farm. My brother was
helping my dad put a building
up, the metal framework
was up about 30 or 40 foot
up in the air. My brother
was down on the floor when
one of the pieces of wood
slipped from the top.
He was below picking up a
tape measure when the piece
of wood landed on him on
the back of the neck. He was
airlifted off the farm and
flown straight to Newcastle
intensive care, where they
discovered he had broke his
neck and snapped his spinal
cord. I remember getting to
the hospital in Newcastle
and he was in an induced
coma at the time with the
metal frame around his body
to hold his neck in place.
He got moved to Thomas Cook
Hospital in Middlesbrough,
which was a spinal specialist
unit, which was brilliant for
my brother. And it was there
that we found out that he
was paralyzed but we had
no understanding what
was to come on the back of
that. I think that it definitely
brought us closer together
as a family. My mum lived
in the hospital for a year
beside him and I am so proud
of how he has managed to
create a life for himself.
He's got a son now, which
is his motivation to keep
going and keep strong. I
remember scoring my first
Super League try and it was
right in front of my brother,
that was an amazing feeling.
He drives me now throughout
my career. I think about him
before I go into a game and
how privileged I am and how
lucky I am to have two of
my legs and be able to walk,
be able to feed myself.
When I first joined Leeds, I
found out that the Rhinos
have a great connection with
Leeds Beckett University, other
clubs simply don't have that
connection, which is brilliant.
When I was younger, I
never envisioned that
I'd go to university,
never in a million
years, but it is
something I'm
really proud
of. When the
opportunity
came to go
to uni while
playing, I
snapped
their
hand off.
I decided
to do a
three year
degree in
quantity
surveying
but I wanted to
do it full time whilst
still training so I could get it
done as quickly as possible.
I've got a job which I'm
doing one day a week at the
moment with a company
called Rider Levett Bucknall
(RLB) in Leeds as an
Assistant Cost Manager.
I was introduced to the
company through my
degree, that led to an
opportunity to work
with the company whilst
I was still qualifying.
21 | RHINOS VS HULL KR

22 | RHINOS VS HULL KR
CAREER IN
NUMBERS
We take a look at some of James Donaldson's major career
numbers and stats as he prepares to face his former club
Hull KR this afternoon at AMT Headingley…
on dual registration, plus he returned
to the Bulls for a sole game in 2022.
5 CLUBS PLAYED FOR
Donaldson earned his first opportunity to
play Super League with Bradford Bulls at
18 years old against Castleford Tigers in
2009 and played at Odsal for five seasons
before making a move to Hull KR in 2015,
where he reached the Challenge Cup Final
during a memorable first campaign.
Two years later, he was part of the side that
suffered relegation to the Championship in
the Million Pound Game but he stuck with
the team throughout 2017 and aided their
instant promotion back into Super League.
Released at the end of the 2018 campaign,
the forward impressed during a trial
with Leeds in the build-up to 2019 and
earned himself a deal until the end of
the season. A firm favourite among his
teammates and the fans, he has stuck
around for five seasons and counting;
a highlight of his time being part of the
2020 Challenge Cup Final winning squad.
During his career, Donaldson also played
for York Knights and Dewsbury Rams
270 APPEARANCES
Donaldson has made
most of his career
appearances with the
Rhinos, particularly
being utilised off the
bench 82 times in 106
games. 2023 saw the
forward play 16 of 18
games as a substitute.
Before that, his 79
appearances for Hull
KR was restricted by
an ACL injury during
the club's sole season
in the Championship,
but he recovered to
play 21 times in 2018.
At the Bulls, Donaldson
played 35 games in his first
four seasons before breaking into the
starting team in 2013 and 2014. He
also started in a 26-22 win over Halifax
Panthers during the 2023 season whilst
on dual registration from Leeds.
He played five games in total on dual
registration with Dewsbury and York.
3 MAJOR FINALS
Throughout his career, Donaldson has ran
out three times in major domestic finals.
Wembley was his first final in 2015 with
Hull KR as Chris Chester's side overcame
the odds to book their place in the final,
but Leeds proved too strong under the

arch. Five years later,
Donaldson was back
in the capital with
the Rhinos and got
his hands on his
first piece of major
silverware as Luke
Gale kicked Leeds to a
17-16 victory over Salford.
Old Trafford had been just out
of reach for the forward, but Rohan Smith’s
arrival in 2022 helped guide the Rhinos and
Donaldson to the Grand Final, where he
came off the bench against St Helens.
15 YEARS PLAYED
Entering year number 15 in the league,
Donaldson is the most experienced name
in the Leeds squad and one of the longestserving
players in the league going into 2024.
Since debuting in 2009, he has made at
least one appearance in every season
(both Super League and Championship)
and particularly during his six years
at Leeds, he has been one of the
most present players on the pitch.
29 TRIES
Donaldson didn't have to
wait long to open his
try-scoring account in
Super League as he
crossed the line in only
his second appearance
for Bradford against
Wigan in 2009. He went
on to score four times
during his time at Odsal.
At Hull KR, he opened his account in his
second season with the club, but Donaldson's
sole season in the Championship saw him
record nine tries in an impressive campaign.
In Rhinos colours, Donaldson was a scorer
in the Easter win over Huddersfield as
the forward came off the bench and
latched on to Brad Dwyer's kick to score
under the posts. 2020 saw him touch
down three tries; two coming against
his former club Hull KR in the league and
Cup and one coming against Hull FC.
During 2021 and 2022, he finished both
seasons with two tries, his latest coming
in a convincing 40-4 outing against
Warrington on the road to Old Trafford.
25 LEEDS RHINOS
SQUAD NUMBER
A shirt number that has become
synonymous with the name Donaldson
at the Rhinos, James has worn the
number 25 shirt in each season
he has been with the Rhinos.
He will don the number again in 2024 too!
CAREER STATS
Year by Year APP SUB T G DG PTS
2009…
Bradford Bulls
0 7 2 0 0 8
2010… 4 10 0 0 0 0
2011… 5 7 0 0 0 0
2012… 0 2 0 0 0 0
2013… 12 7 2 0 0 8
2014… 22 3 0 0 0 0
2013…
Dewsbury Rams (dual reg)
2015…
Hull KR
3 1 1 0 0 4
4 23 0 0 0 0
2016… 10 10 4 0 0 16
2017… 8 3 9 0 0 36
2018… 5 16 2 0 0 8
2018…
York RLFC Knights (dual reg)
2019…
Leeds Rhinos
0 1 1 0 0 4
3 22 1 0 0 4
2020… 2 14 3 0 0 12
2021… 10 14 2 0 0 8
2022… 7 16 2 0 0 8
2023… 2 16 0 0 0 0
2023…
Bradford Bulls (dual reg)
1 0 0 0 0 0
Totals APP SUB T G DG PTS
Leeds Rhinos 2019- 24 82 8 0 0 32
Hull KR 2015-18 27 52 15 0 0 60
Bradford Bulls 2009-14,
2023 (dual reg)
Dewsbury Rams 2013
(dual reg)
York RLFC Knights 2018
(dual reg)
44 36 4 0 0 16
3 1 1 0 0 4
0 1 1 0 0 4
23 | RHINOS VS HULL KR

24 | RHINOS VS HULL KR
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McNAMARA PROUD OF THE
MAN DONALDSON HAS BECOME
Former England Head Coach Steve McNamara has spoken
about his pride about the man that James Donaldson
has become ahead of his testimonial game.
McNamara signed Donaldson
as a teenager when he
persuaded the young forward
to reject offers from Wigan,
where he had been training,
and Leeds to sign for Bradford
Bulls. The Catalans Dragons
boss remembers several
trips to Cumbria to speak to
Donaldson and his family to
finally get the deal done.
He recalled, “My earliest
memories of James is probably
travelling up to Cumbria
watching him play for Wath
Brow and then meeting his
mum and dad. I think they
appreciated me making the
effort to go up there and
because we knew if were going
to sign James, he would have
to probably relocate it was
important they were happy.
We knew there was stiff
competition for him but we
were the first one who went
up there. We welcomed him
to Bradford Bulls and settled
him into his first house. It
must have been tough for a
teenager to move house at a
young age and settle into a new
environment but he was great.”
McNamara said he never had
any doubts about Donaldson’s
ability, he added, “He slotted
into our system straight away.
What made him stand out was
for a young player was his effort
and energy. He was a great
kid with the ability to work as
hard as he possibly could. He
had some horrendous luck with
some injuries but the way he's
worked so hard to overcome
those and play as many games
as he has is remarkable.
“Throughout his junior career,
things went well for him but
he was really tested with
those moments of adversity,
the injuries, his family
situation as well with what
happened to his brother, that
is a very, very big thing for a
young man to deal with.
"I'm super, super proud of
James in the way he deals
with adversity and managed
to stil radiate positivity.
“James is what testimonials
are all about. People like James
Donaldson, from a working
class family, working class
background. He has worked
his socks off, as hard as he
possibly can to do everything
he possibly can in the game.
And I'm so, so glad that he is
getting some recognition with
his testimonial and everything
else around it for him this
season and the commitment
he's shown to himself is great.
“I've certainly had an affinity
with James from growing up,
espcially having spent time with
the family after his brother's
accident. We've got a really
close connection with him.
You spend so much time with
players as a coach that they
become like your sons, your
kids. For James to come to
the Bulls at such an early age
and to have played a small
part to help influence and
shape his career is obviously
something I am proud of.
He has certainly had a great
upbringing from his parents.
But credit to him, the adversity
he has faced. Most people
would have stopped at that
point. But I'm sure he's still got
a good few years left in him.”
On a personal note, McNamara
added, “Congratulations
James. I'm so, so proud of
you. A boy coming to live in
Bradford, to deal with the
pressure of being a Super
League player, a young
star having to cope with
some injuries and obviously
the accident with your
brother, you are a credit to
yourself and your family.”
25 | RHINOS VS HULL KR

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About Us
Operating exclusively within the UK Accident Repair Market, Smart Business
Link’s values are about providing positive working partnerships, support, and
growth to our customers.
Smart Business Link is a specialist funding partner, we understand the industry,
the supply chain and its complexities. Our industry connections are extensive
and with this, can solve most problems that you may face.
We don’t just provide cash flow solutions, we strive to work in partnership to
drive efficiency, and help you build a sustainable business. Our service offering
can support all your needs to help you grow.
Our staff have a wealth of experience in the accident repair market. Through
this experience they will take time to understand your unique needs and tailor
a product that works for you.
The SBL Payment Hub
The SBL payment hub is a centralized product that takes many of the administrative
burdens away from your business my creating a single point of contact
to handle, submission of completed work, payments, cash collections, commercial
advice, and strategies to grow your business.
Partnership Working
The key to its success is how we work in partnership with our clients to create
a supportive and smooth process to ensure you get paid on time and all your
other needs are met as well.
Our network and relationships
We have extensive high-level relationships with insurers, accident management
companies, suppliers and many other key players in the UK Repair Market.
With these, were able to work efficiently and to obtain positive growth and
outcomes with all our clients.
For more information contact us:
Phone: 0113 5329377
Email: Shane.Ackroyd@SmartBusinessLink.com
Web: www.SmartBusinessLink.com

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HULL KR
2024 PREVIEW
Hull KR enters one of the club's most exciting
Super League seasons in 2024 off the back
of Willie Peters' debut year in charge.
Finishing 2023 with a Play-Off appearance
and Challenge Cup Final outing, the club
has invested heavily in the squad for the
upcoming campaign with ten players
coming in, as well as the backroom staff.
England international Oliver Gildart, Kiwi
Peta Hiku, Niall Evalds and Joe Burgess
all add to Peters’ backline options, plus
Tyrone May joins from last year's Grand
Finalists Catalans to partner Mikey Lewis
who signed a five-year deal to stay at the
club until 2028. Wakefield forwards Jai
Whitbread and Kelepi Tanginoa also move
east alongside former Rhinos Academy
products AJ Wallace and Neil Tchamambe.
Jordan Abdull, Kane Linnett, Brad Schneider
and Shaun Kenny-Dowall are some of the
notable departures, but although he has
hung up the playing boots, Kenny-Dowall
has stayed at Sewell Group Craven Park
as a Development Coach for 2024. Another
big move amongst the coaching staff is the
arrival of Danny Ward, after he helped secure
Super League safety for Castleford in 2023.
With pre-season approaching its final
stages, the Robins arrived back from
a training camp in Tenerife and played
Sheffield Eagles last Sunday. A young
side went down 26-24 but today’s clash
is an important one for the Robins
to get up to full speed ahead of their
huge round-one clash with cross-city
rivals Hull FC in the season opener.
29 | RHINOS VS HULL KR
TRANSFERS
INS:
OLIVER GILDART
(LEIGH LEOPARDS)
PETA HIKU
(NORTH QUEENSLAND
COWBOYS)
AJ WALLACE
(BRADFORD BULLS)
TYRONE MAY
(CATALANS DRAGONS)
NIALL EVALDS
(CASTLEFORD TIGERS)
JAI WHITBREAD
(WAKEFIELD TRINITY)
KELEPI TANGINOA
(WAKEFIELD TRINITY)
REISS BUTTERWORTH
(DEWSBURY RAMS)
JOE BURGESS
(SALFORD RED DEVILS)
NEIL TCHAMAMBE
(LEEDS RHINOS)
OUTS:
ETHAN RYAN
(SALFORD RED DEVILS)
SAM WOOD
(CASTLEFORD TIGERS)
JIMMY KEINHORST
(YORK KNIGHTS)
BRAD SCHNEIDER
(PENRITH PANTHERS)
JACK WALKER (HULL FC)
GREG RICHARDS (TOULOUSE)
ROWAN MILNES
(CASTLEFORD TIGERS)
RHYS KENNEDY
(LONDON BRONCOS)
LUIS JOHNSON (RELEASED)
CONNOR MOORE
(SAINT-GAUDENS BEARS)
SHAUN KENNY-DOWALL
(RETIREMENT)
KANE LINNETT (RETIREMENT -
JOINED SARINA CROCODILES)
JORDAN ABDULL (SEASON-LONG
LOAN, CATALANS DRAGONS)

30 | RHINOS VS HULL KR
THE COACH
Winning the Craven Park faithful over
with a top-four finish and Challenge Cup
Final appearance, Willie Peters aims to
take Hull KR to the next level in 2024.
Having developed his coaching under Trent
Barrett, Wayne Bennett, Anthony Seibold
and Adam O’Brien in the NRL, Peters
returned to Super League for the first time
since 2004 when he ended his playing career
with Widnes, and hit the ground running
with a round-one win over Wigan in 2023.
Going on to record 16 league wins, he guided
the club to within 80 minutes of Old Trafford
and also came one point short of lifting the
Challenge Cup in a 17-16 defeat to Leigh.
2024 is a new season though and Peters
is already eyeing up the derby clash with
Hull FC. Speaking to the club’s website,
he said: “We’re building for round one and
that’s the priority to be honest. The friendly
against Leeds will be the squad that we
think is going to be there for round one.
There will be players fighting for positions
so we’re going to go out and put in a
performance but our focus is mainly for
round one. That’s what we’re striving for.”
KEY SIGNINGS
OLIVER GILDART
Returning permanently to Super
League from the NRL Dolphins,
Oliver Gildart is a big signing ahead
of the new season. A two-time
Grand Final winner with Wigan
over seven seasons at the DW
Stadium, he earned international
honours with England and Great
Britain and also had the opportunity
to play in the NRL with Sydney
Roosters and Wests Tigers in 2022.
TYRONE MAY
A Grand Finalist with Catalans
after one of his best Super League
seasons, May arrives at Hull KR
to join Mikey Lewis in an exciting
half-back partnership. Previously
at Penrith Panthers where he
was a Grand Final winner in 2021,
he was utilised as a centre and
half back at the Dragons before
settling alongside Mitchell Pearce
for the majority of 2023.
PETA HIKU
Centre Hiku returns to Super League
for the first time since 2018 when he
helped the Wolves survive relegation.
The 31-year-old Kiwi international
has over 200 NRL appearances to his
name, having recently been a part
of Todd Payten’s North Queensland
side that just missed out on the
Finals in 2023. Before that, he spent
four years at the Warriors as well as
having spells with Penrith and Manly.

Nestled in the Western Lakes and fells of Cumbria, the Donaldson
family have been dairy farming for generations.
At Donaldsons dairy our cows truly are the heart of our family and
business.
Proud of our heritage, we have bottled our finest product yet -
100% fresh whole milk, produced under the highest welfare
standards, from our well known Rheda herd.
We believe Happy cows produce deliciously nutritious milk. From
grass to glass with zero miles, we pasteurise (not homogenise) our
fresh milk daily, ready for you to enjoy fresh creamy milk or add a
milkshake flavour.
Your Family and all at Donaldsons Dairy &
Moos on the Moor wish to congratulate James
Donaldson on your fantastic RL career and
testimonial.
31 | RHINOS VS HULL KR

32 | RHINOS VS HULL KR
LINE-UPS
LEEDS RHINOS
Lachlan Miller 1
David Fusitu’a 2
Harry Newman 3
Ash Handley 5
Brodie Croft 6
Matt Frawley 7
Mikolaj Oledzki 8
Andy Ackers 9
Ben Littlewood 11
Rhyse Martin 12
Cameron Smith (c) 13
Jarrod O’Connor 14
Justin Sangare 17
Derrell Olpherts 19
Morgan Gannon 20
Jack Sinfield 21
Leon Ruan 23
Luis Roberts 24
James Donaldson 25
Corey Johnson 26
Tom Nicholson-Watton 30
MATCH
SPONSORS
MATCH
OFFICIALS
REFEREE:
CHRIS KENDALL
TOUCH JUDGE 1:
MARK CRAVEN
TOUCH JUDGE 2:
RICHARD THOMPSON
HULL KR
1 Peta Hiku
2 Niall Evalds
3 Tom Opacic
4 Oliver Gildart
5 Ryan Hall
7 Mikey Lewis
8 Sauaso Sue
9 Jez Litten
10 George King
11 Dean Hadley
12 James Batchelor
13 Elliot Minchella
14 Matt Parcell
15 Sam Luckley
16 Jai Whitbread
17 Matty Storton
19 Yusuf Aydin
20 Kelepi Tanginoa
21 Corey Hall
27 Tyrone May
35 Joe Burgess
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