Jamie Jones-Buchanan met with the press on Wednesday to preview what the interim Leeds coach described as a 'massive' West Yorkshire derby with Huddersfield Giants on Thursday. With the Rhinos languishing at the foot of the Super League table, there were no shortage of talking points ahead of a run of three games in nine days. Here is what Jones-Buchanan had to say.
On Aidan Sezer and David Fusitu'a
Both Sezer and Fusitu'a are absent from the 21-man squad to face Huddersfield on Thursday night, and Jones-Buchanan admitted they will be missing for the entire Easter period and beyond as they continue to battle groin and knee injuries respectively.
"Aidan has had a groin problem for a while now and he's been concerned with that in warm-ups and pre-game sessions, he's been worrying more about that than his role," Jones-Buchanan said of Sezer. "I understand that as a player myself, there's nothing worse than worrying about how you're going to get through a game.
"I said to him that it's important that when Aidan plays, he's in a great state of mind. I think it might be another three or four weeks before we get him there. But I'm talking with the physios because I want Aidan Sezer on the pitch. But we'll have to deal without him for a little while."
Fusitu'a will also be missing for at least another fortnight. "He's had a bad knee and some stomach issues," the interim Leeds coach said. "He's got a bit going on. As far as his knee is concerned I think he might be another two or three weeks, but we've got to manage a few little bits with David and get him around the team. I'd like to hope he might be able to play in the next two or three weeks."
On the Easter period
Leeds play three times in nine days in a period which could shape their season after a sluggish start, and Jones-Buchanan refused to shy away from the enormity of the next few games as the Rhinos look to move away from the foot of the Super League table.
"It's massive, every game is like a Grand Final and I don't mind saying that," he said. "For what this club has meant to me for over 30 years, I'm desperate with everything I do. I'm desperate to make the right decisions and the right calls and put the right training schedules together.
"I want us to be as good as we can be going into this game because it's a huge one. We need to turn things around, stick together and prime directive number one is doing it together. But I've got a smile on my face because we've just had a great last run and I'm listening to the noise, the application ad the execution and it's good as it's been for a while and I'm excited by that."
On the threat of Huddersfield
"I think they're outstanding," Jones-Buchanan said of the Giants. "I look at them with a great deal of respect and reverence. There's been a lot of talk about certain clubs in Super League but I think they're the ones that have been the most underrepresented. There's all these guys that are playing well together in a short space of time which is testament to the environment they've got there."
Whether he will be in charge for the next three games
With a busy Easter period coming up, Jones-Buchanan admitted he is in the dark about whether he will be in charge for all three matches in the next nine days. "I haven't been told," he said. "I've no idea. I'll take it one game at a time with a great deal of desperation as I've said, and wherever that ends up, my goal is to bring the boys together and make some incremental gains."
