Rhinos star Hardcastle primed for clash with old Saints team-mates

England planetary Amy Hardcastle made the power from St Helens to Leeds Rhinos successful the off-season; the 2 sides look disconnected arsenic portion of a Leeds-Saints double-header with the men connected Friday: watch some games unrecorded connected Sky Sports Arena from 5pm

Last Updated: 24/05/23 7:01pm

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Leeds Rhinos' Amy Hardcastle says determination volition beryllium nary hard feelings betwixt her and erstwhile nine St Helens, arsenic the 2 teams hole to look disconnected connected Friday

Leeds Rhinos' Amy Hardcastle says determination volition beryllium nary hard feelings betwixt her and erstwhile nine St Helens, arsenic the 2 teams hole to look disconnected connected Friday

Amy Hardcastle insists Friday's showdown St Helens is conscionable different crippled arsenic the Leeds Rhinos prima prepares to look her aged nine for the archetypal clip successful the Women’s Super League.

The England planetary made the high-profile power from Saints to the reigning BWSL champions past year, having been portion of their treble-winning squad successful 2021 and past year's Women's Challenge Cup triumph.

Hardcastle remains connected affable presumption with galore of her erstwhile team-mates, who she inactive sees connected planetary duty, but that does not mean immoderate of them volition beryllium going casual connected each different erstwhile they look disconnected successful a lucifer which is unrecorded connected Sky Sports.

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"I'm laughing due to the fact that this is each I've had each week astir 'how bash you consciousness astir playing Saints?'," Hardcastle told Sky Sports News.

"I've inactive got a batch of friends astatine Saints and get to drawback up with them astatine England, but it's conscionable different crippled of rugby and you'll person a bully conflict with them.

"You bash person respect for each other, but erstwhile you're connected that tract it's different. But it's that steadfast narration wherever you thrive erstwhile we spell 100 percent astatine each different due to the fact that that's what it's about.

"It doesn't substance if it's your champion mate oregon not, we'll bash our precise champion and I'm looking guardant to seeing what Saints are similar this twelvemonth due to the fact that they've got a fewer antithetic girls successful there. For me, it's different squad I'll perchance play against, but I'm looking guardant to it."

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Highlights arsenic Leeds Rhinos defeated York City Knights successful the 2022 Women's Super League Grand Final

Highlights arsenic Leeds Rhinos defeated York City Knights successful the 2022 Women's Super League Grand Final

Having made her sanction arsenic a blockbusting centre connected some the nine and planetary stages, Hardcastle has recovered herself transitioning into a caller presumption astatine the property of 34 owed to Rhinos caput manager Lois Forsell choosing to deploy her off-season enlistee successful the 2nd row.

It is simply a power which has go progressively communal successful the modern men's crippled and portion Hardcastle is present getting to grips with her back-row relation and enjoying the antiaircraft arsenic good arsenic the attacking demands of playing successful the pack, she admits it has not been casual for her.

"I've person been susceptible coming into a antithetic position," Hardcastle said. "It's super-hard due to the fact that I've played centre for galore years and it's each I've ever known, but I judge Lois' process astatine Leeds and if she sees maine arsenic a 2nd row, I person to respect her arsenic a coach.

"I've had ups and downs and determination are times erstwhile I've gone home, and I've cried and questioned myself: Am I getting excessively old? Are things getting a spot excessively hard? Can I not support up? But that was astir apt my emotions taking implicit and antagonistic thinking.

"But erstwhile I've had those chats and conversations, and a fewer much games nether my belt, I'm knowing that relation of 2nd enactment much present and however overmuch worth it volition adhd erstwhile I spell backmost into the centres if I get picked determination for planetary work oregon request to.

"It's going to adhd strings to my bow and I'm excited erstwhile we get to much competitory games to spot however I tin grip it successful the mediate - but I've ne'er experienced truthful overmuch hard enactment arsenic a forward, truthful I instrumentality my chapeau disconnected to them."

Leeds person already featured connected Sky Sports erstwhile this year, facing York Valkyrie successful a rematch of past year's BWSL Grand Final, and Friday's unrecorded fixture comes up of Leeds and St Helens' men clashing astatine Headingley successful a rematch of their 2022 Grand Final.

The Rhinos' women were beaten 34-12 by York successful that lucifer backmost successful April, but caput into the crippled against Saints having trounced Huddersfield Giants 52-0 connected Sunday to enactment a seal connected their qualification from their radical for the quarter-finals of the Women's Challenge Cup.

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Highlights from the season-opening Women's Super League lucifer betwixt Leeds Rhinos and York Valkyrie

Highlights from the season-opening Women's Super League lucifer betwixt Leeds Rhinos and York Valkyrie

Hardcastle is adamant her aged nine volition beryllium facing a overmuch antithetic proposition to the squad beaten by the Valkyrie connected opening nighttime arsenic well.

"We came distant hurting from that, but it was the opening of the play and we've progressed a lot. For us, we cognize what we request to hole up," Hardcastle said.

"There person been a fewer hiccups, but we're getting the relationships, we're getting those bonds, we're getting the operation right, truthful it volition beryllium bully to spot however it goes connected Friday against Saints and we'll instrumentality it from there."

Watch Leeds Rhinos and St Helens' women and men look disconnected successful a double-header unrecorded connected Sky Sports Arena from 5pm connected Friday. Also watercourse connected NOW TV.