Leeds coach Brad Arthur has ordered a Vegas dress rehearsal in Yorkshire next week - and Cameron Smith is at the centre of it.
But the former Australian captain and Melbourne hooker will not be involved as the Rhinos continue their preparations for the Allegiant Stadium clash with Super League champions Hull KR on February 28 - instead a testimonial for the Rhinos back-rower of the same name will be used to prepare the glamour Yorkshire side for the change in training routine necessary in Nevada.
Leeds play newly promoted Bradford at Headingley on Saturday, January 24 with the 27-year-old Smith allowed to keep a large share of the gate, as per the British convention.
“That’s a good opportunity for us to practice what the week might look like in Vegas,” Arthur said.
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“We’ll be dictated to on what days we can train so it will be a bit of a practice run for the Vegas game which is in Round 3.
“For Cam’s testimonial, our main session will be two days out from the game. It’s a Saturday, Thursday will be our main session, our opposed session.
“In Vegas we’re going to have to train on Wednesday because of our travel. It would have been nice to be able to split ‘day on, day off’ but we’re going to have to go back-to-back so we’re going to practice the next week.”
Leeds are at home to York on Friday, February 20, two weeks into the season proper.
“We’ve got the weekend off and travel on the Monday,” Arthur said. “We’re taking 21 players and we return the next day after the game and we’ve got the Sunday game against Castleford.”
Halfback Brodie Croft said Arthur and his staff had already done their utmost to minimise the distraction the Sin City visit might be to players.
“We spoke about it very early on,” said Croft. “The backroom staff have been very good at just setting up the itinerary and making sure it’s all set before the season starts so that once we get to the season, it’s just go from there.
“It’s Round 3 for us. It’s a big occasion Round 3, definitely, but it is Round 3."
Arthur agreed a poorly managed Vegas trip could wreak havoc on Leeds’ season and said he had never faced a comparative challenge in his coaching career, which at the top level started at Parramatta in 2012.
“Not really - because of the length of travel and we haven’t got the luxury of going two weeks early so it’s a week,” he said.
“But our staff have been looking at a lot of the time zones and trying to work out the boys’ sleep so we’ll have a conversation with the players once we get a bit closer to that.
“There’s just way too much at stake with the Challenge Cup games and rounds one and two for us to be worrying about that too early in the piece.
“Then obviously when we come back, the recovery part of it’s going to be important. We’re really grateful to the Super League that we’ve got a Sunday game on the back of it so that will help.
“When we come back - I don’t want to get too far ahead - we might have to look at maximising the strength of the squad and giving some other guys an opportunity.”
On the injury front, youngster Alfie Edgell (ankle) is set to miss the round one clash with Leigh while Arthur said there was still a slight doubt over winger Maika Siv0, who missed all of last year with a knee injury.
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“He’s a big man so we’ve probably taken it a bit slower and we need to make sure we get it right,” Arthur said of the Fijian star.
“There’s 27 rounds. It’s a long season so we’re just making sure that he’s completely comfortable, we’re completely comfortable, we’ve got enough run into him... just the timing of when he comes back in.
“Is it Round 1? Is it a couple of days after that? We need to get a run before that. It’s a week-to-week proposition. He’s extremely close but it’s hard to put a date on it.”
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