Leeds will pay tribute to the ‘remarkable’ Rob Burrow during their clash with Leigh

Leeds will shelve their search for a new head coach as they prepare to pay tribute to the “remarkable” Rob Burrow both before and during Friday night’s Betfred Super League clash with Leigh.

One of the biggest crowds at Headingley in recent years will witness a variety of tributes to the talismanic number seven, who died earlier this month after a brave battle with motor neurone disease, to coincide with Global Awareness Day MND.

Burrow’s family will be in attendance and Leeds will wear a specially designed kit for what will be the team’s first game without Rohan Smith, who walked out by mutual consent on Wednesday following Saturday’s disappointing 18-10 defeat at Hull FC.

Leeds chief executive Gary Hetherington said: “The match is significant in itself but the occasion is about bringing together what will be a near capacity crowd all coming to pay tribute to Rob Burrow and his contribution to rugby league and MND. .

“I have spoken to Rob’s dad Geoff many times who remembers taking Rob to his first game when he was around five and it was Leeds v Leigh at Headingley.

“His fight with MND was outstanding and he certainly brought rugby league together. Tomorrow is an opportunity for people to come to the game and pay tribute to an iconic rugby league player and an iconic person.”

Hetherington explained that the timing of the decision to part company with Smith was linked to a desire not to introduce external factors into a one-off occasion, with a growing section of the Rhinos fan base publicly calling for Smith’s sacking in recent weeks.

“They were very friendly, open and honest conversations and we came to an outcome, and that’s not always the case in sensitive discussions,” Hetherington added.

“I would pay tribute to Rohan and his integrity and overall interest not in himself but in the club and the club’s welfare, and the tribute to Rob Burrow and everything that comes with it, and that’s a testament to the man himself.”

The special game kit, which was designed by Cath Muir, who was diagnosed with MND in 2014, features an image of Burrow with his friend Kevin Sinfield, and part of the profits from every shirt sold will be donated to Leeds Hospitals. Charity appeal to build the Rob Burrow Center for MND.

A host of former teammates will be in attendance, including Danny Buderus, the current General Manager of Football for the Australian NRL’s Newcastle Knights, who flew out on Wednesday and will return Down Under on Saturday, plus Ali Lauitiiti and Andrew Dunemann.

Leeds will be managed by interim coaches Chev Walker – a team-mate of Burrow’s in the 2004 Grand Final win that started a decade of dominance for the Rhinos – and Scott Grix, while Ian Blease will oversee his first game since his he started working as an athlete. director Monday.

Blease was coy about reports strongly linking his former Salford colleague Paul Rowley and ex-Parramatta Eels boss Brad Arthur with the role and did not rule out appointing an interim replacement.

Blease described the NRL as an area he is “keen to explore” and said he could “probably envisage” a coach of Arthur’s caliber on his shortlist.

He added: “We are big on confidentiality in this process and there is no timescale. Talented coaches interest me and Paul would be one of them obviously. I will be doing thorough research and applications will be coming as we speak.”

Leeds face an injury crisis ahead of the Leigh game with Ash Handley and Harry Newman both joining the likes of Andy Ackers, Tom Holroyd and Sam Lisone after picking up concussions in the defeat at the MKM Stadium.