Leeds Rhinos first team squad member makes loan move to Championship club York Knights

Second-rower Toby Warren will spend the rest of the 2023 campaign at York Knights, the club he played for before joining Leeds in pre-season on a four-year contract.

The 19-year-old is a member of Rhinos’ full-time squad, but has not yet made a first team appearance.

Warren played five senior games for York in 2021-22 and also spent time on loan at Rhinos. He could feature in Saturday’s home game against Toulouse Olympique.

“I’m buzzing to be back at York until the end of the season and I’m really excited to get back on the field in a Knights shirt,” Warren said.

“I’m looking forward to playing at the LNER Community Stadium again and I’m excited to show everyone how far I’ve come as a player in the 10 months or so since I’ve left, having had a full pre-season and the best part of a season in a full-time environment at Leeds.”

Knights coach Andrew Henderson added: “I’m really pleased to have Toby back at the club. He is really well thought of here at York, as a player and as a person.

“Coming into the business end of the season, I felt like it was important to bring in some reinforcements to help us give us some more depth.

“I’m thankful to Leeds for accommodating this loan signing for us and most importantly that Toby is really keen to come back to play for his hometown club and help us for the final push in our season.”

Warren will team up with Oli Field and Levi Edwards, who both began this season in Rhinos’ senior squad before signing for York.

Field has been a regular for Knights since his move in May, but Edwards is on York’s long-term casualty list.

Warren’s fellow second-rower Joe Gibbons is on loan from Rhinos at York’s Championship rivals Keighley Cougars, along with reserve grade player Tom Nicholson-Watton.

Another player with Rhinos’ second-string, Mackenzie Turner, has joined League One outfit Midlands Hurricanes on a similar deal.