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MATCH PREVIEW | Easter derby rivalry continues in Reserves competition

Following the first team sides' meeting in the reignited Leeds v Bradford derby clash on Friday night, the club's Reserves sides go head to head on Saturday afternoon at Horsfall Stadium, kick off 12.30pm.

The Reserves competition has proved to be highly competitive in 2026 as the Rhinos find themselves in eighth in the table with one win and one draw in the first four rounds. After beating Leigh on the road to get their first win of the year, Chev Walker's side pushed Warrington Wolves close but conceded two late tries to lose 30-18 last Friday night - a result they look to put right this weekend.

Despite the Wolves' defeat, the youthful Leeds side enters this week's fixture with the Bulls having won both meetings against Bradford last year. A 22-4 result early in the season at Odsal saw the Rhinos keep up their winning start, before 41 points in the second half at AMT Headingley confirmed a home Grand Final appearance for the eventual champions. As Walker's side hopes for a similar result this weekend, they enter a favourable run of fixtures as they take on Huddersfield and London over the course of April.

Bradford's Reserves have had a mixed start to 2026 too as they come into this weekend with two wins and two losses so far.

The Bulls bounced back to winning ways against Castleford Tigers as Harvey Duckworth led the try scoring with two in the 40-24 triumph. The win came after Bradford suffered back-to-back defeats at the hands of Wigan and St Helens in the second and third rounds of this year's Reserves competition, plus the result added to an opening round victory which saw the Bulls beat Huddersfield 30-6 in a convincing performance at Laund Hill.

Jonathan Schofield's side are yet to beat Leeds in a Reserves fixture since the competition returned in 2022, having lost five consecutive matches. Two of those have come at home, including a 52-8 defeat to the Rhinos at the last outing at Horsfall.