Leeds Rhinos pair set to return to ease selection issues but question marks remain over Mikolaj Oledzki

Holroyd has not featured since the end of last season after undergoing a knee operation, while McDonnell also missed the first two games of the new campaign with a hamstring problem.

It is a timely double boost for the Rhinos with fellow forwards Mikolaj Oledzki, Sam Lisone and James Donaldson all set to sit out Saturday's visit of Catalans.

"Tom Holroyd is back in the picture and James McDonnell is another forward that is back in the mix as well," said Smith, who is also without back-rower Morgan Gannon.

"Ideally we'd love everyone available to make a selection headache but it's kind of good timing because they're coming in fresh.

"They've done a bunch of good work on the training field and are eager to get back into it."

Oledzki is nursing a shoulder injury picked up in round one and has been rated as doubtful for the date with the Dragons.

The England prop suffered with an injury to the same shoulder at the end of 2022 but Smith allayed any fears about his long-term fitness.

"It's one of those that isn't as clear cut as many other injuries are," said the Leeds boss.

"It's a week-to-week proposition. He's more possible than probable for this week.

"He could progress significantly in a few days or it might take a bit more time. It could be round three, four, five – we're not quite sure."

Smith's middle stocks have been further depleted by two suspensions in the wake of last week's defeat to Hull KR with Lisone and Donaldson both hit with grade D charges for head contact.

Both high tackles resulted in yellow cards on the night at Craven Park.

The Rhinos have declared their intention to challenge Lisone's three-game ban at a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday evening.

"We've decided to contest the grading of Lisone's tackle," said Smith, who will be without the front-rower this weekend regardless of the outcome.

"We feel it's probably at the harsher end of the grading scale for a tackle that was deemed low force.

"We felt in both situations that grade D was probably at the harsher end – but we also understand where the game is going and the importance of not making contact with the head."

Donaldson received a two-match suspension for his high tackle on Hull KR centre Oliver Gildart.

"It's a little early in the piece to be fully definitive with my own thoughts and how the game is adjudicating on this stuff," added Smith.

"There haven't been many of those types of tackles because we've only been going two weeks.

"There were some challenges reviewed last week but they were different types of tackles."

The intensifying crackdown on head contact overshadowed the opening two rounds of the new Super League season, although the charges dropped from 16 to six from week to week.

Smith is hoping to make further progress at Wednesday's meeting between head coaches and the Rugby Football League.

"I eagerly await and look forward to that conversation tomorrow," he said.

"Robert Hicks (RFL director of operations and legal) has been super transparent and open to coaches' thoughts and observations.

"It's very much that we are working together on it. The good of the game has to be number one."