As well as the absence Rhyse Martin will leave for Leeds Rhinos in this Friday's trip to Hull Kingston Rovers, the Papua New Guinean's suspension also leaves Rohan Smith with another significant headache. Martin is one of the best goal-kickers in Super League by some distance, with him frequently kicking all of his goals during any given match.
Leeds do have options in terms of a replacement goal-kicker, but there is no doubting Martin's accuracy and success from the tee could be a big miss for the Rhinos in a game that could go a long way to determining whether or not they reach the Super League play-offs. These are the options Smith has at his disposal.
Zak Hardaker
Hardaker is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the favourite to take over from Martin this Friday. An experienced goal-kicker throughout stages of his career, Hardaker assumed the duties from the tee at former club Wigan Warriors at the beginning of this season to great success.
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He successfully converted 20 of his 25 attempts at goal before making the move back across the Pennines to rejoin the Rhinos. Without Martin's razor-sharp kicking, Smith could well turn to Hardaker to pick up the baton and help secure Leeds a priceless two competition points this weekend.
Blake Austin
The loss of Aidan Sezer due to suspension robbed Smith of another potential goal-kicker, but Leeds can at least recall half-back Blake Austin to their 19-man squad this weekend. And he does have history, albeit some time ago, with taking on the mantle from the tee for his team.
Austin kicked goal for both Penrith Panthers and Wests Tigers at the beginning of his NRL career. In 2012 he briefly took on the role, kicking eight goals from nine attempts. Upon his move to the Tigers in 2014, then-coach Mick Potter said of Austin: "He can cover centre, half, five-eighth and lock and is also an excellent goal kicker." Could he be the answer to Smith's conundrum this Friday?
Richie Myler
A left-field option perhaps, but Richie Myler does have some history of taking kicks at goal during his long and illustrious career. Myler is very much a back-up for the role though - underlined by the fact that during five seasons at Warrington, he successfully kicked just three goals, only taking the role on as a last-ditch measure.
He kicked two during two seasons with Catalans and his time at Leeds to press has seen him convert five goals. So while Myler does have the ability to take on the responsibility from the tee, a record of ten goals from nigh on 400 career games suggests he isn't the first port of call for Smith.
Jack Sinfield
Anyone who was present at Headingley on Boxing Day last year will know that Jack Sinfield is capable of kicking goals. He marked his senior debut for the Rhinos with a goal, as well as that dramatic last-minute drop goal to boot.
Furthermore, Sinfield has been a regular on the kicking tee for Leeds' under-17s before becoming a first-team player at Headingley. So he is certainly an option - but the biggest sticking point for Smith in terms of Sinfield is how he fits him into his team, rather than whether he trusts him to kick the goals.
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