Defending champions Leeds will be without full-back Brent Webb for Saturday's crucial engage clash with Catalans Dragons.

The New Zealand international is also a doubt for the Rhinos' Carnegie Challenge Cup semi-final with St Helens on Saturday week after sustaining a back injury in training.

Webb is one of only two players to have appeared in all 21 of the champions' league games so far this year.

Leeds, who will slip to third place if they lose in Perpignan, will also be without prop Ryan Bailey but hooker Matt Diskin has recovered from an elbow injury and second rower Ian Kirke will make his first appearance since scoring a try in the 34-6 win against the Catalans at Headingley in February.

The Dragons are likely to switch Thomas Bosc to stand-off and Casey McGuire to scrum-half to offset the loss of Adam Mogg through suspension.

Hooker Aaron Gorrell is poised to make his first appearance for two months while Dimitri Pelo returns to take the place of injured winger Younes Khattabi as the Catalans seek to extend their club record winning run to eight matches.

Meanwhile, Leeds have handed new five-year contracts to four of their young players.

Danny Allan, 19, Ben Jones-Bishop, 19, Paul McShane, 18 and Kallum Watkins, 17, have all agreed new deals that will see them become full-time members of the first-team squad and keep them at Headingley until at least the end of the 2012 season.

Allan, Jones-Bishop and Watkins have all made Super League appearances this season while hooker McShane is part of the England under-18 squad which jetted out to Australia last night along with Waktkins.

Leeds chief executive Gary Hetherington said: "Every now and then a really rich crop of young players come through our system and I believe this is as good a group as we have had in my time at the club."

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