Ashley Handley (born 16 February 1996) is an English rugby league footballer who plays as a winger and centre for the Leeds Rhinos in the Super League.
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| Full name | Ashley Phillip Handley[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 16 February 1996 Leeds, West Yorkshire, England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.9 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 14 st 7 lb (92 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Wing, Centre | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As of 30 October 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
He has spent time on loan from Leeds at Featherstone Rovers in the Championship.
Background
editCareer
editHandley played for amateur side Oulton Raiders before signing for Leeds Rhinos. He made his first team début against London Broncos in August 2014.[4] This was Handley's only first team appearance during the 2014 Super League season, and his next first team appearance was in the 2014 Boxing Day friendly fixture against Wakefield Trinity Wildcats when he scored five tries as Leeds won 50-28.[5]
For the 2015 Super League season, Handley was called in the first team squad and scored two tries on his Super League home début as Leeds defeated Wigan Warriors on 20 March 2015.[6]
Assigned squad number 27, Handley established himself as a first team regular and scored a first-half hat trick against St Helens in April 2015[7] With the second hat-trick coming in July 2015 against the same club - St Helens. Handley has been awarded a place in the main squad in 2016 after his fantastic performance in this year's Rhinos treble winning season, he has been given the 22 Jersey. From the 2019 season, Handley wore the number 5 Jersey replacing Ryan Hall.
On 17 October 2020, he scored two tries for Leeds in the 2020 Challenge Cup Final victory over Salford at Wembley Stadium.[8] In round 17 of the 2022 Betfred Super League season, Handley scored five tries for Leeds in a 62-16 victory over Hull F.C.[9] On 24 September 2022, Handley played for Leeds in their 24-12 loss to St Helens RFC in the 2022 Super League Grand Final.[10] Handley played a total of 23 games for Leeds in the 2023 Super League season and scored 11 tries as the club finished 8th on the table and missed the playoffs.[11] Handley played 18 matches for Leeds in the 2024 Super League and scored 14 tries. The club would finish 8th on the table.[12]
International career
editIn July 2018 he was selected in the England Knights Performance squad.[13] Later that year he was selected for the England Knights on their tour of Papua New Guinea. He played against Papua New Guinea at the Oil Search National Football Stadium.[14]
He was selected in England 9s squad for the 2019 Rugby League World Cup 9s.[15] On 29 April 2023, Handley scored a hat-trick in England's 64-0 victory over France.[16]
References
edit- ^ Companies House
- ^ "Player Summary: Ash Handley". Rugby League Records. Rugby League Record Keepers Club. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
- ^ Rugby League Project
- ^ "London Broncos 40 Leeds Rhinos 36: Cup finalists suffer embarrassing defeat". Yorkshire Evening Post. 18 August 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
- ^ "Leeds Rhinos 50 Wakefield Trinity 28: Early Trinity promise fades as Handley shines for Rhinos". Yorkshire Post. 27 December 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
- ^ "Adam Cuthbertson drives Leeds Rhinos to victory over injury-hit Wigan". The Guardian. 20 March 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
- ^ "Super League: St Helens 16-41 Leeds Rhinos". BBC Sport. 17 April 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
- ^ "Leeds beat Salford 17-16 after Luke Gale lands late winning drop-goal". BBC Sport.
- ^ "Super League: Hull FC 16-62 Leeds Rhinos - Ash Handley scores five tries in rout". BBC Sport.
- ^ Bower, Aaron (24 September 2022). "St Helens sink Leeds to win record fourth consecutive Grand Final". The Observer.
- ^ "Leeds Rhinos' 2023 season review: picking out the best and worst players, performances, results". www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk.
- ^ "Leeds Rhinos player ratings from the 2024 Super League season". www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk.
- ^ "Ten new additions in England Knights squad". loverugbyleague. 24 July 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
- ^ "Papua New Guinea vs England Knights". WWOS. 3 November 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
- ^ "Sam Tomkins eager to lift inaugural World 9s title with England Down Under". Mirror. 16 October 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
- ^ "England beat France 64-0 - hat-tricks for Handley and Williams". BBC Sport. 28 April 2023.