Barrie McDermott might not be on Stuart Fielden's Christmas card list, but he still has the utmost admiration for the Leeds prop.

The 22-year-old Bulls front-rower said about his fellow Great Britain international ahead of Friday's derby at Valley Parade: "I have great respect for Barrie, even though we don't get on on the field. He is a nice lad off it, but that is just the way the game is."

Fielden, who was in the same international side as McDermott in last autumn's Ashes series and the recent one-off Test against Australia, added, "He is one of the best British props going, if not the best."

But McDermott is far from being the only familiar face to Fielden in the Rhinos line-up.

"They have a great team, and I know a lot of the team because of the Great Britain set-up," added the five-times capped international.

"But I won't have too much respect and will get in their faces and get stuck in.

"Leeds may be our arch-rivals and they have beaten us twice this season (at home in the Challenge Cup and at Headingley in the Super League) but they are under a lot of pressure now.

"They started well, but now they are fourth and have lost a lot of games that the Leeds public have demanded that they win.

"And they are eight points behind us, and their fans would demand at least second place at the end of the season because they are a top team.

"They will be there when the shake-up begins, however, and I am sure they will come to us with all guns blazing, especially having won there already this season, so it will be a very tough game."