Leeds Rhinos coach James Simpson makes 'better than last year' vow as wheelchair rugby league season looms

Rhinos’ season begins next Saturday, April 27, when they face Hereford Harriers in a Betfred Challenge Cup quarter-final at York St John Leisure Centre (1pm). It will be Rhinos’ first competitive game since they lost to Wigan Warriors in last October’s Grand Final.

Rhinos topped the 2023 Super League table, but were also beaten by Catalans Dragons in the Challenge Cup final, ending a three-year reign as trophy holders. That was tough for the sport’s dominant club to take, but Simpson insisted he is looking ahead rather than back as the new campaign looms.

“I don’t know if it’s the military in me, but I move on quite fast,” the former soldier said. “I get quite cold with it; I take the emotion out of it and watch the games back from last year and focus on the technical stuff, what can we do better, what can I do better as a coach, how can I help the players be better.

“It is strange, because we made two finals and won the league leaders’ for the fourth year in a row. Some people say that doesn’t matter, but when you win four in a row it shows a certain level of consistency that’s hard to achieve.

“We reached two finals and lost two, but that is the standard we are at now; making finals isn’t good enough, we have to be winning them. I’ve looked back at all the games and done a lot of video analysis and research - speaking to the players - and I know this year we can be better than we were last year.

“We were very good last year, but we can be a bit better in a few key areas that should hopefully get us some more silverware. One is not enough.”

Rhinos have been boosted by the return to the club of their former captain Becky Wilkinson. Simpson said: “She has been playing in the Championship so it is going to be a jump for her, but she is back in training and she loves it. Apart from Becky, the squad will be pretty much the same.”

Hereford qualified for next week’s Cup tie by beating Edinburgh Giants in the final of the Challenge Trophy, which featured teams from the second-tier Championship. “They won with a drop goal in golden-point extra-time,” Simpson said. “It could not have been a more exciting final and we were all there to watch.

“It was thoroughly deserved and we are looking forward to playing them. There were no venues available in Leeds, but it is quite nice to get out and about in Yorkshire. Some of the England team train in York and we want to use it as an opportunity to spread the word about wheelchair rugby league.”

In a change to previous seasons, the Challenge Cup will be played before the five-team Super League begins in the summer. Rhinos, Wigan, Halifax Panthers, Hull FC and London Roosters will play 10 rounds of matches, with the Grand Final taking place on Sunday, October 13. Simpson reckons the sport’s new structure - which also includes Challenge Cup rounds, rather than the previous festival format - will make for more continuity and a higher standard of rugby. He said: “Super League doesn’t start until June and it’s full on then. Last year we’d have four weeks without a game and some teams would have longer.”