Leeds Rhinos' ex-Harlequins star Bethan Dainton focussed on rugby league as Super League season begins

Rhinos begin their Betfred Women’s Super League campaign at home to Huddersfield Giants on Friday (5.30pm), in a curtain-raiser to the men’s clash between the same clubs. It is Dainton’s second season with Leeds after she switched codes from Harlequins rugby union and the 36-year-old forward has committed herself to league, with the blessing of her Army bosses.

“I am quite lucky at the minute, they just let me play rugby,” she said. “Unless I am called into work I have free rein to train, recover and do what I love doing. I used to play football, I’d never played rugby but the captain at the time said ‘do you want two weeks off work’?

“I said ‘of course, what do I have to do? And she said come and play rugby league for the Army.” That led to a spell playing both games, but Dainton - a dual-code international and the current Wales rugby league captain - is now concentrating on the 13-a-side version.

“I struggled a bit last year because I was still playing rugby union as well, in between,” she recalled. “Coming back I was into bad habits with rugby union, then I’d have to start again. This season I am purely rugby league so I am excited to see where I can go.”

Though she missed only three games last year - scoring six tries in 14 appearances - and was a Challenge Cup and Super Grand Finalist, she admitted: “It was tough, I think half way through I probably lost what I do as a player, a bit of how I normally play, but I think this season I am going to bring a bit more of that, with a bit of footwork.

“I am not a big player, especially as a loose-forward. I think having that footwork is a bit different to normal loose-forwards.”

Rhinos go into Friday’s league opener with four big Challenge Cup wins under their belt, including a 54-10 defeat of Huddersfield and Dainton feels they can improve on 2023’s third place in the table. “I think we are already in a better position than we were last year,” she said.

“We’ve got so many new signings and we are just progressing week-in, week-out. We are taking it a bit slower this season and it is good to get back and hit the ground running.”

Rhinos will be favourites to maintain their winning run, but - despite the Cup result - Dainton is expecting Giants to push them all the way. She warned: “The first half was pretty close, we can’t take anything for granted. We started quite poorly against them and I rethink we need that 80-minute performance we know we can do.

“We haven’t yet done it, but we can’t take our foot off the gas because we are playing Huddersfield. They are a good team with a lot of good players and they are a lot better than they were last year, as well.”

Rhinos’ Keara Bennett, who made her first appearance of the season following injury in last Saturday’s Cup win over Warrington, has been suspended for one game after the RFL’s match review panel charged her with grade C head contact. The ban takes effect next week.