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Leeds Rhinos ready to rumble, says Mac
Boss Brian McDermott reckons Super League champions Leeds Rhinos are going into the new season in good shape.
But he has warned his team to beware a wounded animal as they prepare to take on Hull KR at Headingley Carnegie tonight.
Rhinos have an almost clean bill of health, in contrast to the visitors who will be without injured star duo Blake Green and Ben Galea.
McDermott has hailed a productive off-season and is looking forward to seeing his players put that into practice for the first time, but expects a ferocious fight from the away team.
Said the coach: “The pre-season camp was planned, I had my staff in place at the start of pre-season and the players know me and I know them.
“We didn’t have any of that last year, so in terms of cohesion and a settled environment we are further down the track than we were last year.
“We are keen for it, we can’t wait to get started. Pre-season has been good, but we are ready to play a game now. ”
Hull KR finished seventh on the table in 2011, just two places below Leeds and McDermott is anxious to stress the threat new boss Craig Sandercock’s side will pose.
“There’s a few reasons why Hull KR will be keen and why we shouldn’t under-estimate them,” he said.
“The first one, it’s the start of the season. Everyone’s going to be keen as mustard. Secondly there’s a new coach in place and third – and the most important one for us to be wary of - is they have got some injuries.
“History has shown that teams gel together and play a different style. They are a wounded animal and we have got to be very, very careful and wary of them.”
Rhinos won their last six games of 2011 as they became the first side to lift the Super League trophy from fifth place on the league table, but McDermott admitted: “We have to go through a bit together first before we find that form we did at the back end of the year.
“We do recognise that we need to be more consistent. We have a bit of a desire and a burning ambition about that.
“Given what happened last year we have got a fair amount of drive to do that and also we have got a really massive game coming up - against Manly in the World Club Challenge - in round three. We want to be going into that game in good shape.”
Rovers coach Sandercock admitted his team’s injury situation is “tough”. He said: “To lose your captain and basically your best player in the space of a week is hard.
“If you took the two best players out of any side I am sure they would feel the pinch. But in saying that, I am a big believer that problems are also opportunities.
“Two boys are going to get an opportunity, who wouldn’t have if Blake and Ben had been available. It’s up to them to put their hand up and deserve their selection.”
Tonight will be former Newcastle Knights assistant Sandercock’s first competitive game as a head coach.
“I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “Leeds are a very, very good side. I think they’ve got 10 players of their roster who have played for their country currently or in the past and we’ve got one.
“That tells us we are up against good opposition. They looked very sharp against Featherstone [two weeks ago]. Rob Burrow virtually played them on his own.
“They are very good players and unless we are at our best we are going to struggle, that’s for sure, but if we perform well against Leeds it will stand us in good stead .
“They are the bench mark, they are the reigning champions and deservedly so in my opinion. The back end of last season they had was outstanding.”
*RHINOS’ home derby against Wakefield Trinity Wildcats will take place on Monday, June 18.
The round three game was due to be played in two weeks’ time, when Rhinos will instead face Manly in the Heinz Big Soup World Club Challenge.
Rhinos’ game away to Widnes Vikings on February 26 will kick-off an hour earlier than scheduled, at 2pm.
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Weather for Leeds
Saturday 26 May 2012
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Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
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Comments
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tiff
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 06:32 PMWell Done Big Mac on last season YOU AND YOUR BACKROOM STAFF DID A GREAT JOB. !!!!!!!!!!! past tence NOW ? GOOD LUCK BUT I DONT THINK YOU NEED IT.
boysey81
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 03:14 PMGood luck for the season lads, bing it home again.
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