Leeds Rhinos season preview: still a work in progress but Super League top-4 is realistic target

Having finished fifth in each of the past three Betfred Super League campaigns and reached last year’s Grand Final, Rhinos are in a position to press on and challenge the likes of St Helens and Wigan Warriors.

But Leeds’ return to Old Trafford, for the first time since 2017, came sooner than anyone anticipated and pre-season has raised as many questions as it answered. Can Rhinos maintain the momentum they built over the second half of 2022, will swapping experience for potential pay off, is the squad any stronger this time?

Results in the trial games - three defeats to top-flight opposition and a lone win against a Championship side - weren’t encouraging. Coach Rohan Smith fielded his strongest-available squad in the last match, at Hull KR, but Rhinos’ performance that afternoon was woeful - riddled with errors and low on basic skills.

Realistically though, that and the other warm up fixtures provided no real indication of how Rhinos will fare when the real business begins away to Warrington Wolves on Thursday.

Smith has given very little away, using pre-season to experiment with players in unfamiliar roles and try new combinations and tactics. One thing Warrington coach Daryl Powell will be expecting this week is short kick-offs, so don’t be surprised if Rhinos go long.

In addition, four first-choice players - centres Harry Newman and Nene Macdonald, prop Mikolaj Oledzki and second-rower James Bentley - have yet to play because of injury.

All are expected to be available within the first few weeks of the season and their return will make Rhinos much stronger.

The youngsters who got a chance in pre-season did well, in particular three-quarter Luis Roberts and second-row Leon Ruan. Both seemed a long way away from the first team when training started, but are much closer now.

In terms of quality, it’s debatable whether Rhinos have strengthened since last September’s Grand Final. Zak Hardaker in particular was a big loss, Tom Briscoe’s experience and the versatility of Liam Sutcliffe will be hard to replace and it remains to be seen if Leeds have anyone who can change a game off the bench the way Brad Dwyer could.

However, Leeds’ top-20 is impressive and they probably have greater depth this year, with more players towards the bottom end of the squad looking capable of holding their own if and when called upon.

Current injuries in the three-quarters are a worry and Leeds may have to field a makeshift backline in the early stages of the campaign, which could have a knock on effect in the second-row, but the pack looks stronger, especially in the middle.

That has been an area of concern for a while, but with Sam Lisone and Justin Sangare added to the squad and Tom Holroyd back in contention after a year out, there’s more size about Leeds’ forwards this year.

As ever, much will depend on the half-backs. Should Blake Austin and Aidan Sezer pick up from where they left off, Rhinos will be in good shape, but an injury to either or both of them would mean a major reshuffle and leave Leeds looking light in the pivots.

There are other options - Richie Myler, teenager Jack Sinfield, back-rowers Morgan Gannon and Cameron Smith or hookers Kruise Leeming and Corey Johnson - but keeping Austin and Sezer on the field will be crucial.

If they can get the ball to them - and they all stay fit - Rhinos have formidable firepower in the likes of Ash Handley, Harry Newman, David Fusitu’a, Nene Macdonald and Derrell Olpherts.

Home form will be important. Rhinos failed to win in their first six games at Headingley last year, but have a 100 per cent record there since Smith arrived in May. Maintaining that would go a long way to securing a play-off spot.

Leeds have closed the gap on the teams finishing in the top two for the past five seasons. They won twice at Catalans Dragons last term and picked up two wins over Wigan Warriors, but a 12-match losing run against St Helens is the biggest hurdle they need to jump.

Round three at TW Stadium already looks like a big game for Rhinos who face a tough, but not especially daunting, start.

Depending on the draw, Leeds have as good a chance as anybody in the Challenge Cup and the Super League target must be to finish at least fourth. At this stage, anything more than that would be a bonus.