Why Leeds Rhinos rookie has been missing in pre-season: coach Rohan Smith tips youngster for big future
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Injuries, a spell away from the club and fierce competition for the acting-half role have so far prevented Corey Johnson, 22, building a sustained run in the team since his debut in 2019, but Smith insisted he has a big future at Super League level.
Explaining Johnson’s absence from the warm-up games against Wakefield Trinity on Boxing Day and Leigh Leopards last Saturday, Smith revealed: “Corey had back surgery in September or October.
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Hide Ad“I don’t know the exact term, but he had a sort of disc repair in his lower back. He is almost in full training; he is still getting monitored a little bit, but he is basically doing all the training.
![Rhinos coach Rohan Smith. Picture by Bruce Rollinson.](https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjMzYWZmMGE3LTE3OGMtNGI2OS05ZGMyLTI1MDZlYWYzZGRhZTowMDJlMDA5OC01NGM3LTRiZDUtYWU1MC00ZTk1OGY1MmFjODU=.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65)
![Rhinos coach Rohan Smith. Picture by Bruce Rollinson.](/img/placeholder.png)
“Corey won’t play in the next few weeks at least, he needs some more work.”
Following an appearance in the final match of 2019, Johnson had a spell out of the sport before returning to Leeds late the following year.
After one game in 2020 and a spell on loan at York City Knights, he played five times last season, as well as on dual-registration with Bradford Bulls.
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Hide Ad![Corey Johnson passes during Rhinos'defeat at Toulouse last July, when he was their starting scrmu-half. Picture by Manuel Blondeau/SWpix.com.](https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjY2MGU5MDk3LTQ4MzQtNGY5Ni05MGQ1LWNjNDQzODA0MThmZDoyNDYyNWExMC1jNmVmLTQ1ZjEtOTNjMy1hMTI1ODgyNmNlOWI=.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65)
![Corey Johnson passes during Rhinos'defeat at Toulouse last July, when he was their starting scrmu-half. Picture by Manuel Blondeau/SWpix.com.](/img/placeholder.png)
Jarrod O’Connor emerged as back up to hooker Kruise Leeming in 2022 and finished the year as starting number nine, but Johnson showed his versatility by starting at stand-off in Leeds’ Magic Weekend win over Castleford Tigers and scrum-half when they lost at Toulouse Olympique the following week.
“I have got a very high opinion of Corey,” Smith said. “I think Corey can be a long-time Super League player, as a hooker or a half.
“He has been through a fair bit with his body in the last couple of years, he was niggled, hampered, banged up on and off last year and he still showed - particularly at Magic - what he could do.
“He dug in and really competed that day, with a body that wasn’t cooperating, I guess. He is still a few weeks away from playing and he’ll feature in our reserves when that kicks off and from there we’ll assess what the best path for him is.”