Leeds Rhinos link boosting France's Rugby League World Cup hopes

New Rhinos signing Justin Sangare is in France’s 19-man squad for the game in Doncaster and former Leeds assistant-coaches Sean Long and Ryan Carr are both on the backroom staff.

Sangare will join Rhinos in pre-season on a two-year contract and French national coach Laurent Frayssinous reckons that will be good for the Test team ahead of the next World Cup on their home soil in three years’ time.

“I want my best players to play at the highest level, whether it is with Toulouse, Catalans Dragons or Leeds Rhinos,” Frayssinous said.

“Justin will be playing at Leeds and competing for trophies, because Rhinos will do that. That is great for him and for his improvement.”

Long was appointed coach of Featherstone Rovers earlier this month after two years at Rhinos.

Australian Carr spent the 2019 season in charge of Rovers, when he was also assistant to then-Leeds coach Richard Agar, before returning Down Under.

“He has been brilliant,” Frayssinous said of Carr who was linked with the head job at Leeds before Rohan Smith was appointed in April.

“I have been in touch with him for a long time. He played in France, for Pia, so he is part of the culture, he has spent time in France and he knows France.

“He coached against Toulouse with Featherstone and against Catalans with Leeds Rhinos so he knows all the players and he will become a great head coach very, very soon, because he is already a great assistant-coach. He is a good coach and also a good guy, a good person which is what we want in our team.”

Frayssinous, who is also being helped by Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson, will return to Super League next season, six years after being sacked by Catalans Dragons, as assistant to new St Helens boss Paul Wellens.

“To be part of the World Cup as a head coach is great,” he said. “We have got a great coaching staff and it will be good to pick up knowledge off everybody and make sure we improve.”