Leeds Rhinos: Shake-up’s put a spring in Richie Myler’s step again

Myler was Rhinos’ man of the match in last Sunday’s 31-12 defeat of Catalans Dragons, when he paired up with former Salford stand-off Lui for the first time.

The duo face a tougher challenge tonight, away to Castleford Tigers, but Myler has been impressed with what he has seen of his new partner so far.

“It was nice to see Robbie out there, he fitted in well and it was like he has been here a long time,” Myler reflected.

“He helped my game quite a lot and he has slotted in really, really well.

“He has complemented the players around him and he has certainly complemented me.

“I am excited to work with him.”

Rhinos haven’t had a settled half-back duo since 2017 and Lui is the fifth stand-off Myler has played alongside this season.

Myler added: “Most teams pretty much play the same sorts of shapes now so I think it’s just about getting the right player in.

“I think bringing Robbie in definitely does help the dynamic of the team and I think it’s going to be beneficial going forward.”

Lui’s arrival meant an exit for Tui Lolohea and Rhinos have also waved goodbye to Kallum Watkins and Matt Parcell since their 30-8 loss to Castleford in May, with Shaun Lunt and Rhyse Martin coming in.

“The Kallum one was a shock to us, nobody saw that happening,” Myler conceded.

“The other two, maybe it was just a case of them not playing as much as they’d have liked to, so it might be a better fit for them and for us.

“That’s out of our control, it’s dealt with higher above us – we’ve just got to concentrate on working well as a team and getting the result on the field.”

Last Sunday’s win lifted Rhinos from 12th to ninth in Betfred Super League, but the bottom four all began round 21 on the same points.

“We are not getting too carried away,” Myler stressed. “We have got plenty to work on, but it was a positive step in the right direction and we are happy with where we are at at this moment in time.”

Tigers ended a two-game losing run when they romped to a 42-10 win over London Broncos last Sunday.

Leeds haven’t won at the Jungle since 2015 and Myler warned: “They are a good side.

“They have some quality players and we are looking forward to the challenge. It’s the third time we’ve played them this year and it’s a tough place to go and play.

“Obviously we had a good result last week and we are looking to build on that, but we know whenever Leeds play Cas it is always a big game.”

Of the situation in the table, he insisted: “We are just focusing on the remaining games.

“We’ve got nine left and we are taking it week by week.

“We know if we keep putting in performances like last week we will get ourselves out of the situation we are in.”