Leeds Rhinos v Hull KR: Joel Tomkins wary of threat from unpredictable Rhinos

HULL KR captain Joel Tomkins can summarise Leeds Rhinos’ season so far in one word: strange.
Hull KR captain Joel Tomkins.Hull KR captain Joel Tomkins.
Hull KR captain Joel Tomkins.

Rovers visit Emerald Headingley tomorrow hoping to complete a home and away Betfred Super League double over Rhinos who were beaten 45-26 at KCOM Craven Park 23 days ago.

That was one of nine defeats suffered by Leeds in 12 league games this year and Tomkins noted: “Strange is a good way of describing them.”

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He said: “They are having a strange season. They’re really unpredictable; I think if you look at their team on paper and the quality they have in the side, they’d be expected to be higher than what they are.

“They’ve obviously got a top-quality coach in Dave Furner who has come over from the NRL with a great reputation. They are still probably adapting to him, to his philosophies and the way he wants to play and you can kind of see that coming into their game now.

“They’re starting to play the game a bit differently to what they have done in the previous couple of years.

“With the quality they have got in that side, they are a very dangerous outfit and are probably due a really top-quality performance so we have to try and stop that.”

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Rovers are one place and two points clear of second-bottom Rhinos, but Leeds have a better for and against. The Robins conceded more than 100 points over Easter, losing to Hull and Warrington Wolves, but Tomkins insisted: “When you actually watch the games, the first half of both we actually played pretty well.

“We were in the game going into half-time in both and could have been level in both if we had taken a couple more of our opportunities.

We shot ourselves in the foot a couple of times, but it’s our second-half performances that are just not good enough at the minute.”