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Chief among them – with Ryan Aldridge’s team 10 games in and with 10 wins to their name – is a togetherness and unity within the playing group.

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Despite now having to share top spot in the standings again after Peterborough Phantoms, who last night drew level following a four-point weekend over Hull Seahawks, Leeds remain the team everybody wants to cut down to size.

LEADING ROLE: Veteran centre Matt Haywood celebrates his second goal during Friday night's 6-1 win over NIHL National rivals Milton Keynes Lightning. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.

Even more so given the impressive showing they produced on Friday night when putting then second-placed Milton Keynes Lightning to the sword in a brilliant 6-1 victory.

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Whether the Knights wanted or intended to send out a message to the rest of the league or not, that result, that scoreline, will have raised plenty of eyebrows among the other nine teams in the second tier.

On paper, the Knights perhaps don’t appear to be the toughest bunch around the league but, as far as head coach Aldridge is concerned, there is a resilience driving them to have each other’s backs, night in, night out.

DRIVING FORCE: Leeds Knights' forwards Adam Barnes (left) and Cole Shudra try to get another attack going against Milton Keynes Lightning on Friday night Picture: Bruce Rollinson

“I just think the way the boys are together at the minute, the balance, everything about it is right and we’ve got to make sure we keep it that way,” said Aldridge. “They are a phenomenal bunch of lads, all fighting for the same thing.

“It’s not going to get any easier, teams are going to come harder at us. But the more teams come at us, the closer together we’ll get as a group.

“People have come into our building thinking they can bully us, but they can’t because we’re tough as well. And that togetherness is a big part of that.”

That strength of unity is also the quality that gives Aldridge the belief that his players won’t get ahead of themselves, in light of their perfect start.

“If this was 10 games in a row at the end of the year, then we’d all be singing and dancing and, hopefully, celebrating something,” added Aldridge.

“But it’s not, we’re at the start of a very long season and lots of things can happen in the coming weeks and months. We have to stay grounded because things can change very quickly in this sport. Injuries might play their part at some point, they very often do.”

Leeds Knights: Unity enables Knights to get themselves ahead of the NIHL National pack