'A massive bonus': Leeds Rhinos' Jack Sinfield reflects on first year in Super League

The half-back moved up from Rhinos’ academy at the start of pre-season training last November and made his Betfred Super League debut away to Castleford Tigers five months later, aged 17.

That was the first of five senior appearances in 2022 - four of them in the starting side - and the teenager admitted: “That is a lot more than I expected, being honest.”

Sinfield, now 18, said: “I’ve really enjoyed the full year, it has been a great experience, I feel like I have learned a lot and I am still learning.”

The first batch of players will report in to begin preparations for the next campaign on November 14 and Sinfield said: “I’m just focussing on picking up little bits of experience, as much as I can and keeping learning.

“Every bit of game time I get is a massive bonus and it’ll all help me in the long-run. The more minutes I can get, the better.”

Sinfield came into the team in difficult circumstances, covering for injured scrum-half Aidan Sezer early in the campaign and featuring away to Toulouse Olympique and Catalans Dragons when Rhinos were without both first-choice pivots.

“It’s a big step up from academy and even reserves,” he admitted. “Physically, playing against men for the first time is a lot more challenging than it is playing against people my own age.

“It has been difficult, but it is something I have enjoyed and I think I have learned from it. As the games have gone on I’ve found it easier to prepare for them mentally and I’ll just look to keep building on that now.”

Sezer and stand-off Blake Austin are both former Man of Steel nominees with vast experience in the NRL as well as Super League.

“They are both really supportive of me,” Sinfield stated. “Obviously two players who have played over here and at the highest level in Australia, there’s a lot I can learn from them.

“They have really helped me, giving me little bits here and there and keeping my confidence up, telling me what I am doing and things like that. They have both been great.”

Sinfield was a non-playing member of Rhinos’ Grand Final squad this year, 24 hours before steering Leeds to the academy title.

Recalling being with the side at Old Trafford, Sinfield said: “I stayed overnight with the team in Manchester and being around the group, preparing for a big game like that, was something I really enjoyed.

“I think if I’m ever put in a situation where I play in a big game like that, I will have learned from that experience. It will help me going forward, I think.”

Rhinos beat Saints’ youngsters in golden-point extra time the following afternoon and Sinfield reflected: “It was great, it’s the first time the club have done it for something like 15 years.

“I have come through the scholarship with a lot of those lads so to be able to win something together was great.

“There’s a lot of good players in that team and it was a great experience for all of us to win something together and to play in big games, such as the semi-final.”

Grand Final teammates Alfie Edgell, Riley Lumb and Jack Smith will all join Sinfield in Rhinos’ full-time squad next year.

“They are all good players and they all work hard,” Sinfield said. “They definitely deserve to be where they are now.

“Jack and Riley are my age and Alfie’s the age above. I know all three of them quite well and it’s great they are moving up.”