Faustian pact, ref grumbles, kids need a chance & booing Sam Lisone: latest Leeds Rhinos talking points
It’s almost like a Faustian pact, Leeds Rhinos paying now with defeat after defeat for all those Grand Final victories over St Helens more than a decade ago.
Everything was in Rhinos’ favour last weekend, but nobody - on either side - will have been particularly surprised when Saints got the better of them, yet again. That’s eight successive defeats at AMT Headingley - including three nillings – in a run stretching back to 2017. Rhinos have won three of the sides' last 24 meetings and it has gone past dismal into embarrassing.
Pride aside, the 6-0 loss was it was a costly result, dropping Leeds two places to fifth in Betfred Super League. Here’s five talking points.
1: The referee. There was a lot of complaining by Rhinos fans - though, to his credit, not coach Brad Arthur - about whistler Jack Smith following the St Helens result. Given Saints’ disruptive tactics, Leeds could and maybe should have had more than the 11 penalties and four set-restarts they did receive - to the opposition’s five and one respectively - but match officials didn’t lose them the game.
Rhinos had enough possession and territory to get over the top of the visitors, however - as regularly happens against Saints - they went away from what they have done well this season. There were too many errors, they lacked patience, forced plays that weren’t on and - other than once off a kick - never looked like unlocking a very strong opposition defence.
Leeds also defended well, but with the ball their performance wasn’t good enough. They aren’t particularly high scorers and have been relying for the most part on their defence to win games this season. Last week they came up against a team defending as well as them and their lack of attacking ideas was the biggest concern from a disappointing 80 minutes.
2: Strange appointment. That said, Rhinos have played Saints four times this season and Smith has been referee for three of them, which seems strange. Not as odd, though, as the video ref appointment for the Women’s Super League curtain-raiser between the same clubs.
Tara Jones played for Saints from 2018 until the end of last season, when she retired to focus on refereeing. Other officials were available, so was there any need for Jones to be appointed to such a big match involving her ex-teammates? This is no comment about her performance, which is irrelevant to the point being made, but it’s not a good look. It makes the sport appear small-time and amateurish, not to mention putting an inexperienced official under unnecessary pressure. More common sense is needed.
3: Young guns. Brad Arthur has dropped hints about some rookies, specifically Presley Cassell and Ben Littlewood, getting a taste of first team rugby and Friday’s game is probably the ideal opportunity. What sort of side Salford Red Devils put out is anybody’s guess, but it’s a home fixture against the bottom of the table team and Rhinos will be without a forwards Morgan Gannon and Mikolaj Oledzki because of injury.
Littlewood, a second-row or prop, made one substitute appearance last year and has fully recovered from pre-season hamstring surgery. Teenage back-rower Cassell was scholarship player of the year in 2023, won the academy award last season and has impressed for the under-18s and reserves this season.
Morgan Gannon and Sam Lisone are moving on next year and Leeds have identified the duo as two players who could step up, along with the slightly more experienced, but currently injured, Tom Nicholson-Watton.
4: Unwanted records. Friday’s defeat set one record and equaled another. It was the lowest number of points in a Super League game involving Rhinos and joint-fewest they’ve conceded in a defeat, matching Saints’ 6-4 win at TW Stadium in the opening game of the 2017 season.
The lowest aggregate in a game involving Rhinos before last weekend was eight points, which is also Leeds’ smallest winning score in the Super League era. They beat Salford 8-0 at Headingley in 2016 and repeated that result at Wigan Warriors in the 2021 play-offs.
5: Sam Lisone. There was some booing of Lisone’s name when the teams were announced via the public address before the Saints game. That’s unfair. As a professional - and one in the later stage of his career - he’s entitled to seek the best-possible offer and if Hull FC are prepared to throw big money at him, he can’t be blamed for taking it. What matters now is how he plays for the rest of the campaign.
His comments in the Evening Post about not wanting to play for any other club turned out to be unwise, but these things happen in professional sport and Lisone’s exit opens another quota spot for 2026. Potentially, Rhinos could have the option of bringing up to five new overseas signings.
Sporting director Ian Blease has said he doesn’t think they’ll have 10 foreign players next year and the plan to promote some of the youngsters currently tearing it up at academy and reserves level is welcome. Some of them - not limited to those mentioned above - aren’t far off being ready for first team rugby and, at some stage, they need to be playing. Rhinos can manage without the overseas quota being raised from seven to 10, but unfortunately other clubs in the competition aren’t in such a strong position.