'Flying and ready to play': Leeds Rhinos geared up for hectic end to Super League says Rohan Smith

After Friday’s visit of Warrington Wolves, Rhinos play host to Huddersfield Giants next Wednesday, visit Catalans Dragons the following Monday and end their Betfred Super League campaign at home to Castleford Tigers five days later.

Rhinos hold the sixth and final play-off place by just one point from Salford Red Devils and Smith won’t make wholesale changes in order to rest his troops.

“There will be some sense of making sure we are managing the load on players through that period,” he stated.

“But we will certainly be picking the team we feel can get a really good result and a good performance.

“I think it is important as a coach to manage the load, whether that’s players coming off the bench or starting or alternating where they play and how many minutes.

“Some players might play, but not as many minutes.”

Smith stressed: “It is an exciting period, there’s a lot of games and not too much training.

“It is a period where we have to work at making sure the players feel good, or the best they can, on game day and making sure we have got a little bit of a view to the next game, but only in a sense of managing those that need to be managed.

“Some guys will be flying and ready to play every week.”

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Warrington are effectively safe from relegation after last week’s win over Toulouse Olympique and Smith warned: “They are a dangerous team.

“They can throw caution to the wind and they’ve got a lot of quality, experienced players across the board.

“They’ve been boosted with [Australian full-back] Matt Dufty arriving.

“They’ve set up their play to allow him to play how he likes to so we are going to have to defend really well, particularly on our edges.”

Three of Leeds’ final four league games are at Headingley, which could give them an advantage over Salford, who visit Catalans tomorrow and travel to Castleford for their penultimate fixture.

Rhinos failed to win any of their opening six home games this year, but are unbeaten in their half a dozen and Smith said: “The support has been massive.

“The last couple of games especially, the crowd has been pumping and the energy through the place is certainly something the players thrive off.

“We are looking forward to that again.”