Golden Generation part 2 - remembering Leeds Rhinos' Super League Grand Final heroes

Here's the second part of our series recalling the 50 players who won a Grand Final for Leeds Rhinos between 2004 and 2017.
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Rhinos built their eight Grand Final wins on a combination of high-quality signings and outstanding home-grown talent.

That's a model current coach Richard Agar is keen to follow as he aims to inspire a return to Rhinos' glory days.

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The first 13 players were featured yesterday (Tuesday) and here we recall the next group, from Gareth Ellis to Kylie Leuluai.

Gareth Ellis, left, Ali Lauitiiti, centre and Mitch Garbutt, right, were all Grand Final winners for Rhinos.Gareth Ellis, left, Ali Lauitiiti, centre and Mitch Garbutt, right, were all Grand Final winners for Rhinos.
Gareth Ellis, left, Ali Lauitiiti, centre and Mitch Garbutt, right, were all Grand Final winners for Rhinos.

The series will conclude next week.

Gareth Ellis: The 2008 title triumph, his second successive Old Trafford win, was the ex-Wakefield Trinity Wildcats man’s final game for Leeds before a move to the NRL with Wests Tigers. He returned to play for Hull, retired - for the second time - at the end of last season and is now on the East Yorkshire club’s coaching staff.

Brett Ferres: A 2016 recruit from Huddersfield Giants, Ferres won a Super League ring the following year. He joined Featherstone from Leeds at the end of 2019, but had a loan spell back at Headingley last season.

David Furner: Signed from Wigan, the Aussie’s last game as a player was Leeds’ 2004 title win. He returned to Australia to begin his coaching career and had a spell in charge of Canberra Raiders before rejoining Leeds as team boss ahead of the 2019 campaign. He was sacked after half a season and is now an assistant-coach at Newcastle Knights.

Brett Ferres lifts the Super League trophy at Old Trafford in 2017. Picture by  Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com.Brett Ferres lifts the Super League trophy at Old Trafford in 2017. Picture by  Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com.
Brett Ferres lifts the Super League trophy at Old Trafford in 2017. Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com.
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Mitch Garbutt: The Australian prop signed for Leeds from Brisbane Broncos midway through 2015 and was a treble winner that year. He picked up another Grand Final ring two years later, but was released at the end of 2018 and joined Hull KR. He will play for Toulouse Olympique this year.

Darrell Griffin: Recruited from Huddersfield, Griffin was a Super League champion in 2012, at the end of his first season with Leeds. He was off-loaded to Salford the following year, also featured for Featherstone and Keighley Cougars and played rugby union with Morley.

Ryan Hall: Signed from Oulton Raiders, the ‘World’s Best Winger’ played in Rhinos’ six Grand Final wins from 2008-2017, scoring three tries. He joined Sydney Roosters in 2019 and will play for Hull KR this year.

Zak Hardaker: Signed from Featherstone, he was a try scorer in the 2011 Grand Final and also featured in 2012 and 2015, when he was Man of Steel. He left Rhinos midway through 2016 to join Penrith Panthers on loan, was at Castleford in 2017 and is now a Wigan player, appearing in last season’s Grand Final.

Dave Furner, centre, retired as a player after Leeds' 2004 title win. Picture by Steve Riding.Dave Furner, centre, retired as a player after Leeds' 2004 title win. Picture by Steve Riding.
Dave Furner, centre, retired as a player after Leeds' 2004 title win. Picture by Steve Riding.
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Ben Jones-Bishop: Having stepped up from the academy, Jones-Bishop played in the 2011 Grand Final win and was a try scorer the following year. He spent 2015 at Salford, moved to Wakefield in 2016 and has signed for York this year.

Jamie Jones-Buchanan: A Rhinos legend and one-club man, JJB played in seven of Leeds’ eight Grand Final wins, scoring in 2007, but missed 2015 owing to injury. He retired at the end of 2019, but is still at Rhinos as an assistant-coach.

Jimmy Keinhorst: A German international, Keinhorst played union for Otley before joining Leeds. A substitute at Old Trafford in 2015, providing the final pass for Josh Walters’ crucial try, he signed for Hull KR at the end of 2018 and is in their squad this year.

Ian Kirke: Kirke joined Leeds from York in 2006 and was a five-time Grand Final winner when he left to join Wakefield at the end of 2014. He now runs a gym in Leeds and works as a strength and conditioning coach, including spells with Rhinos and Yorkshire Carnegie.

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Ali Lauitiiti: The New Zealander was the final piece in Rhinos’ 2004 title-winning jigsaw, joining them from Auckland Warriors midway through the campaign and going on to play in their first five Grand Final victories. A 2007 try scorer, he joined Wakefield in 2012, but made a farewell appearance for Leeds against the Kiwis in 2015 before finishing his career at the Warriors the following year.

Kylie Leuluai: Leeds’ most successful import, Leuluai retired after the 2015 Grand Final, which was the ex-Manly prop’s sixth Super League title. He became player welfare officer at Leeds and in 2017 joined Warrington Wolves as head of rugby operations.

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