'Great experience': teen prospect Alfie Edgell sets Leeds Rhinos first team goal

The 18-year-old full-back has impressed for Rhinos’ reserves this year and been in the initial squad for Leeds’ past two Betfred Super League matches.

The results haven’t gone Rhinos’ way, as they lost to the competition’s bottom two of Castleford Tigers and Wakefield Trinity, but for Edgell it was priceless experience.

“It has been good for me - especially at Magic Weekend,” Edgell said. “It was a great experience to travel up there to Newcastle and again [last week], getting around the boys and seeing how they prepare for a game.”

That means when Edgell’s chance does come, it won’t be a leap in the dark, in terms of what goes on before and after a match at the top level.

“I think it helps any young kid coming into the team,” Edgell said. “It prepares them for when they do have that chance, it seems more familiar when it comes around and you won’t be as nervous.”

Not that Edgell is in any rush. Of the prospect of featuring in Super League this year, he said: “If it comes, it comes.

“I have still got work to do before I am fully ready to play. I’m not putting pressure on myself, just being patient and training as hard as I can.”

A product of the Kippax community club and Brigshaw school, Edgell joined Rhinos’ academy from the club’s scholarship in 2021 and played in their Grand Final win over St Helens last year, which was his final appearance at under-18 level.

He was promoted into the full-time squad in pre-season, along with fellow teenagers Jack Smith and Riley Lumb.

Academy fixtures alternate with the reserves so Edgell has been restricted to just one game every two weeks this season, having been eligible for both lower grade sides last term.

Rhinos’ reserves will be in action against Huddersfield Giants at Headingley on Friday in a curtain-raiser to the clubs’ Super League clash.

“We are going well, we are unbeaten,” he said. “In the reserves some teams are miles above others, but it’s good.

“Playing once every two weeks means it’s hard to get consistency, but at the same time it allows me to develop in non-player sessions and it’s helping me put weight on.

“If you play a game you miss out on two or three gym sessions so it is really benefiting me that way.”

Edgell played at stand-off in Rhinos’ big win at Wakefield last time out and also in their previous game, against fellow unbeaten side St Helens.

“I enjoy playing half and full-back,” he stated. “It was a bit of a scrappy game against Wakefield; you can’t complain when you’re putting 50 points on a team, but we could have been better.”

Edgell revealed he played at six throughout his junior career, until being switched to full-back when he joined Rhinos’ scholarship.

“It’s good to have options,” he said. “It is different in defence, but when I play six in attack I like to get my running game going, the same as a full-back, so the way I play is pretty similar.”

Edgell is in the first year of a three-season deal and is “loving it” as a full-time player, despite Rhinos’ recent dip in form.

“Straight away in pre-season it was a big change for me,” he conceded. “I found it quite hard at first, but I picked it up as the year has gone on and I am really enjoying it.”

Rhinos’ management have high hopes for their latest crop of youngsters and Edgell also feels the future is bright.

He said: “We’ve got a good young batch who train together every day. Our combinations are coming on at training and when we play reserves I think you can see that. Our combinations are really good at the minute and they are only going to get better.”