'Happy with the squad': Leeds Rhinos' James Bentley reveals minimum target for Super League 2023

Rhinos have finished fifth in Betfred Super League for the past three seasons and were Grand Finalists this year, eventually losing out to reigning champions St Helens.

It will be a new-look squad in 2023, with 10 players who featured this year moving on and seven signed from other clubs.

Of those, only Castleford Tigers’ Derrell Olpherts and James McDonnell, at Wigan Warriors, played in Super League this year, while import Sam Lisone made 14 NRL appearances for Gold Coast Titans.

But Bentley, who played alongside McDonnell during Ireland’s World Cup campaign, reckons coach Rohan Smith has put together an impressive squad who can climb the ladder next year.

“I think we’ve got a lot to build on,” Bentley vowed. “Since Rohan came in we’ve improved massively and we finished the year well, just not quite good enough. Hopefully we can improve on that next year and get to finals again.”

The second-rower insisted: “I am really happy with the squad, we’ve made some good signings and I think we’ve kept a good core of players as well.

“We just need to build on that, get a good pre-season and build into next year. I think we are a top-four team, that’s what is expected of a club of this size, so definitely the top-four is the minimum standard for us.”

Pre-season training begins on November 14, but Bentley has been given additional time off following his World Cup duty.

He said: “I’ll hopefully get a nice holiday and then get back down into pre-season and working for next year.

“I’m not sure when I am back in yet, but it’ll be good to get away, get a bit of sun and refresh myself then I’ll be ready to go for a big year.”

Reflecting on Ireland’s campaign, which ended in defeat to New Zealand last weekend, Bentley admitted: “It was a bit disappointing - I think we could probably have got to the quarter-finals, that was our goal and unfortunately we didn’t quite get there.

“But I am proud of all the boys, we had a good dig and it has been a good experience. They are a great group of lads, everyone bought in every week and that’s all you can ask. We could have been a bit better in a few places, but it is what it is.

“We will have to qualify for the next one, but hopefully we get that job done and we can build into the World Cup in France.”

Bentley believes nations like Ireland - who beat Jamaica before losing to Lebanon and the Kiwis - need more fixtures. He stressed: “I don’t think we’ve played enough.

“Hopefully we can get a few more games together and get the chemistry going on the field. If we can get a few more fixtures over the next few years it’ll be good for us.”

Ireland were based in Leeds and played two of their three World Cup fixtures at Headingley. Bentley, who was born in the city, said: “It was unbelievable, I couldn’t believe how many Irish flags there were and so much orange and white out there, it was good to see.”