Hull KR v Leeds Rhinos - it will be 'weird' playing against Ryan Hall says former teammate Tom Briscoe

Leeds Rhinos winger Tom Briscoe admits it will be “weird” lining up against former teammate - and club legend - Ryan Hall this evening.
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Hall, the fifth-highest try scorer in Leeds’ history, is included in Hull KR’s squad for the Betfred Super League clash at Hull College, Craven Park.

It will be the first time Hall has faced the club where he won every honour in the domestic game.

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The 33-year-old needs just one try to reach 200 in Betfred Super League and go clear in second place on the competition’s all-time list - one ahead of his former Leeds teammate Keith Senior.

Tom Briscoe. Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com.Tom Briscoe. Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com.
Tom Briscoe. Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com.

Hall and Briscoe played on opposite wings when Rhinos completed the domestic treble in 2015, one of the now Rovers man’s six Grand Final wins.

After 282 games for Rhinos from 2007 to 2018, Hall spent two seasons at NRL club Sydney Roosters before joining Hull KR earlier this year.

“Playing alongside him for so many years and against him in training every day, I am really looking forward to it,” Briscoe - who joined Leeds in 2013 - said of today’s reunion.

“It will be different, but it’ll be interesting.”

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Hall didn’t score during an injury-hit spell Down Under, but grabbed a hat-trick on his Hull KR debut against Catalans Dragons at Emerald Headingley last month.

Briscoe noted: “He has come back and picked up where he left off in Super League.

“He has shown in the games he has played already he is doing what he does, scoring tries and carrying strongly.”

The Robins broke their duck in Betfred Super League with a one-point win over Huddersfield Giants a week ago and Briscoe reckons Hall is a dangerous attacking threat on the end of their “unpredictable” style.

“They are playing pretty well,” he warned.

“Hally has fit right in there.

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“Confidence is a big thing and they are on the back of a good win and a late win as well.

“That will boost them this week.”

Rhinos are on a three-game losing run, but could have five players back after injury.

Briscoe insisted: “I think we can take a lot out of those games and take confidence from what we’ve been doing, with the team we’ve had out.

“”To have the guys out who we have, it is pretty crazy to look down that injury list and it’s a credit to the young guys who’ve come in and really stepped up to really push the top-three all the way and still be in with a shout with 10 minutes to go in every game.

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“It has been great to have the attitude and resilience to play right through to the end and be right in it and I think maybe with one or two players in our side to give us a bit of direction, the results might have gone a different way.

“Full credit to everyone who has come in and produced those performances.”

But, as well as the rookies have played, Briscoe admitted having some experienced players back today could be crucial.

He stressed: “That’s the challenge now.

”We have kind of set a benchmark for where we want to be in defence and carrying the ball.

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“Now we just need the guys to come in and take hold of that and control us around the park, get us to the end of sets and back to where we were but also maintaining that attitude we’ve had over the last three weeks.”

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