'I had all confidence': Leeds Rhinos' Rhyse Martin ready for Grand Final comeback

The Papua New Guinea Test star will return from a controversial two-match suspension, imposed after the final game of the regular season against Castleford Tigers, when Rhinos face St Helens at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Rhinos won both play-off matches without the in-form second-rower and Martin insisted he always believed they would pull through.

“It was a tough two weeks,” Martin said. “Getting through the first week was the main focus and the team played unbelievably over in Catalans to get that win.

“That gave me a bit more inspiration that they were going to do the next one against Wigan. The way the boys have been playing the last couple of weeks has been unreal, so I had all confidence we were going to do it. We love a challenge here so it has been a tough two weeks, but we got through it.”

Martin stayed involved with the team during his layoff, adding: “That’s all I could do, I wanted to help the team prepare as much as I could, even if at times I probably got in the way and got caught up in talking too much rubbish!

“My body had a few niggles at that point [when he was banned]. I had played nearly every game since the start of the season so it gave the body a chance to recover a little bit.

“I was able to look after those niggles and get treated and rehab and do all that so in a way that was a good thing, but I was doing my best to get the team prepared for those games.”

His return gives Martin the opportunity to pass Wakefield Trinity half-back Mason Lino’s Super League and NRL record of 36 successive goal kicks without a miss, which he equalled against Tigers.

Martin hasn’t been off target since the Magic Weekend in July and Zak Hardaker landed 12 from 13 attempts in the three games he stood in.

“I haven’t really thought about it,” Martin said of breaking the record at Old Trafford. “The last few weeks has probably been a good freshen up and I’ll start again, I guess.

“Zak has been kicking well, a few of the boys have told me I might not get it back so I’ll have to wait until game day to see if he wants it or not.

“It makes a big difference when you are kicking every goal. When you’re not going up in sixes it makes it harder.

“Zak is an unreal kicker, he is one of the best in the comp and I am just fortunate I’ve got the job at the moment.

“We’ll get to Saturday and hopefully the boys score them all under the posts and we get away with a win, but whatever will happen will happen.”

The Grand Final is a positive end to a difficult league season for Martin, whose father Stephen Bonaventure Martin, died just days before Rhinos’ first game.

“It has been a tough year for everyone, I think,” Martin said. “It has been different circumstances for everyone so it would be a very special way to finish off, with a win.

“I just want to get to Saturday and enjoy this whole week with the team. We have got some boys leaving who have been here a long time so I want to make the most of this week with them.

“It’s different to a normal week and I want to take it in and remember these moments. When it’s all done and we can look back and reflect and we’ve got a Grand Final ring, I will be very emotional I think.

“I just want to get through Saturday and make sure we come home with the trophy. That’s the focus.”

Rhinos were in a relegation battle when Martin joined them in 2019 and though they won the Challenge Cup the following year, there have been some difficult days.

But he insisted he always felt Rhinos were good enough to get back on the biggest stage. He said: “We all did, we all have those ambitions and that vision. The team at the time wasn’t a bad team, there were just things that could have been better.

“Ever since I have been here the players have always chipped in 100 per cent every week, no matter whether we are winning or losing.

“They have been unreal and I knew we had the team to do it, we just needed the right direction, I guess, to get there.”