'I was pretty sharp': Ash Handley talks Leeds Rhinos return, beating the clock and dramatic fightbacks

Handley scored Rhinos’ opening try in the 18-17 comeback win over Huddersfield Giants last weekend, which was his first game since suffering ankle ligament damage in a home victory over Wakefield Trinity a month earlier.

He had been pencilled in to return away to Leigh Leopards on April 21, but made a faster than expected recovery and was delighted to be back.

“It was nice to get a win and be on the right side of it after a good performance,” Handley said of his comeback.

“I felt all right, just easing my way in. It is a long season, but I thought I was pretty sharp. I was just finding my way into the game, I came into it a bit more in the second-half and I enjoyed it.”

Handley had started his four previous matches this year at centre, but was restored to his more familiar role on the left-wing against Giants.

Nene Macdonald was back after a one-match injury layoff on the other flank, but Leeds were without ankle injury victim David Fusitu’a who is now the only senior player unavailable through injury.

The 27-year-old’s touchdown was his second of the season - after one in last month’s win at St Helens - and he said: “It was nice to get a try and help the team.

“It is always frustrating when you’re injured. I’ve just been trying to get myself right, to help the team. I’ve come back quite fast so I was pleased to be out there.”

Handley was Super League’s top metre-maker last year, as well as Rhinos’ leading try scorer and his return was a welcome boost.

“You just have to do the right things, be professional and get your body right to play,” he said of how he managed to get back ahead of schedule.

“I just took it day by day and week by week and it settled down quite quickly. The swelling came down and the physios did a good job with me.”

Handley confirmed he came through the Easter Sunday game unscathed and was happy to be part of a win which got Rhinos back on track following the previous week’s defeat at Hull KR.

Rhinos trailed 12-0 midway through the first-half, but Handley broke their duck and they ran in three tries in a blistering second-half spell before Giants hit back to set up a tense finish.

It was Rhinos’ second comeback win in as many home games following the 32-22 victory over Catalans Dragons which came after they trailed 22-8 at half-time.

Leeds have led at half-time only once this year, but Handley insisted: “We don’t panic.

“I know everyone in the stand panics and thinks ‘what are they doing’, but it doesn’t matter to us, they can go two scores up and we feel confident we can bring it back, which we did [on Sunday].”

Rhinos, who are seventh in the table, lost their opening two games of 2023, followed by two wins.

Since then they have gone defeat, victory, defeat, victory and Handley admitted that inconsistency is “frustrating, a little bit”.

He said: “We’re not playing how we are training sometimes, which is not great, but we are keeping at it. If we can get a run together, that would be great and we can go from there.”

As well as beating bottom club Wakefield, Rhinos’ wins have come against champions Saints, previously unbeaten Catalans and Giants, who were among the teams predicted to go well this year.

“I feel like we’ve not been far away in other games as well,” Handley added. “We feel like we can beat anyone on our day, we’ve just got to put it together.”

Rhinos face a different challenge on Friday at home to second-bottom Hull FC, who are on a six-game losing streak since a 22-18 victory at Headingley in Betfred Super League round two.

The Black and Whites are on the back of a 40-0 home derby drubbing by Hull KR on Good Friday, but Handley warned: “They always show up against us, every team does, so we will have to be on it to beat them.”