'It would top everything I've achieved': Leeds Rhinos' Tom Briscoe aims to bow out with Grand Final win

Briscoe was on the pitch at Old Trafford when Kevin Sinfield, Jamie Peacock and Kylie Leuluai bowed out with a Grand Final victory in 2015 and Danny McGuire and Rob Burrow ended their Rhinos playing careers in similar fashion two years later.

Having made his debut in 2015 and played 207 times for the club, Briscoe will - if selected - get a chance to do the same against St Helens on Saturday.

“I was only thinking about that the other day, how we did it in 2015 and 2017, for those iconic players” Briscoe said.

“To play your last game at Old Trafford, you can’t ask for anything more, other than a win. To go there again is something special and I think it will top everything I have achieved.

“The story and the journey we have been on, to get a win this weekend would be incredible. There’s talk about the golden generation and that era, but to do it without them would be incredible for the club, to go into a new era.”

Of Rhinos’ current squad, only Briscoe, Liam Sutcliffe and Zak Hardaker have played in a winning Grand Final for Leeds, but the winger isn’t concerned about a lack of big-game experience.

He said: “We won the Challenge Cup in 2020 so we’ve got a bit of experience there and we’ve got Grand Final experience with the likes of Sutty, Zak, Priz [Matt Prior], Zane [Tetevano] and more. We will rise to the occasion, we have done that all year and we will enjoy it.”

The Challenge Cup win two years ago was played behind closed doors at Wembley, so this week will be a completely different event.

“Nothing beats Old Trafford, packed out for the Grand Final,” Briscoe insisted. “That’s a special night and a special experience I can’t wait for.”

Briscoe could also be a lucky charm, having not lost in a major final for Rhinos. As well as five tries at Wembley in 2015, he touched down in the 2014 and 2020 Cup wins and bagged a brace at Old Trafford five years ago.

“Let’s not jinx it,” he said. “But they have gone all right so far and it would be nice to get across the line.”

Briscoe has played in Rhinos’ last five matches, after returning from an ankle injury which kept him out of the team from April until August.

During his layoff he feared he might have played his final game for Leeds, but his return was well-timed, with wings David Fusitu’a and Ash Handley both now on the casualty list.

“It was frustrating at times, going through that injury, with the setbacks and how long it went over the initial time period,” he recalled.

“But to come back, when I didn’t expect to be getting in the team, has been good. There’s been a bit of luck on my part, there’s been a few injuries so I got a chance and I feel I’ve done well. Hopefully I’ve done well enough to keep my spot in the Grand Final.”