'It's crazy': Leeds Rhinos' Liam Sutcliffe on his Grand Final farewell

Sutcliffe made his Rhinos debut in a 30-22 home defeat by St Helens on May 20, 2013. Saturday’s Betfred Super League Grand Final meeting with the same opponents will be the centre’s 223rd game for his home city club and last before he joins Hull FC next season.

Sutcliffe has gone into the past three matches knowing each could bring down the curtain on his Leeds career and the title decider will be emotional, whatever happens.

“I just want to enjoy it, take everything in,” said the 27-year-old who was a Grand Final winner against Castleford Tigers five years ago.

“There’s a few of us leaving, there’s Brad [Dwyer] and Tom [Briscoe] as well. Tom and I have spoken about it a fair bit, saying how crazy it would be if we got to the final and if we went on and won it. It’ll be emotional for a few of the boys.”

That didn’t seem likely in the opening months of the campaign when only points difference kept Rhinos off the foot of the table.

The transformation since Rohan Smith took over as coach in May has been staggering, with Leeds winning 13 of his 18 games in charge and losing only one from their last 10.

“People were tripping us for relegation so to be in the Grand Final now, it has been a bit of a crazy ride,” Sutcliffe noted.

“Rohan has come in and added his own bits to the team and he has calmed the place down as well.

“There was a fair bit of anxiety at the start of the year and he has added a real calmness to the group and implemented what he wants to do on the field.

“Obviously everyone has bought into it and the performances since he came in have been great to see.

“Where we were at the start of the year was a pretty bad place. If you’d said to us at the time we’d be in the Grand Final, I wouldn’t have believed it.

“It was just a case of trying to get things right and do the best we can and now we are at the Grand Final, it is a bit surreal. The players are really thriving under what he has brought in.”

Sutcliffe played alongside club legends Danny McGuire and Rob Burrow when they won the 2017 title in their final game for Leeds and watched Kevin Sinfield, Jamie Peacock and Kylie Leuluai do the same two years earlier.

He admitted doing the same would be “a dream”, but insisted: “I don’t want to get overwhelmed with it, I just want to enjoy it and whatever happens, happens.”

Leeds will need to be at the top of their game to stop league leaders Saints, whose squad includes ex-Leeds centre Konrad Hurrell.

“He was great to play with,” Sutcliffe said of his former teammate. “We know what kind of team Saints are, they have set the benchmark over the last few years.

“We know it’s going to be a tough game, but we’ll give it a go and hopefully we’ll come away with a victory. We’re just focused on us and what we’ll be doing.”