'It's my passion': new Leeds Rhinos academy boss Tony Smith on why developing young players means so much

Smith joined Leeds in November, taking over from Chev Walker who was promoted to assistant-coach after guiding Rhinos’ under-18s to academy Grand Final victory last year.

The new youth team boss had a spell as a Super League gaffer with Wakefield Trinity in the mid-2000s, but insisted he has “no ambition at all” to be a head-coach in the future and revealed helping young players progress into first the team is his passion.

“I’m quite happy to do this role,” Smith said of his long-term involvement in youth coaching.

“I love developing young players and there’s quite an art to it.

“If you have not coached young players before it is a lot different to coaching Super League - it is more focused on core skills and people having the right attitude.

“That’s the key thing for me, you can have all the skill in the world, but if you haven’t got that drive and attitude you are just wasting your time.”

Nicknamed Casper, Smith played as a half-back for Castleford Tigers, Wigan Warriors - including the 1998 Grand Final against Rhinos - and Hull FC, as well as England and Great Britain, before retiring in 2003.

He was appointed team boss at Wakefield in 2005 and moved into youth coaching after being sacked late in the 2006 season.

The 52-year-old had eight years in charge of the academy at his hometown club Castleford and a brief stint as assistant-coach at Dewsbury Rams before joining Rhinos last November.

“I’ve done it the opposite way around,” he said. “I started my coaching career at Wakefield straight out of playing which, in hindsight, wasn’t the right thing for me.

“I loved my time at Wakefield, but having no foundation as a coach, I look back now and think ‘I can’t believe it happened’.

“But something good always comes from a setback, you learn from that kind of stuff. Having left Wakefield, I coached England academy and after that had two or three years out of the game.

“I got back into the youth academy at Cas and I loved it, that’s what I do - it is my passion, developing young men, as rugby players and people.

“There’s so much goes into developing young players now, it’s not just about whether they can play rugby.

“There’s a lot of other things that come with that and it’s something I love, it gives me energy and I get how young people behave.

“Seeing a young kid make his debut after you’ve played a part in his development, that’s the next best thing as regards achievements for me.

“And we’re not just talking about Super League players. Look at the people Leeds Rhinos have produced for the game, not just their club. Leeds is great for producing rugby league players.”

As a Castleford man, Smith has crossed a great divide to join their fierce rivals. He said: “From the outside looking in, you are quite envious of what Leeds do.

“When you get in among it you can see the reasons why they are so successful, whether that’s getting to finals or bringing young people through. The facilities speak for themselves, but it is a really good environment to be in.”

Academy and reserves play in alternate weeks and share some players. Smith will coach both, but said: “The reserves isn’t set in stone, I’ll be mainly doing the role, but it could be me and Chev or others could chip in.

“My main role is academy head-coach, but I want to do both and you never stop learning as a coach.”

First team squad members Riley Lumb, Jack Sinfield and Jack Smith are still academy qualified and Tony Smith is excited about the talent in Rhinos’ system.

“They come down and train with the academy,” he said of Lumb, Sinfield and Smith. “There’s a good group, we’ve got good depth in the academy and some out-and-out reserve players.

“The staff - John Bastian and Simon Bell - have been really supportive and it is a refreshing place to be.”