Keep cool and carry on: How Leeds Rhinos are thriving from new approach

Saturday's game kicks off at 8pm local time, two hours later than originally scheduled, when the temperature is forecast to hit 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 Fahrenheit).

Rhinos are back in the south of France to face Catalans Dragons in two weeks’ time and again a month later and forward Jarrod O’Connor revealed they aren't wasting time worrying about the furnace-like conditions.

"We have been doing high-heat training inside, with the heaters on, throughout the season,” O'Connor reported.

“I think we’ve just got to get on with it.

“We’ve talked about how when we are hot, they are going to be hot; you can’t get used to playing in high-30s degree weather.”

O’Connor stressed: “It’s about backing our fitness over theirs and making sure we stick to the game plan.

“If we have more possession of the ball we’ll be less tired and I think that’s one of the main things we have to concentrate on, keeping hold of the ball.

“If we make less errors, hopefully we can force them into more errors and get more good ball sets.

“Obviously, the more times we have the ball down their end, the harder it is going to be for them coming away from their line.”

Leeds are aiming to complete three successive wins for the first time in 11 months, following impressive victories over Hull and Castleford Tigers.

“Ever since Rohan [Smith, Rhinos’ coach] came in, we’ve been building and building, even when we’ve had some losses,” O’Connor said.

“We’ve been working on what he has brought in, his new philosophies and I think in the past two games people have started seeing it more, even though it has been coming in the games previous.

“Going into this game we are going to be very confident after the last two performances and I think that can only help us, especially going to the south of France, which is a tough place to go.”

Rhinos began Betfred Super League round 19 in seventh place, just three points outside the top-six, but O’Connor insisted their policy is to treat the next match as the most important.

He said: “That’s one of the main things Rohan emphasises.

“Whether it’s a good or bad performance, after we’ve reviewed it we are just moving on to the next week.

“We don’t think about that game any more, it has gone and it’s just about focusing on the next one, which is Toulouse this week.

“There’s no point focusing on what comes after, when we’ve got to do a job first.”

Toulouse are now just two points behind second-bottom Wakefield Trinity and will move out of the relegation zone if they achieve their third successive win today.

They hit back from 20-4 down at half-time to keep their survival hopes alive with a 38-26 win over Wakefield last week and crushed Hull KR at home seven days earlier.

“I think the main thing about Toulouse, especially going over there, is you can’t underestimate them,” O’Connor said.

“The way they are, they can come out and either be the best team ever, or they can just throw horrible passes.

“That’s the hardest thing to prepare for because you never know what they are going to play like and you can’t really gameplan much. Obviously we’ve just got to stick to what we do best.”

Rhinos have scored 96 points in their past two games and O’Connor added: “The big thing we have worked on is calmness. The whole team has had a calmness about it lately.

“Even when we make a mistake, no one’s getting on anyone else’s back.

“When we make an error it doesn’t mean we have to concede a try.

“That’s one of the main focuses Rohan has brought in.”

O’Connor, a specialist loose-forward, has missed only one game since Richard Agar resigned as coach in March and could retain his place as starting hooker today, with Kruise Leeming missing through injury.

He said: “I’m happy, all this game time is only going to help me get better.

“Rohan is helping me understand more roles, which is only going to help my knowledge, whether I play loose-forward or hooker.

“I think each week I am playing I am building and when I play nine I am getting more comfortable in that role.

“The fact Rohan has the belief in me to start there fills me with a lot of confidence, knowing he thinks I can do a job there.

“It can be nerve-wracking, but the fact he knows what he is doing and he is picking me there makes me more relaxed.”