Kruise Leeming reveals long-term ambition to captain Leeds Rhinos

With Matt Prior and Ash Handley rested, Leeming skippered Rhinos in the first half of last Sunday’s 30-22 win at Featherstone Rovers, before handing the reins to fellow hooker Brad Dwyer during the interval when boss Richard Agar made 11 changes.

The captaincy was recognition of Leeming’s outstanding form last season, when he made his England debut, was Rhinos’ second-top try scorer, behind Dwyer and named player of the year runner-up.

Leeming admitted he “really enjoyed” leading the team out.

“I have come a long way and I think it’s a little bit of a reward for how much hard work I’ve put in and how I played last year,” he said.

“It reiterates the faith the club and Rich have got in me.”

Prior remains team captain, but Leeming insisted: “I don’t think I should be quiet about me wanting the captaincy role. I think it’s a good point in my career for me now to have it and I’d enjoy it and embrace it.

“I don’t feel like there’s any reason for me to be quiet about it, if I got it this year I’d be really happy.

“I’d be overwhelmed and I feel ready to do it as well, so I think it’s only right I say I do want the captaincy role.”

Leeming is a pivotal player for Rhinos, but reckons captaincy is as much about actions and conduct off the field as on it.

“It [hooker] is a pivotal position to play in a team and you do need to be vocal,” he said.

“But I think a captain is more for off-field stuff as well and I’d like to see myself as being a leader off the field with what I do and how I go about my business.

“I try to be very professional and keep the lads and me held to a very high standard and I think that’s what ultimately gets you the captaincy.

“Obviously, on the field you have to lead by your actions and what you do and even off it, but I think the reason I’d get it wouldn’t be so much the talk on the field, which I do do – it would be the standards I hold me and my team-mates to off the field.”

Most teams, including Leeds, include two hookers in their matchday 17, but Leeming – who filled in as a scrum-half at times last year – insisted he is keen for as much game time as possible.

“I want to turn myself into an 80-minute hooker,” he pledged. “I was very open about that when I first came to the club and through injury and Brad playing very well, there’s competition for places but, ultimately, that’s what I want to be.

“I want to be on the field doing my job as long as I possibly can every week. I don’t want to say ‘I’ll play a really good 40 and then get me off’.

“I want to be an international hooker, I want to play in a World Cup and I seem to play my best games the longer I play.

I got a lot of game time last year and I think that resulted in me playing better. I get a feel for the game a little bit more and I am not trying to do something that catches the spectator’s eye.

“Rather than being on for 20 and coming off for 20, I’d rather play 80 minutes and feel my way into it.”

Rhinos’ competitive season begins at home to Warrington Wolves on February 12.

And, with three weeks to go, Leeming is confident about what might happen for them this year.

He stressed: “You can’t take anything out of pre-season friendlies in terms of the result. You could lose every game going into a season and then go 10 wins on the bounce, or win every game going into it and lose 10 on the bounce.

“It is nice to win, but the most pleasing thing for me is the depth we’ve got in the squad.

“For us to put out two completely fresh teams against Featherstone – who will be challenging for Super League this year and had a fairly strong side out – and still beat them, it’s nice.

“I think that’s the most promising thing, the fact we can put out two teams.

“In the past, we’ve been limited with depth in the squad and it definitely hurt us last year; at the back end we were running on fumes.

“For us to have that depth and that quality in depth is really promising.

“And that’s something I’ve taken out of the friendlies.”

Support the YEP and become a subscriber today. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to the latest on Leeds United, Leeds Rhinos, Castleford Tigers and Wakefield Trinity, as well as other West Yorkshire rugby league clubs. With our sports digital subscription, you’ll also see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times and get exclusive content. Click here to subscribe.