Leeds Rhinos ace targets trophy double in Super League play-offs

Rhinos begin their campaign with an elimination tie against Catalans Dragons at Warrington on Friday and - as in the Challenge Cup - three victories would see Rhinos lift the trophy.

Fifth place on the Betfred Super League table means Rhinos will have to do it the hard way, but Leeming insists they have the self-belief to achieve something special this month.

“What happens when you start winning - and losing, it works both ways - is you get in a habit,” said the England Knights rake.

“You learn how to win ugly, how to win pretty and I think that’s something I’ve not really had before.

“Coming to Leeds, I have maybe lost two or three games. I know I haven’t played a lot of games, but we went on that winning streak and won the Challenge Cup and even when we fell behind we had that belief and confidence of we will win this.

“When we were under the sticks, speaking to each other, it was ‘don’t worry boys, calm down, it’s all good’.

“They might have scored two or three tries and we were on the back foot, but we had the utmost confidence in each other and we were like, don’t worry - we will bring this back.

“I think that is a very good trait to have. It’s not something you can buy or you can train, you get it from winning and winning consistently.

“That belief is massive going into these knockout games.”

It has already been a successful season for Leeds, but a huge prize awaits at KCOM Stadium on Friday, November 27.

“We know that,” Leeming said. “We have got 80 minutes to get into a semi’ and another 80 minutes to get into a final and as soon as you are in that final, anything can happen.

“It is a different atmosphere, I have played in one now and I know a bit of what to expect. I have not played in a Grand Final, but that should be similar.

“It is sudden-death rugby and you just want to get in that final and once you are it is a 50-50 chance.”

Leeming suffered a knock in Rhinos’ win at Wakefield Trinity on November 1, but pledged he will be “fine” for Friday’s tie.

Rhinos have had more than a week’s break since their spell of six games in 20 days and he said: “We have had a lot of games and it is mentally taxing - getting up for a game, then unwinding, not getting much sleep the night of the game and then having to wind up and go again.

“Doing that six times in three weeks is tough, but on the physical side of it Rich [Agar, Rhinos’ coach] rotated the squad well.

“There were one or two people, like Brad Dwyer and Bodene Thompson, who played a lot of minutes - more than they would have done normally - but most of us played the equivalent of 80 minutes in three games or whatever.

“So physically it wasn’t that demanding, though mentally it was. It definitely took its toll on me mentally towards the back end, but now we’ve had that mental break and chance to go away from rugby, that has come at a brilliant time for us and physically I am fine.”

Catalans have been at the other extreme, playing only once since October 9.

“Personally, I get more anxious and nervous coming up to games if I haven’t played for a while,” Leeming said.

“If you are playing and playing, you are game ready and you know what to expect, but they are a very experienced group with some very big talents in there, older heads.

“I feel like as you get older you start to be able to pick your moments and you can turn it on at a twitch. That’s something when you are younger you can’t afford to do, you have to be on all the time.

“It might work in their favour with an older, experienced group - but personally I would feel a bit underdone and undercooked.

“They are a big set, a big aggressive forward pack and they are going to come out firing.

“We need to fight fire with fire and go at them and put it all on the line and then we might get chance to go again.”

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