Leeds Rhinos' Andy Ackers reveals 'main reason to come to this club' ahead of Boxing Day Festive Challenge

Ackers will turn 30 on Christmas Day and pull on a Rhinos jersey for the first time the following morning, against Wakefield Trinity in the Wetherby Whaler Festive Challenge. Of the three big celebrations, it’s the rugby he’s looking forward to most.

“I’ve never played on Boxing Day, this will be my first time,” the Wigan-born hooker said. “It has come towards the back end of my career, but it’s something new and something I am interested in. There’ll be no pigs in blankets for me on Christmas Day, I’ll have to wait until Boxing Day afternoon, but I can’t wait to pull the shirt on and I’m really excited.”

The chance to play in front of Leeds’ fans is the biggest attraction of next week’s game for Ackers who helped Salford to a 22-12 win at AMT Headingley last May. He added: “That’s the main thing I am looking forward to. The atmosphere has always been great every time I’ve played at Headingley and I can’t wait to be on the side they are cheering for.

“I’ve had a lot of good feedback from the fans online and so on, which is always great. You don’t want to be getting off on the wrong foot before the season has even started, but I am a player who gives his all every time he pulls the shirt on and one of the main reasons to come to this club is the fans and the roaring atmosphere they create. I can’t wait to show my case when I get the opportunity.”

Tuesday’s derby comes half way through pre-season, seven weeks before Rhinos begin their Betfred Super League campaign at home to Ackers’ previous club on Friday, February 16. According to the number nine, pre-season so far has been “long and tough”, with an emphasis on team bonding.

There are seven new names in Leeds’ 30-strong 2024 squad and Ackers insisted: “The lads have grafted hard and I’ve grafted hard myself. We had a pre-season trip to Portugal, there were loads of bonding sessions out there and everyone has got to know each other.

“We got a lot out of it; the lads were grafting every day, they were long sessions, but we’ve built some close relationships and that can only be good going forward. The new signings have been welcomed and I’m keen to get going.

“There’s a lot of positivity around the camp. Each and every single individual is putting in extra work, whether that’s conditioning, skills, defence, wrestle…the lads are there, that’s really good for the club going forward and hopefully we can put that into practice this season and get this club back where it belongs.”

Of what supporters can expect next week, Ackers predicted: “I think what you’ll get is a real togetherness. We’ve done a lot of bonding already and everybody’s really close friends. It is a young team - I think I am the third oldest, which is quite new to me. When I was at Salford I was one of the youngest, but hopefully I can add my experience to the team and I think we’ll get a lot out of that.

“Each individual is putting their front foot forward and looking to improve. We’ve got a lot of talent in the spine with Frawls [Matt Frawley] and Lachie Miller and Brodie [Croft]. It’s something to look forward to and I can’t wait to get going.”

With Croft, who will not feature on Boxing Day, also having moved from Salford to Leeds and Nene Macdonald going the other way, the visit of the Red Devils will be spicy opener to both sides’ Super League campaign. Ackers conceded he wasn’t surprised when the fixtures were published.

“It was inevitable, it was always going to happen,” he said. “It will be a good encounter, I have got some good friends at Salford. The head coach Paul Rowley is a really good friend of mine, he supports me and I support him, but I am a Rhinos player now and that’s it.

“I am looking forward to being a Rhinos player for the next three years and the foreseeable. It should be a good round one, I can’t wait to meet some old faces, but it all comes down to the day. I am enjoying my time here, I love it.”