Leeds Rhinos boss makes key point on squad strength, competition in pack and vital role for young guns

Rhinos kick off their Betfred Super League campaign at home to Salford Red Devils on Friday, February 16 and, if everyone is fit, the backs are likely to line up in squad number order. Smith, though, has decisions to make at prop and in the second-row and says the pack could change from week to week.

“Round one is one thing, everyone wants to be ready for round one, but over the course of the season you need a squad,” insisted the coach, who fielded 22 players in the Boxing Day Festive Challenge win against Wakefield Trinity.

“There may be some good players who miss out in round one, but they might play in round two. In our forwards, there’s going to be some real competition. In our backs, we are very young and inexperienced in our back-up players. That will provide an opportunity for young kids as we go, but it’s a bit of a different dynamic to last year. Our first-choice backline is pretty much there already.”

Teenage centre Jack Smith, full-back Riley Lumb, three-quarter Ned McCormack and stand-off Fergus McCormack, who have not yet been awarded a squad number for 2024 and are awaiting their first team debut, got game time against Wakefield.

Smith reckons there’s “a chance” they will play in Super League over the next nine months, but stressed his preferred option is to bring youngsters into a strong and in-form side, rather than because of injuries. Leeds are without experienced back-up in all those positions and Smith said: “Some of those kids are progressing at a rate of knots.

“We had heaps of young kids on at the same time [against Wakefield]. When you are only putting one or two on in an experienced team, often a talented young kid can fit in quite easily. That will be the plan - if we can be fit and healthy, when the kids need an opportunity, they will get one in a good team.”

Of Rhinos’ nine substitutes against Wakefield, four - the McCormack brothers, Lumb and teenage forward Ben Littlewood - have not played at senior level and another two, Alfie Edgell and Tom Nicholson-Watton, boast just a single substitute appearance.

“We were an extremely young team at the back end of the game,” Smith added. “We had Derrell Olpherts and James McDonnell, Justin Sangare and Mickael Goudemand out there, but aside from that they were 21 or under, which is good.

“I thought most of the young kids got out there and showed what they can do. They were quite conservative in how they played, but that’s the way they needed to get started, just a good, solid game. They can build off that and let their bodies grow and this time next year they could be in a different position, some of those kids.”

Rhinos’ players will return to training next week after a Christmas and new year break. Leeds visit Bradford Bulls for their second pre-season game on Sunday, January 28, are at Hunslet the following Friday and take on Hull KR at AMT Headingley in James Donaldson’s testimonial on Sunday, February 4.

A reserve/academy side will be on duty against Hunslet and Smith confirmed: “We’ll have a mixed team against Bradford, we’ll have a lot of young players playing in that one. But against Hull KR, it will be the round one squad, plus a few more. There’ll be some competition , I would imagine, that day for spots in round one. We will be full-strength in that game.”