Leeds Rhinos' Brodie Croft issues 'failure' warning as 'right boxes' ticked in pre-season

Rhinos have finished eighth in each of the past two Betfred Super League campaigns and their most recent top-four placing was in 2017, when they went on to win their eighth Grand Final. Having failed to qualify for the play-offs since being runners-up at Old Trafford in 2022, Croft admitted another finish outside the top-six is “definitely not,” acceptable next season.

“We see ourselves as a big club so those expectations are always there and anything outside of the finals [play-offs] is going to be a failure,” Croft, who joined Leeds ahead of last season, warned. But the 2022 Man of Steel is confident building blocks are being put in place for a better campaign.

“You set the foundations during pre-season for a big season and I think we are ticking all the right boxes at the moment,” he said. “Pre-season has been really good.

“Everyone always says that; you haven’t played anyone so you don’t have anything to work off there, but I think the effort and attitude has definitely been there and the boys are buying into what BA [coach Brad Arthur] has been wanting us to do. It is exciting, we are all working hard and hopefully we reap the rewards come Boxing Day and the matches going forward.”

Thursday’s opening warm-up game, against Wakefield Trinity in the Wetherby Whaler Festive Challenge, is a fresh start for Rhinos, whose 25-man matchday squad includes all five off-season signings, plus four of the club’s most promising youngsters from the lower grades. Croft said: “New faces always bring fresh perspectives and I think it also helped that BA was here for a few weeks before the end of last season, so we could drip feed some of the stuff he wanted to incorporate into our team identity.

“Now he has really come down hard on what his expectations and standards are. The boys are buying into it and hopefully when we come to games it will be reflected in how we play. It [Thursday] is our first hit out and Wakefield are looking good this season. They’ve got some good recruits and they are coming off a good season in the Championship.

“It’s the first chance to put into practice what we have been practising on the training field, then we can review where we are at and what we need to work more on. We can look at what we are doing well and then go on from there.”

Of what fans can expect from Rhinos this week, the stand-off admitted: “You are always going to build your season with your skill, but definitely the aggression and attitude side of things is something we can control.

“That’s something you want to build your performances off and I know we will turn up with the right attitude and aggression. They will be doing the same, but that sets the foundations for any game you play - attitude and aggression and you can work on the back of that.”