Leeds Rhinos’ Challenge Cup win down to a year of hard graft insists groundbreak Polish prop Mikolaj Oledzki

IN THE immediate aftermath of Leeds Rhinos’ dramatic Wembley triumph, Coral Challenge Cup winner Mikolaj Oledski’s thoughts drifted back to a very different afternoon in May last year.
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Coach Richard Agar’s first game as Rhinos coach was one of the lowest points in the club’s history, when they slumped to an embarrassing defeat at Championship side Bradford Bulls in a Challenge Cup sixth-round tie.

Leeds lacked spirit, direction and motivation and, struggling near the foot of Betfred Super League, their future seemed grim.

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Oledzki was one of eight members of that Rhinos team who stepped out at Wembley two days ago for the club’s first Challenge Cup final in five years - along with Tom Briscoe, Konrad Hurrell, Liam Sutcliffe, Ash Handley, Ava Seumanufagai, Brad Dyer and Adam Cuthbertson - and Tui Lolohea and Kallum Watkins were in the opposition Salford Red Devils’ ranks.

Mikolaj Oledzki celebrates with fellow Leeds Rhinos prop Matt Prior and hooker Kruise Leeming. Picture: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com.Mikolaj Oledzki celebrates with fellow Leeds Rhinos prop Matt Prior and hooker Kruise Leeming. Picture: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com.
Mikolaj Oledzki celebrates with fellow Leeds Rhinos prop Matt Prior and hooker Kruise Leeming. Picture: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com.

The contrast was remarkable. The Cup-final performance was far from Leeds’ best of the season, but featured the key qualities they had lacked at Odsal, spirit and a will to win.

For Oledzki, days like that made the 17-16 victory which secured Leeds’ 14th Challenge Cup success all-the-more memorable.

“It feels incredible,” the first Polish born player to appear in a Cup final said after the game.

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“What makes this special is how hard we’ve worked and it makes you reflect where we were last year, losing to Bradford.

Challenge Cup winner, Mikolaj Oledzki. Picture: Ed Sykes/SWpix.com.Challenge Cup winner, Mikolaj Oledzki. Picture: Ed Sykes/SWpix.com.
Challenge Cup winner, Mikolaj Oledzki. Picture: Ed Sykes/SWpix.com.

“That was one of the worst losses I’ve experienced in my career, then in a year’s time to come here and win the Challenge Cup is incredible.

“I can’t believe it, it seems a bit unreal, but I’m absolutely over the moon.”

Thinking back 17 months to the debacle against Bradford, Oledzki recalled: “It was just disappointment because we had a great team already.

“We just didn’t perform well and were too comfortable.

Challenge Cup winner Mikolaj Oledzki and Liam Sutcliffe. Picture: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com.Challenge Cup winner Mikolaj Oledzki and Liam Sutcliffe. Picture: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com.
Challenge Cup winner Mikolaj Oledzki and Liam Sutcliffe. Picture: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com.
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“We came here today and the press said we were favourites again, but we’ve turned up with the right attitude, knowing it would be a tough game and it was.

“Off the field we’ve done a lot of team-building stuff to create that atmosphere of hard work, determination and playing for each other. I felt that really showed in the tough periods of the game; it’s what got us through.”

Oledzki believes much credit must go to Agar who has now followed in his father’s Allan’s footsteps as a Challenge Cup-winning coach. Oledzki said: “He has been huge, absolutely huge.

“What he has done off the field with us has been amazing, he has invested a lot of time in that - building back that strong bond between players and creating that family atmosphere and a willingness to work for each other no matter what.

Leeds Rhinos prop Mikolaj Oledzki takes the steam out of the Salford Red Devils' defence at Wembley. Picture: Ed Sykes/SWpix.com.Leeds Rhinos prop Mikolaj Oledzki takes the steam out of the Salford Red Devils' defence at Wembley. Picture: Ed Sykes/SWpix.com.
Leeds Rhinos prop Mikolaj Oledzki takes the steam out of the Salford Red Devils' defence at Wembley. Picture: Ed Sykes/SWpix.com.
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“I feel like since he’s come in we’ve gelled so much and even when we are not playing our best rugby and are a bit scrappy, like we were [in the final] in some periods, that togetherness and brotherhood pulls us through.”

Oledzki, 21, took up rugby league only as a teenager after moving with his family to England.

“They’re just as over the moon as I am,” he said of his nearest and dearest. “As soon as I rang them I had tears in my eyes, I was just so happy.

“For a kid from Poland coming over to England, this doesn’t seem real.

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“I’m so grateful to be here and have the opportunity to win this cup with this amazing club with great people.”

The final had an audience in Poland, Oledzki confirmed.

He said: “My granddad somehow managed to work his laptop in Poland and get it on.

“My uncles and everyone managed to get the game on and I’m sure they were cheering me on all the way through.

“Checking in with them, they are all so proud of me and I carried them all into that game.

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“I represented my friends and family and my heritage - I wanted to leave everything out there to get the win.

“All credit to the boys, it was just an amazing performance.”

Oledzki also had Rob Burrow’s struggle with motor neurone disease (MND) in his post-match thoughts.

“He is a massive inspiration for everyone, not just in rugby league, but all over the country,” he said of the Rhinos legend.

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“Everyone knows his story now and what he’s been doing for MND and everyone else.

“Hopefully by winning the cup we showed what a great person he is.

“Our kit had seven stripes for Rob so we’ve carried him through the game with us and hopefully he enjoyed it as much as we have.”

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