Leeds Rhinos coach Rohan Smith makes NRL prediction over Nene Macdonald replacement

Macdonald was released this week after failing to return to the club from paternity leave in Australia last month. The Papua New Guinea star was a quota player and Smith said Rhinos are looking to replace him with a foreign centre.

Sydney Roosters’ Paul Momirovski, who has also played for Wests Tigers, Melbourne Storm and Penrith Panthers, is believed to be high on their list of possible targets.

“It's very difficult in the English market,” Smith conceded. “There's some great English centres - in all positions there’s some great English players - but the depth of talent is not there as it is in the NRL. It's most likely that position will be replaced with a quota [player].”

Rhyse Martin, normally a second-rower, spent most of the 2023 season in the three-quarters, Rhinos also have Luis Roberts in their full-time squad and Ash Handley can fill in, but Smith confirmed: “At this stage, it’s a centre we're looking for.

“You can only deal with players who are available, but we're speaking to a few centres - and a few other positions as well.

“We've got a bit of versatility with Rhyse playing centre, but I'd envisage Rhyse will be back in the second-row next year.”

Macdonald joined Rhinos from Leigh during the 2022 off-season, on an initial two-year deal. He signed a new long-term contract, until the end of 2027, in July, but went absent without leave little more than a month later.

His release allows Rhinos to actively seek a replacement and Smith added: “Once he didn't come back initially, it didn't look positive in the short-term of being able to contribute to the back end of the season.

“That was the focus at that period of time. I've kept myself out of it and left it to Gary [Hetherington, Rhinos’ chief executive] and Nene’s management team to work out the resolution.

“I'm glad we've got a resolution, we're moving on and that creates an opportunity to strengthen our squad. We're in the mix so we look forward to closing something out soon.”

Macdonald seemed to be on course for a long career at Rhinos, but managed only 20 appearances, scoring two tries.

Smith reflected: “It hasn't gone to plan, you'd say, but that's the nature of life in sport. Sometimes things don't go to plan and we had to get on without him.

“We did the best we could with the people we had at the time and I'm excited about what's coming up and hopefully a replacement player can be announced soon.”

Rhinos’ statement announcing he had left the club said Macdonald would be staying in Australia, but he has since been linked with a Betfred Super League return at Salford Red Devils.

Smith - whose only contact with the player has been “a couple” of text messages - said: “I don't know if anything surprises me, but that would be as close to a surprise as it gets for me.”

Meanwhile, Smith insists he won’t count on Salford’s reigning Man of Steel Brodie Croft being at Leeds next year until he is signed, sealed and delivered.

Rhinos are understood to be close to concluding a deal for the Australian half-back and Smith said: “We're always looking to strengthen our squad and if it turns out to be the case, I'd look forward to that.

“He is a top-of-the-competition player, there's not a lot of players in the competition that can dominate games or be as consistent as him.

“It has been great to see his progress over here; I watched a lot of him at Melbourne and I was close to the Broncos during my time in Brisbane and saw him play there and it has been great to see his evolution and his love for the game being evident.”

Rhinos will begin pre-season training at the start of November and Smith is hopeful the full 2024 squad will be in place then.

“I think we're getting pretty close to having most of it done,” he confirmed. “This usually is the busiest time for a coach, after the season has finished, when it comes to roster and planning and staffing and stuff.

“It has been a very busy time, but all of the big decisions in terms of recruitment, with the information we have currently, is close to finalisation in the next week or two.

“Anything that happens beyond that will be because of other players randomly becoming available or players within the club seeking opportunities elsewhere. It's always a moving part, but the main part of it will come to a close pretty soon.”