Leeds Rhinos coach Rohan Smith welcomes new chaper after 'turbulent time', issues Salford Red Devils warning

Six players could make their competitive debut in tonight’s (Friday’s) Betfred Super League round one clash with Salford Red Devils at AMT Headingley. Four of Leeds’ likely seven starting backs are new to the club, including their number one and both halves and that has made every second of pre-season precious.

Smith insisted: “I said to a group of senior players a week or two ago, the way we’ve got to know each other and worked together through the pre-season, if you’d told me this is where we’d be at, I would probably have taken that. It has been a turbulent time; changing so many key players at once is not common, but it is very exciting at the same time. This group will be together for a while and it is exciting we are at the start of a new chapter.”

Two of Rhinos’ recruits, stand-off Brodie Croft and hooker Andy Ackers, were signed from Salford, while the visitors’ squad for tonight includes three-quarter Nene Macdonald and half-back Kai Morgan who were at Leeds last year. The fixture planners cashed in on that by pairing the teams in round one and Smith reckons it adds spice to the occasion. “There’s intel there,” he said of the players who have switched camps. Paul [Rowley, Salford’s coach] will know our two better than I do at this point and that’s cool. It’s part of the storyline leading into the game.”

Salford have also lost wingers Joe Burgess and Ken Sio, leaving them with a talented, but thin, squad which the bookies expect to finish thirds from bottom this year. Smith, though, knows the Red Devils have form for upsetting the odds.

“They have had a decent turnover of players, as we have, so I’d imagine we will both be trying to form our identity early in the piece and we may see some things which we haven’t seen from Salford before,” he predicted. “That’s the thing with round one, you are not 100 per cent sure how the opposition are going to play. I know they will be very well prepared. Paul is an excellent coach and he has got a very good staff around him so we will be embracing the challenge they throw at us.”

Of Rowley, Smith warned: “I think Paul has shown he is among the best coaches in this competition and certainly one of the most innovative or brave - he gets his teams to play together and have a crack. I would be shocked if they are anything but a really hard to beat team this season. Any speculation from the outside is just made up. We haven’t seen anyone play yet so we will be giving them the utmost respect, as we will every opposition.”

Salford are bidding for a hat-trick of round one wins while Rhinos have lost six of their eight opening games since their treble season in 2015. However, Smith isn’t heaping pressure on his players. “Everyone wants to get off to a good start after three months of working hard and preparing for it,” he said. “That’s what we’ll be aiming to do. We’ll take it one game at a time and Salford’s the only team we’re playing this week so we will be going all in for that.”