Leeds Rhinos Jury: Plenty to smile about after season of two halves

It was a campaign of highs and lows, but Rohan Smith’s arrival and Rhinos’ march to the Grand Final left our fans’ panel with more good memories than bad.

In their final contribution for 2022, they look back on an eventful year and ahead to what might be around the corner.

KENDLE HARDISTY

What a season it has been for everyone associated with the Rhinos.

From the academy, the women’s team, the wheelchair team to the men’s team, we have been involved in some sort of final. It just illustrates how exciting it is to be a Rhinos fan at the moment.

At the start of the season, there was so much optimism about what the men’s team could achieve. To be second bottom, Agar leaving his role, it all seemed very bleak half way through the season.

Looking back, bringing in Rohan Smith was one of the riskiest calls the club has made for a long time. No one knew who Rohan was, he had little experience in the Super League, so to come here and take on one of the biggest clubs in the league was a massive risk.

Including myself, he has proved a lot of people wrong. He has given the lads the freedom to go play the rugby they want to play and a Grand Final was thoroughly deserved.

It’s very exciting to see what the lads can achieve next season with a full pre-season.

OLIVER LIMON

Phew, did that just happen? The 2022 season will live in the memory for many a year.

The pre-season optimism was sky high and with star quality signings, there was tremendous anticipation of real success.

It didn't take long to quickly fall apart with a disjointed attack, the defence gone missing and, most worryingly ill discipline, with players out through a stack of bans.

Richard Agar departed, JJB steadied the ship and Rohan Smith produced a coaching masterclass, to deliver an incredible winning record.

To go from relegation fodder to Grand Finalists was a truly remarkable effort, despite falling short at the last hurdle.

We were treated to a number of memorable last minute victories, against Huddersfield, Castleford and Catalans and stepped up another gear in the play-offs.

Kudos to all the players, special mention to stellar forwards Mikolaj Oledzki,Morgan Gannon, Jarrod O’Connor and the mercurial Rhyse Martin.

Spreading stardust in the backline were Zak Hardaker, Ash Handley, Richie Myler and Harry Newman.

If we can keep Hardaker and bring in a couple more established players, we could become a force to be reckoned with. I can't wait for next season, bring it on.

JOSH MORROW

That was one weird season! At points, I honestly thought that relegation was a real

possibility if Toulouse could string a few wins together.

When JJB took over as interim-coach he began the turnaround for me, Rohan Smith came in and jumped on the back of that.

When the form picked up I think most of us were hoping for sneaking into the play-offs but the way the team came together and went away to Catalans and WIgan and made it to the Grand Final was nothing short of amazing.

A few social media accounts have been doing their own awards for the team. For me, Jarrod O’Connor takes the young player of the year. Morgan Gannon was outstanding but the way Jarrod came into the side in such a crucial position and looked like a seasoned number nine gives Smith a few headaches next year.

My player of the year goes to Mikolaj Oledzki. He led the pack in a struggling team at times

and his carries lifted the team all year long. He deserves his call-up for the World Cup and I

think we’ll do well to keep him in the coming years.

I am already looking forward to seeing the team who will surely be a threat next year.

TOM RHODES

We had our ups and downs this season. We started the season getting robbed at Headingley against Warrington Wolves, but thinking to ourselves we’re in for a good season. Then we suddenly went on a slump of losing game after game, apart from a one-off at Wakefield.

Richard Agar then handed his notice in and JJB took control for a brief few games which was the start of the revolution and the arrival of Rohan Smith.

We have witnessed some outstanding games this season which I haven’t seen the likes of since the days of 2015.

The highlight for me was the home victory against Wigan Warriors in which we destroyed them. I haven’t witnessed South Stand as excited and pleased in a long time. Let’s hope for many more in the 2023 season.

I’d like to say farewell and good luck in their future careers to the likes of Liam Sutcliffe, Brad Dwyer, Tom Briscoe and Bodene Thompson. All four of them have worn the Blue and Amber with pride and done incredibly well for us and have created some great memories. Also, good luck to England in the upcoming World Cup.

KHYA GOTT

It’s almost the tale of two halves for Leeds this season.

In March, after we lost in the Challenge Cup to Castleford, I wrote: “I said last week that if we lost on Saturday, ultimately, the season would feel like it was over and, well, what happens now?”

And back in March, I was deflated from watching the Rhinos. After that Castleford game, we had lost six and won one in seven competitive games. It was looking like it would be a pretty bleak season for the Rhinos.

For a while, it didn’t get much better than that either. Then Rohan Smith took over, and it all changed. We went from being in the bottom half of the table, to finishing fifth and going all the way to the Super League Grand Final.

And, although it wasn’t meant to be in the end, it’s hard to fault the grit, desire and determination of the team in the second half of the season to turn it around.

We have a few players departing the club now, however, with a few additions, I’m not ‘too’ worried about the upcoming season.

IAIN SHARP

And so another season draws to a close, but not before one last hurrah against New Zealand, as a warm-up for the forthcoming World Cup, this coming Saturday night. I miss the regular Tour games, a victim of summer rugby.

This season has been chalk and cheese. The opening third was shocking, the latter- after the arrival of Rohan Smith - means that the future prospects look bright.

The club can also be rightly proud that all its various facets contested a Grand Final this

Year. Saturday night is also a chance to say farewell to some players, who will play for Leeds for the last time. In a salary-capped sport, it is not possible to keep everyone and it looks like the recruitment for their replacements is going to focus very much

on promising young lower league players.

Those departing should leave with our thanks and their contribution to keeping

Leeds going during some dark days in the last couple of seasons.

In the great cycle of rugby league (and life) there’s the World Cup, Boxing Day, pre-season and before you know it, we’ll all be back again for the start of next season. I hope you’ve

enjoyed my contributions, and raised the odd smile (or at least got you to Google the jokes!)

Enjoy your rugby league!