Leeds Rhinos' Luis Roberts hails pre-season improvements, reveals why he's a 'miles better' player in 2024

Rhinos finished a lowly eighth in the 2023 Betfred Super League after key players including three-quarter Nene Macdonald, stand-off Blake Austin and hooker Kruise Leeming failed to see out the full campaign. They looked a dispirited team at times, but a new-look squad will begin the new season at home to Salford Red Devils on Friday, February 16 and Roberts reckons the ingredients are in place for a much better year.

“Rohan has brought in the right people,” Roberts said. “There’s no negativity or anything like that; we are all teammates, we’re all happy. People want to come in, they come to work with a smile on their face. I am definitely enjoying myself.”

Roberts was among the try scorers in Rhinos’ Boxing Day win against Wakefield Trinity and feels his performance reflected how far he has come over the past 12 months, since joining Leeds from Leigh. “I really enjoyed that game,” he said. “I feel like I have grown as a person and a player now. I have had a full pre-season and I think I’ve grown up and matured a bit.”

Not expected to make more than a handful of appearances, Roberts played nine times last year, seven of those in the starting team, before suffering a season-ending ankle injury in a win at Hull FC in September. He proved his fitness in the Christmas fixture and admitted he “got a bit unlucky there” with his early end to the campaign. “I had a good run of games and I thought I could have played in the last three, but I am all fit and ready to go again,” he said.

Injuries and unavailability of other outside-backs gave Roberts his chance last year, but getting into the 17 could be tougher this term. He admitted: “We have got some quality players who I am looking up to and learning off. That competition is really healthy for me - and then there’s the young lads. They are brilliant; they are pushing me and making me better and I am working with them so it is going to be a tough year to get into the team. We’ve got a very strong squad.

“I haven’t set a target [for appearances], I just want to get some games stacked up and make sure I play well. I feel I am a miles better player than I was this time last year. It was my first full year playing in Super League and it was a tough learning year for me, but with the experience I got from it I feel I am miles ahead from where I was last year.”

Rhinos resume their pre-season campaign at Bradford Bulls on Sunday and complete it with the visit of Hull KR in James Donaldson’s testimonial game seven days later. The season is now just three weeks away and Roberts stressed: “The next two are very important games for us. Sunday will be tough on that tight pitch, plenty of tackles will be made, but this is the important part of pre-season now. We’ve got to take everything on board, work hard and hopefully get the two wins as well before we start Super League.”

Most of Rhinos’ squad are into their third month of pre-season and they are itching to get a game under their belt, according to Roberts. The centre/winger said: “I am ready to get a few hits, not just a tackle but a bit of a ‘there you go mate’. That’ll get me ready for the main season - and a bit of fitness as well.”