Leeds Rhinos' Matt Prior confirms retirement date and reveals what it takes to win Grand Finals

Prior has also revealed he will retire when his contract expires at the end of next season and explained what he believes is behind Rhinos’ staggering turnaround from relegation contenders to Grand Finalists.

The 35-year-old Australian joined Rhinos from Cronulla Sharks on an initial two-year contract ahead of the Covid-hit 2020 season.

He signed on for two more seasons in July last year, but admitted he was close to calling time on his Leeds career during lockdown.

“That first period was really tough, being away from family and friends and everything like that,” Prior recalled.

“It was hard for everyone, but ever since everything has cleared up we have been able to do a ton of stuff over here, so it has been great.”

But he conceded: “I was struggling a bit with the Covid stuff. Going into lockdown I was living in a small flat and not being able to do much.

“Being stuck in a small apartment every day wasn’t ideal, I was getting sick of it and I just wanted to go home and be around friends, family and a bit of open space.

“I was pretty keen to go home. How close was I? I was pretty close to calling it a day and heading back home, but I’m pretty glad I stayed.”

Prior was a Challenge Cup final winner with Leeds in 2020 and could add a Super League ring to his trophy collection when Rhinos face St Helens at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Featuring in the title decider justifies his decision to stay on at Leeds, Prior insists. He said: “Had I gone home and the boys had been in a Grand Final, I would have been thinking maybe I should have stayed.

“The fact we are here now and hopefully can win it will make it that bit sweeter, that I made the decision to stay.

“I am looking forward to the game, but I’ll try and keep my emotions in check. The more I think about the game, the more I get excited about it.

“It’s probably too early to be getting too excited, there’s a whole week of training to get through first.

“It’s about staying calm and making sure I am in control. I’ve got a job to do on Saturday and if you get too emotional it can be a bit detrimental.”

Prior confirmed next year will “definitely be my last season” and says that has made him more determined to enjoy this week’s build up and the big occasion on Saturday.

The former captain is “still pinching myself that we’re in the Grand Final” after Rhinos were second from bottom a quarter of the way through their Betfred Super League campaign.

“We probably don’t have any real right to be here, the way we started and what we’ve been through, but I think that makes it even more special,” he said.

“At that stage we were just thinking we need to start winning some games, just so we don’t get relegated.

“We took it one game at a time, never looked too far ahead and just started knocking them off one by one. We ended up getting on a fair run and here we are so it has all worked out in a great way.”

“Ever since Rohan [Smith, Rhinos’ coach] came it has been a real change. He has a really relaxed attitude, nothing is ever really a problem.

“I think before Rohan was here we’d bicker a bit on the field if things weren’t absolutely perfect.

“Things aren’t always perfect now, but there’s no bickering, we don’t get too far ahead of ourselves and we just take it moment by moment and focus on the next job.”

Prior knows how to win Grand Finals, having done it in the NRL with St George Illawarra in 2010 and Cronulla Sharks six years later.

“It takes a team effort,” he said. All the little efforts that sometimes go unseen by the fans and everyone else out there all add up - doing everything for your teammate.”