Leeds Rhinos news: Rohan Smith on defeat at Leigh, how new signings fared and why David Fusitu'a missed out

Despite twice going behind, Leeds led 12-8 at the break and there was no more scoring until Zak Hardaker touched down against his old side with two minutes left and Ben Reynolds landed the winning conversion from wide out.

Rhinos were without winger David Fusitu’a, because of illness and Liam Tindall went off for a head injury assessment (hia) in the second-half, but Smith said first indications were they got through with no major fitness concerns.

“It was a good conditioning hit out, a good, tough game,” he said. “I thought we had some decent brand of what we are trying to create, without having great execution. I thought the process stuff was pretty steady.

“I was pretty positive with how we played overall. We didn’t have much of the field position, but that doesn’t faze us too much.

“We looked mostly comfortable on our tryline, which is pleasing. It was a good, hard game of footy and that’s all we were concerned about.”

Former Gold Coast Titans prop Sam Lisone and former Leigh three-quarter Luis Roberts both had their first run out for Leeds.

Lisone was one of Rhinos’ substitutes and Smith said: “Sam was steady, I thought. He hadn’t played a game since early September and he was training on his own for a few months while his visa and work permit came through.

“He has still got some work to do to get anywhere near his best and I don’t know if he knows where his best is yet, I don’t know if he has ever seen it.

“He has played well in the NRL and been a good player over there, but I have got high expectations and opinion of where Sam can get to. It was a steady hit out, he did okay.”

Roberts played at centre in the first half, scoring an outstanding try, before a spell on the right-wing after the break.

Smith noted: “He was good. The intention was for Fusitu’a to play right centre, but he had an illness yesterday [Friday] and woke up a bit worse today than he was yesterday, so he wasn’t selected.

“That meant ‘big red’ got the opportunity to play right centre and got a good test against Ricky Leutele.

“He took his try well, was very composed running on the last play from 40 metres out. He composed himself at the point of contact, was strong enough to make a break and composed himself against the full-back - it was a nice bit of play.”

Of Tindall’s head injury, Smith confirmed: “He is okay, he got a more of a bang in the eye, but they took him off and went through the hia protocol and he was totally fine.

“At this stage, we’ve got a bunch of bark off and a few dings and whatnot, but nothing I am aware of that’ll put anyone out for a period of time.”

Rhinos are back in action at home to Bradford Bulls next Sunday. Smith said he will field a strong team with Fusitu’a and Cameron Smith, who missed the game at Leigh with a calf injury, set to play.